Rover TCV concept
by Sam Livingstone

The TCV is the first concept car to bear the Rover badge since the CCV concept in 1986. It is a strong design statement that Rover is moving on from its current heritage laden design identity that the face lifted Rover 800 introduced exactly a decade ago.

First acquaintance with the car is dominated by the contemporary sheer surfaced and hard edged aesthetic, and the strong face incorporating a larger, cleaner interpretation of the classic Rover grille that originates from the 1949 P4 and 1958 P5. This grille is recessed into the hood but has depth that is easily read, and a prominent 'T' motif from a broad upper edge and similarly broad central vertical bar. It also is more of a trapezium (as opposed to rectangle) shape that tapers downward with more acutely angled sides than before.

The tapering is accentuated by nearby tall angular lights, and by the line and surface running parallel to the grille sides that traces all the way through hood, A-pillar, cant rail and C-pillar to the rear window. This integration of line and surface elements around the car give the car an 'all of a piece' strength and quality which are intrinsic Rover characteristics.

A falling feature line that runs the length of the car is the one exception to this, as it fails to link with any of the other lines and surfaces on the car. It look likely to have been added at a late stage to break the sheerness of the flanks that are more akin to the cold teutonic form language of an Audi A4 or Opel Signum, than the warm voluminous form that the P5, P6, SD1 and 75 Rovers exhibited.

Beyond the confident new aesthetic design of the TCV, is the conceptual design of a 'lifestyle estate' based crossover that shows Rover's intent to capitalise on the increasingly image leading 'lifestyle estate' market in the future. It also demonstrates that Rover recognises the need to be amongst the early adopters in reacting to the effects that SUV and MPV vehicles have had on the market.

With the stance and wheel arch treatment similar to that of the Audi A6 All-Road, the TCV has adopted some SUV toughness. And with apparent interior versatility, and the capacity to load a washing machine upright into the rear, (they don't like to be carried any other way) the TCV has adopted some typical MPV traits in a similar was to the Chrysler Pacifica and Mercedes GST concepts shown at Detroit.

Rover has changed ownership and design identity many times during even the youngest lives of its customers. Although it desperately needs to become a brand that a broader, younger minded audience can identify with, it also needs to be seen to connect with its heritage - to show some sort of consistency despite its capricious recent background. The TCV shows how this might be achieved but its translation into a production car (to replace the Rover 45) shall walk a fine line between modern relevance and historical reverence.

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