First introduced into the Rover 800 series with the 1996 facelift, including the flagship Rover Sterling Saloon and Coupe models, it has since also powered the Rover 75 and its sister car, the MG ZT, as well as the Rover 45 and the MG ZS.
The engine was designed and developed by Rover at Longbridge to replace the Honda 2.7l V6 engine which was about to become non-compliant with tightening emissions legislation.