Wheels Magazine 
September, 2002
Sun's yet up, and trouble's dawning. Hurrying through blackness, local hero Ralliart Magna has the Union Jack of its Pommy adversary trapped in its pallid beam. The MG ZT 190's icy white Xenon lamps cut an illuminated swathe down to Oran Park for the front-drive sports sixes' first face-off. The muscular Mitsubishi is comfortably within striking distance, highlighting how it out-ran, out-handled, out-rode, and out-braked the best local sports sixes - Falcon XR6 VCT and HSV XU6 - in a three-car shoot-out back in March ... and feeling more refined while doing so.
Oran Park is cold and calm for the acceleration tests, and after a brisk warm-up the Ralliart simply destroys the MG. To be fair, the gaping difference in acceleration is no surprise after taking core performance factors into account. The Magna weighs negligibly more than the MG, has a litre more engine capacity, and better than a 20 per cent advantage in power-to-weight ratio.
Ralliart's mild modifications have only enhanced Mitsubishi's already admirable three-five V6, because the extra squirt in no way diminishes its polished smoothness and beefy responsiveness throughout the rev range. It feels hunky, sounds serious. Always ready and willing, the Magna shows no sign of butterflies when staged at the track. Just lift the revs, drop the well weighted, strongly biting clutch, and go. Launched thus, the Ralliart turns its nose up and puts power to ground as the steering wheel tugs for attention and the front tyres momentarily scrabble for grip. But the torque-sensing diff sorts that out quick-smart to convert wheelspin into raw thrust.
Getting 1500kg from zip to 60 clicks in less than three and a half seconds is a sure sign of a bulging physique and road-rippling traction, regardless of which wheels are driven. The Ralliart's rush benefits from reaching the high side of 60 before the 1-2 upshift, and then exceeding 100 (in high sixes) before again kissing the redline and snatching third gear. To wrap things up, the standing 400m mark is behind you in just 15 flat.
There's no way the Magna can be matched by a same-weight, smaller-engined car, however British it may be. Even so, the ZT 190 keeps a stiff upper lip and certainly isn't cowed by the Aussie speeder. For reference, 0-60 in high 3s, 0-100 in mid 8s and 400 metres in just a whisker over 16 are pretty respectable numbers for such a solid two-five, particularly given the gearing. The MG needs an upshift before seeing 60, and another before hitting 100, although overall the lowish gearing aids driving flexibility.
The MG also inevitably trails the Magna for in-gear rolling response. Even so, the MG engine and drivetrain never shirk from the task, though getting the best from the ZT 190 requires heavy pedaling and gearchanges aplenty. The MG may be tractable from a few hundred revs above idle, but progress is slow until the needle clears 3000rpm. The KV6 engine is still every bit as smooth and willing as its bigger rival, though, and has a more compellingly urgent aural edge when revved towards the red.
Since the MG's gearshift is frequented much more often, it's only proper that it should also have the lighter, crisper shift quality. Not that the Magna's gearchange draws complaint. Although the lever is slightly notchy through neutral, it slings from slot to slot with all the speed and surety you could ask for. But the MG's stubby stick has even sportier feel and action.
Given similar driving conditions, as throughout this 1200km test, the two produce remarkably similar fuel consumption, and not thirsty at that. In brisk highway cruising, both use just over 10 litres per 100km, increasing to about 12+ (MG) and 13+ (Magna) when given some stick. The Ralliart engine is designed specifically for regular unleaded, but the MG prefers premium, tolerates 91 octane.
Cornering prowess obviously plays a big part in driver appeal, and will be aired shortly, but consistently forceful braking is a high priority, too. And almighty stoppers are one of the most impressive aspects about these two similarly impressive chassis. You'll read elsewhere that these models have substantially upgraded anchors with bigger rotors, better calipers, and worthier pads. Both perform outstandingly in demanding conditions by slowing strongly from 100 clicks almost without perceptible fading of their feel or effect. Although the pedals' feel is on the firm side of average, both are nicely progressive and reassuringly repetitive. Which brakes better? Well, there's next to nothing in it, but while the Ralliart Magna's stoppers are formidable, it's the MG that stops shortest when the pressure's on.
The MG scores even more convincingly in its steering and handling. In terms of a dynamically astute mid-size front-wheel-drive chassis, this must be about as good as it gets. For now anyway. The Ralliart Magna steers very convincingly, apart from minor torque steer under hard acceleration, and a noticeable wedge of springiness when the wheel is tweaked either side of centre. Other than that the Magna steering has moderate weighting and informative feel.
Then, just when you're thinking how cooperative Ralliart's steering is, you switch to the MG and grasp a higher level of directional integrity. The MG wheel's weighting isn't dissimilar to Magna's, but the sense of connection between wrists and road is more tangible and there's not a skerrick of lost motion at straight ahead. Steer, and the ZT responds as little or as much as you've dialled in. Point it at a corner and it turns in almost as if proving the existence of thought transfer.
The MG's handling is characterised by minimal understeer and a user-friendly sense of balance. Running a close second, the Ralliart also turns-in promptly and settles securely, but isn't quite as quick to change direction and sometimes feels a smidge more rubbery in the transitions. Even so, its handling is a cut above usual front-driver expectations and earns bonus kudos because it copes so well with the extra grunt at its disposal.
Going hard, the MG has it easier as you can wring the drivetrain's neck without any serious suggestion of over-powering the chassis and handling. But that would be a real possibility in the Magna if it weren't for the very real poise of the chassis and suspension, and for the limited-slip diff. Only when you're absolutely steaming through very tight turns does the lightened-by-body-roll inner wheel spin briefly as you mash the gas pedal and charge from the exit. Otherwise the limited-slipper distributes the drive with the skill and anonymity of a croupier, and lets the Ralliart's storming thrust be flogged to the full when charging from corners.
To their credit, the Ralliart and ZT 190 are remarkably tolerant towards being bundled into corners. Smooth-in/smooth-out works best, but both chassis exhibit more resistance than usual to kneel on the outer front wheel and push the nose wide, even when driven hard. The MG stays the flatter of the two, with the Ralliart heeling enough to bring the outer edge of the excessively deep front bib into contact with the road.
If you want a limo-like ride, best park your bum somewhere other than the Ralliart and ZT 190. While their suspensions aren't harsh, they make no apologies for their sense of discipline - sometimes firm enough to notice - and can bobble busily over patchworks or rippled surfaces, albeit without inflicting discomfort. The MG's ride is slightly the more rigorous, but keen drivers wouldn't have either of them any other way.
Wouldn't mind a bit less tyre noise, though. On coarse surfaces, both cars experience about-average road rumble - a noticeable intrusion, but generally acceptable. Coincidentally or what, both test cars also generate a light yet persistent cadence from the (different) tyres. Regardless of origins and modest volume, the tyres' rhythmic patter is like a small but persistent itch and can get on your wick; all the more conspicuous because there's not much wind noise and both are mechanically quiet.
MG claims ZT body shell is outstandingly stiff with 24,250Nm/degree torsional rigidity. Don't have the Ralliart Magna's equivalent figure, and can only say that where the local car feels particularly tight in the body over rough roads, the import seems even tauter.
The Ralliart has very inviting front seats with ample adjustments and a particularly supportive backrest. However, the equally comfortable MG's deeply winged cushions grasp your hips in a way that says "drive me". Where the Magna has a roomy footwell and well spaced pedals, the ZT shoots you in the foot, so to speak, with constricted width and pedals set awkwardly far left. On the other hand, MG provides two-way wheel adjustment to Magna's height-only setting. The nicer wheel to hold and use is MG's, slightly smaller in diameter than Magna's, yet slightly deeper in the rim that (MG emphasises) is deliberately devoid of thumb-bumps; which feature prominently on Ralliart's rim.
To me, neither instrument package is a thing of beauty. Ralliart's flaming red faces appear too extreme or too crass. MG's metallic finish looks much classier, but the ovoid meters are more about style than legibility.
The Magna has orthodox RHD stalks, plus a third for cruise control. The MG may hail from the northern side of the ditch, but kowtows to Europe in details such as LHD stalks. The ZT's cruise buttons reside on the steering hub, as do others for the radio.
Speaking of which ... if there were ever two audio faces that don't belong in cars, these are they. Fiddly little buttons and cryptic controls negate all the attraction of Ralliart's seven-CD player and 14-speaker aural quality. MG's face is ergonomically woeful, too. Why not the splendidly integrated system the ZT has at home? In spite of 'only' six speakers, the MG's single-CD player sounds great.
A word of warning regarding the ZT's Australian-installed Blaupunkt: all the examples we've tested have had the North American-standard separation of 10kHz between stations on the AM band. In Australia, and most of the rest of the world, there are nine kHz steps between stations. This means weak and fuzzy reception on many stations. The MG Rover people assure us that the spacing can and will be correctly adjusted on customer cars.
While neither interior is universally appealing, the MG is visually more harmonious and aesthetically more upmarket. As with the instruments, Ralliart's choice of interior tones and treatment is so confronting that you have to ask how you'd like to wake up to them every morning.
Although the Ralliart Magna has climate-control air-con as standard, and is at least averagely endowed with equipment and features, the ZT 190 runs it ragged for kit, not least six airbags to two, and for incidentals' stowage. For instance, Ralliart's dinky door pockets are a joke. Besides useful door receptacles, the ZT includes a bigger centre bin, more capacious glovebox, and fully functional oddments slots recessed into the fascia. MG's beefy door grips also deserve praise. The hard door armrests don't, but are no worse than Magna's.
Although the local cabin is comfortably wider than the comparatively narrow-shouldered Brit, the most telling difference is in the rear passengers' accommodations. Where the Magna easily accepts tall-behind-tall with ample rear knee room and foot space, the MG contradicts its longer wheelbase with lower front seats and comparatively poor rear packaging that scrimps on knee room for the tall, and foot space for all. A shame, because the rear seat itself rivals Magna's. Both have binned centre rear armrests that open on to ski ports. Magna's orifice is the larger, but its backrest is fixed whereas MG's folds to fully extend the boot that otherwise is about a cabin bag smaller (432 litres v 460), though more plushly finished. As it should be, you'd think, considering the ZT 190 costs over 10 grand more than the Ralliart Magna.
So, when you look at the price, the performance and the roominess, the local hot-shoe seems to have this match in the bag. Assuming you can cop the juvenile body kit and lairy interior, that is. There's an almost entirely excellent car in there, but I'm afraid Mitsubishi will learn to its cost that there's more to street cred than an oversize biplane rear wing and bloodshot instruments. Besides which, the exxy Special Risk insurance classification is a bummer.
The MG loses big-time in max acceleration and rear accommodation, but scores with its likeable drivetrain, finely composed chassis, terrific steering, and mighty brakes. Not to forget the extra kit and greater sense of refinement and focus. In sum, I must admit to being a bit surprised by the ZT 190's air of enthusiasm and quality, and more than a bit impressed by what it is and how it drives. On balance, it noses ahead. Bloody Brits. Guess we'll just have to mention The Ashes again.