ROVER is celebrating its centenary this year, but the British manufacturer has not enjoyed the best of times.

Sales have wavered, and models have not been well received. But the company refuses to lie down and this month sees the arrival of a new-look 45 in hatchback and saloon shapes. It has been somewhat brighter for the MG side of the business, and a striking new MG ZS is also heading for the dealer's showrooms. Both 45 and MG have a lot in common when it comes to new features such as air conditioning, security and safety, but market and model range are very different.

First up is the 45. There are 13 models in hatchback form, with prices starting at £9,995 on the road, and eight in saloon fashion with prices from £13,495.

Overall, there is nothing really radical about the 45's new looks. It is a bit more stylish, along the lines of the more elegant Rover 75, and it has a new front bumper design to give a sculpted look. It also has a new twin headlamp design up front. Other changes have been made to the rear end with a new boot and bumper style, and there are new alloy wheels and badging.

Not a lot to draw people away from its key competitors such as the Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra, VW Golf and Renault Megane.

The 45's trim levels start with the hatchback's Classic, moves on to the Club, and tops with a Connoisseur. Saloon models start with a Club and also peak with the Connoisseur.

It is inside the car that things begin to look up. There is an all-new fascia, and centre console together with an array of technology features that could prove more attractive. There is the new automatic temperature control, integrated in the console, and standard on the Club SE and Connoisseur models.

Another feature is the wash-wipe facility that can be programmed to vary the number of times the wipers operate after the windscreen wash has finished. It also gives the screen an extra wipe about four seconds after the last wipe, the idea being to get rid of that last little dribble of water.

Then there is the remote boot release fitted within the car key, allowing the driver to open the boot from yards away.

Next up is the automatic relocking system, which means that if the car has been unlocked but the doors not opened within 30-seconds the vehicle will lock itself again. There is also speed locking, when the doors automatically lock when the car's has topped three miles-an-hour. The doors remain locked, even when stationary, until the ignition is turned off. On top of this particular feature, there is a special master-locking switch that can be pressed to lock all the doors regardless of ignition or engine state, and it comes with a panic alarm setting off a siren and flashing the hazard lights.

All 45 models, except for the entry-level 1.4-litre Classic, also come with the TrafficMaster traffic alert system designed to provide a warning of bad things ahead, such as traffic jams.

Other helpful systems include parking distance sensors, and for safety cars are fitted with ABS anti-lock brakes as well as an electronic brake force distribution system.

There is a choice of engines, a 1.4-litre, 103PS, unit drives the entry level versions of the Classic and Club, and a 1.6-litre (109PS) and 2.0-litre (1001PS) turbo diesel are also available for Club trim models. There are 1.8-litre (117PS) petrol and 2.0-litre (113PS) turbo diesel units fitted to other specified models. Most engines are matched to a manual gearbox although there is an optional automatic box for the 1.8-litre unit.

Updated: 09:03 Friday, May 14, 2004