Body and Frame: Description and Operation

Front End Body Panels
A false bulkhead together with two insulation covers, are installed between the engine compartment and the BIW front bulkhead to provide optimum insulation against noise and heat intrusion. Two plenum braces bolted between the BIW upper toeboards and the plenum further increase bodyshell structural integrity. The plastic radiator grill and vane block achieve weight reductions over steel parts and provide high resistance to front end corrosion.

Body closures
Each front and rear door consists of a welded, mild steel inner frame and an outer panel. The outer panel is welded to the waist rail and cheater of the inner frame, then bonded and clinched to form the door assembly. Cosmetic PVC bead is applied to all clinch joints. Sponge rubber seals are mounted on the doors. Internal insulation is provided by a foam water shedder attached to the door by double-sided adhesive tape.

The door aperture B/C posts are reinforced over their full height to fully satisfy all forthcoming European and Federal side impact legislation. The hood consists of one piece inner and outer panels clinched and bonded together, with cosmetic bead PVC sealant applied to all clinch joints. The hood pivots at the front on two hinges each secured by bolts to the hood front underside and the BIW front upper crossmember. Two gas struts secured to the hood by pivot pins and snap-on couplings, support the hood in the open position. A full width insulating pad is secured by screws to the underside of the hood. A sponge rubber tubular seal is mounted transversely towards the front of the hood underside. The trunk lid is of similar construction to the hood, consisting of inner and outer panels clinched and bonded together and PVC bead sealed. Incorporating a removable moulded liner and two trunk illumination lights, the trunk lid is supported when open, by two gas struts, each secured to the inner wheel arch and trunk hinge by snap fittings. For some markets, a warning triangle is attached to a bracket on the trunk lid underside and is retained in the open position by a rubber block.

Fascia
One-piece slush-moulded fascia on injection moulded armature and steel cross-rail reinforcement. Fascia support brackets set with BIW to achieve close tolerance fit of fascia to body eliminate necessity for adjustment following removal and installation..

Fuel Filler Flap
The fuel filler comprising a hinged flap attached to the body decking panel by two nuts, incorporates a rubber buffer, snap-in striker, hinge spring and fuel cap stowage magnet. The rubber fuel bowl moulding is attached via a steel armature to the body reinforcement panel by five M5 nuts and is retained at the filler neck by a clip. The mating drain tube is fitted with an internal filter. The fuel filler flap latch mechanism attached to the fuel bowl armature by two M5 nuts, includes a locking pin and actuator which are both serviceable items. The latch actuator operates independently from the central locking system; it is driven directly by the security and locking control module. Locking of the fuel filler flap is achieved only by operation of the key or by the remote rf transmitter.

Seating
All front seats are equipped with electric height adjustment. In addition, both seats are available with manual or power forward and rearward adjustment, manual or power operated headrest adjustment, 12 way electric adjustment, memory controlled 12 way seat adjustment and integral seat heating. A side air bag module is installed in the outboard squab wing of each front seat. Each front seat has a non-handed, one-piece frame incorporating cushion and squab frames, side air bag support bracket and seat adjuster mechanisms. Seat switchpacks are installed on the outboard side of driver and passenger seats and control modules are installed in the base of each seat. The standard rear seat is of fixed, bench type with full width removable cushion. For certain markets, two individual rear seats are available as an option on long wheelbase models. Both types of rear seat are available with thermostatically controlled heating of the cushion and squab. Individual rear seats are electrically adjustable for squab recline (via cushion fore and aft movement), head restraint height and lumbar support. Separate motors provide adjustment of each seat cushion and head restraint and an electrically driven air compressor provides variation of lumbar support. Seat adjustment is controlled via switches installed on a panel in an extension to the center console. Both the driver and front passenger seat are secured to the vehicle floor at four points.

Interior Trim
The one-piece door casings are trimmed in UEV to match the seating, with wood veneer at the waistline and a carpet insert at the front lower corner. Each casing is secured to the door inner panel by fir tree fasteners along the lower section, two armrest fixings at the center and veneer panel dowels and fixings at the top. The armrests which are common to front and rear doors, are trimmed in matching leather or UEV according to specification. Switchpacks dedicated to driver and front or rear passenger, are incorporated in the armrests. A speaker is installed in the lower section of each door and a tweeter is incorporated behind each interior door handle escutcheon. where premium ICE is fitted, the front tweeters are installed in the upper A posts. On each side, a grained UEV finisher trimmed to match the headlining is secured to the 'A' post and cantrail by fir tree fasteners locating in BIW apertures. The upper 'D' post finisher is trimmed and secured in the same manner. The single piece 'B' post finishers, also finished in grained matching UEV, each have a front seat belt exit aperture and are secured to the BIW by four spring clips and two fir tree fasteners. The one-piece headlining consists of a 6 mm thick polyurethane foam membrane covered with suede effect knitted polyester. The headlining is secured to the BIW roof by body tangs, the roof console, sun visors, combined grab handles and coat hooks, the cantrail finishers and where filled, the sliding roof finisher and clips. Carpet covered trims line the trunk and are secured by fir tree fasteners to the sides and front inner panel.

Rear View Mirrors
The interior rear view mirror is an electrochromic unit that automatically darkens to prevent glare from following vehicle lights. This automatic function is selected by pressing the switch at the bottom of the mirror. Pressing the switch again cancels this function. An LED then illuminates when automatic dipping is operative. The light sensing unit for the Night Sentinel automatic lamp operating system is also incorporated in the mirror casing.

The door mirrors are cheater mounted, color-keyed units, remote electrically adjustable and heated. Adjustment of both mirrors is carried out from the driver's door switchpack. A slider switch selects the mirror to be adjusted, and a disc switch adjusts the selected mirror to the required position. Mirror adjustment can only be made when the ignition switch is in position I or II or the driver's door is open, and the selector switch is moved from the central position. The door mirrors also automatically darken under control of the electrochromic interior rear view mirror. Mirror heating elements operate on selection of backlight heating.

Automatic dipping of passenger door mirror for curb view when reversing, is filled as part of the memory pack. With the ignition switch in position II, the mirror selector switch in the left or right position and reverse gear selected, automatic dipping is initiated by moving the mirror toggle switch rearwards and releasing. On receipt of the dip signal, the passenger door mirror is driven downwards either 7 degrees, bottom of travel, or 4.5 to 5.5 seconds, whichever occurs first. Subsequent rearward movement of the toggle switch achieves further dipping of the mirror in the same increments and sequence. The mirror can be manually returned to the normal memorized position by moving the toggle switch forward with reverse gear selected. The mirror will automatically return to memorized position on deselection of reverse gear, or moving ignition switch from position II.

Door mirror fold-back where filled, to facilitate parking in confined spaces, can be initiated when the ignition switch is in position I or II, the mirror selector switch is in the central position and vehicle speed is below 19 km/h (12 mph). Mirror fold-back is then initiated by moving the toggle switch rearwards and releasing it. The door mirrors are returned to the normal driving position by again moving toggle switch rearwards. There is no speed constraint on this operation. In the event of a fold-back mirror becoming 'out of position' due to accidental impact, it must only be re-positioned by initiating the fold-back sequence.

Loss of power supplies will result in loss of mirror fold-back memory. In the event of such a memory loss with mirrors in the normal position, fold-back will operate on second movement of the toggle switch. On loss of memory with mirrors in the fold-back position, they will return to the normal position on next fold-back operation.

Bumpers
Each bumper comprises a beam mounted to the body via two strut assemblies, and a moulded polypropylene cover incorporating side armatures and chrome plated blades. Each strut is secured to the BIW by three bolts and supports the beam on a single bolt/height adjuster. The front bumper cover which is moulded to form a lower air intake for the cooling pack, also incorporates left and right handed twin fog lamps, brake cooling ducts. Side marker lamps fitted for some markets serve only as reflectors for UK and Europe. A plastic undertray secured to the lower edge of the front bumper, improves airflow and minimizes the ingress of road grime in that area. Standard bumpers have glass mat thermoplastic (GMT) beams mounted on GMT struts. For certain markets, aluminium bumper beams are installed on menasco energy absorbing struts. Whilst both types of front bumper provide a fully integrated 'soft front end' that satisfies bumper impact requirements, the energy absorbing front and rear bumpers are further designed to withstand 5 mph (8 kph) impacts with no visible damage sustained. Side markers/reflectors, and direction indicators are designed for ease of access from the outside of the bumper. For adjustment and bulb change, the fog lamps are accessed from the bumper interior. The bumper covers are body colored and matched. Replacement covers are supplied complete with side armatures and are finished in primer

Trunk
The trunk houses the spare wheel, the battery, an electrical carrier containing electrical fuses, relays and modules and a compact disc auto-changer attached to body bracketry. The trunk is fitted with push-fit liners to the sides and front inner panel. The carpet covered floor is in two removable sections, one covering the spare wheel and wheel changing equipment, the other covering the battery and electrical carrier. The front and rear edges of the floor board locate in blocks on the fuel tank backboard and the rear of the body, which provide two height settings to accommodate the difference in thickness between the space saver and full sized spare wheels. A moulded finisher covering the rear of the trunk below the sill is secured to the rear panel by tabs and fir tree fasteners. Finisher panels fitted over the rear lamp units provide for access from the trunk. Finisher panels fitted to the rear lamp units provide trunk interior access to the lamps. The trunk lid underside is fitted with a removable moulded liner and two trunk illumination lights. Trunk locking is based on a central latch and striker, operated electrically through the central locking system by an adjacent actuator or by key in a barrel lock located behind the trunk lid badge.

Occupant Restraints
Inertia reel seat belts with electronically controlled pre-tensioners are installed at the front seats. Supplementary occupant restraint is provided for driver and front seat passenger by front airbags, and side air bags installed in the outer wing of each front seat. Standard inertia reel type belts are fitted to all three rear seat positions. The front seat belts are provided with height adjuster units which are attached one to each of the 'B' posts. Where emergency locking retractor/automatic locking retractor seat belts are provided, the belts have two operating modes. The inertia reel mode with emergency locking retractor is for adult passenger use only and operates to allow the occupant some freedom of torso movement under normal travel conditions.. The static reel mode which prevents belt payout and must be used when a child seat is installed, is activated by fully extending the belt to engage the ratchet mechanism, then releasing the belt. Operation of the ratchet will then be felt and the belt will become locked in that position. To revert to inertia reel (adult passenger) mode, pay the belt back into the reel to the fully retracted position.