Rover 400 Series

The Rover 400 (later the Rover 45) is a small family car produced by the British automaker Rover from 1990 to 2005. The car was developed during Rover's collaboration with Honda, and all generations of the car were derived from re-developed Honda chassis, first the Honda Concerto and later the Honda Civic.

Rover 400 Mark I (1990–95)

The original 400 Series, launched as a four-door saloon in early 1990, was simply a saloon version of the "R8" 200 Series hatchback, and like the 200, was based on the Honda Concerto. It used the same core structure and mechanicals as the Honda, but the rear-end redesign of the glasshouse and structure was unique to Rover, there being no Honda UK equivalent. Interior trim and electrical architecture were all carried over from the core, 5-door, vehicle.

An estate or station wagon version, the '400 Tourer', was subsequently developed by Rover Special Products, based on the extended floorpan of the 400, offering an alternative to the "sports touring" BMW 3 Series and Audi 80 small estates that had become increasingly popular, a first attempt to move Rover Group estate cars away from the utilitarian end of the market.