United Kingdom
British Aerospace sold the Rover Group to BMW and the changes have already begun, with three of Rover's oldest nameplates being abandoned by the end of the year. The outmoded Maestro and Montego ranges have been shelved, while the Metro no longer exists in name but the car itself has survived a major facelift to be sold as the "Rover 100 Series". The new car is more competitively priced than its predecessor, and indeed most of its competitors. There is a new 1.5 diesel unit on offer, but the 1.1 and 1.4 petrol engines are carried over from the Metro.
Despite the takeover by BMW, Rover's next generation 400 Series - which goes on sale next year - will be a clone of the upcoming Honda Civic, while the new 200 Series will be the first in-house Rover design since the 1984 Montego.
Ford has pulled the plug on Granada production after 10 years to make way for the new Scorpio. Power comes from a slightly lacklusture 2.0 16-valve unit; the 2.3 16-valve and 2.9 V6 units give much better performance. The interior is comfortable, well-equipped and spacious.
Vauxhall has replaced the long-running Carlton with the all-new Omega - the latest model to adopt a continental Opel nameplate. Like its predecessor, the Omega is a large rear-wheel drive range of saloons and estate.
Read more about this topic: 1994 In Motoring
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