MG refreshed the entire ZT range in 2004, and that included the station wagon version for it, named ZT-T, but that didn’t help too much.
Three years after it was introduced on the market, the ZT-T still couldn’t find enough customers to keep it alive. Sales were slow, and the management tried to make the car looks better. Rover initially developed the car under BMW ownership. After its divorce from the German carmaker, the small British company struggled to survive, and it just didn’t have enough money to do a big change.

On the facelifted version, the carmaker introduced a new front fascia. Its formerly used double headlamps system was dropped and replaced by single units, clear-lens, headlights. The bumper had to be changed to match their new design, but there were just slight differences. At the back, the badge was moved from the right to the center-bottom area.

Inside, the car sported white-faced dials in the instrument cluster in a retro-style design theme. Its front bucket seats offered good bolstering on the sides since the MG was tuned for sportier drivers. In the back, the carmaker kept the same 60/40 split-folding bench that expanded the trunk from 400 liters (14.1 cu-ft) with the seats up to 1222 liters (43.1 cu-ft) with the bench folded down.

Under the hood, MG ZT-T offered a choice of four gasoline engines and one turbo-diesel. The latest addition was the 4.7-liter Ford V-8 engine, which sent the power to the rear wheels. All other engine versions were front-wheel-drive only. MG stiffened the suspension for the ZT by 70% when compared to its sibling, the Rover 75.

After BMW sold the MG-Rover to Phoenix Consortium, the British carmaker tried to flex its muscles and showed what it could do without the mandatory restrictions from a giant carmaker.
In 2001, MG introduced the ZT model and its station wagon sibling, the ZT-T. Both vehicles relied on the same platform built by Rover for the 75 series. But MG was known for its motorsport heritage and aimed to become Rover’s performance division. In 2003, the ZT-T became the fastest production station wagon globally, after it reached 225.6 mph (363 kph) at the Bonneville Speed Week on the Salt Flats in Utah – U.S.A.

The ZT-T exterior featured the same dual-headlamps design system from the Rover 75, but with a wider, lower, plastic bumper which sported a broad grille on the apron. Its mesh-grille design resembled the look of older race cars. From its sides, the ZT-T sported new alloy wheels and featured a roofline extended above the trunk area, with a roof spoiler on the upper part of the tailgate. At the back, the carmaker installed a side twin exhaust with a heat shield between the pipes and the plastic bumper.

Inside, the sport bucket seats looked sportier than those offered by Rover for the 75. Its instrument panel featured four elliptic analog dials with white background and red needles, while a small LCD revealed data from the onboard computer. In the back, the carmaker installed a three-seat bench with a split-folding seatback which increased the trunk space from 400 liters (14.1 cu-ft) up to 1,222 liters 43.1 cu-ft).

Under the hood, MG installed a choice of three engines ranging between a 2.0-liter turbodiesel that provided 131 hp and a 2.5-liter V-6 that offered 190 hp with the five-speed manual gearbox and 180 hp with a five-speed automatic.