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Roewe

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Roewe
Company typeDivision
IndustryAutomotive
Founded2006; 18 years ago (2006)
Headquarters
Shanghai
,
China
Area served
China
ProductsAutomobiles
ParentSAIC Motor
SubsidiariesRising Auto
Websitewww.roewe.com.cn
Roewe
Simplified Chinese荣威
Traditional Chinese榮威
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinRóngwēi
Wade–GilesJung2-wei1
IPA[ʐʊ̌ŋwu̯éɪ̯]
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationWìhngwāi
JyutpingWing4 wai1

Roewe (Chinese: 荣威; pinyin: Róngwēi) is an automotive brand owned by the Chinese automaker SAIC Motor since 2006. Roewe vehicles were initially based on technology acquired from defunct British carmaker MG Rover.[1] SAIC was unable to purchase the rights to the Rover brand name (which was retained by BMW, subsequently sold to Ford and ultimately returned to Jaguar Land Rover) and created the Roewe marque as a replacement.[2] Roewe vehicles are sold in most export markets outside China under the MG marque.

Name

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The name Roewe originates from SAIC's failure to acquire the Rover brand name from BMW c. 2005 (it was instead sold to Ford in 2006,[3] and the brand is currently owned by Jaguar Land Rover). Composed of the Chinese characters Róng and wēi, which roughly mean "glorious power", the name is a transliteration of Rover, although SAIC has stated that it is derived from Löwe, the German word for lion.[4]

History

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Roewe logo until 2018

SAIC purchased technology relating to the Rover 75 and Rover 25 after the 2005 collapse of MG Rover, and the Roewe marque first appeared on a version of the 75, the Roewe 750. Originally intending to purchase all assets of the failed British company, SAIC was outbid by Nanjing Automobile.[3] In 2007, SAIC merged with Nanjing Auto, so it now controls those MG Rover properties, such as the MG name and a Birmingham factory, the Longbridge plant, that it was initially unable to acquire.[5]

English engineering firm Ricardo assisted the development of early Roewe models and set up a new company in the UK, Ricardo (2010) Consultants Ltd, which helped bring the 750 to market.[2] According to SAIC, work on the vehicle was also done in China.[6] In 2007, Ricardo was purchased by SAIC and renamed SAIC Motor UK Technical Centre.[7] It employs over 200 British ex-Rover engineers.[8]

The Roewe brand unveiled the Roewe Vision-R electric concept car at the 2015 Guangzhou Auto Show in China that and previews a new generation of the Roewe design language for the Chinese brand, featuring sharp creases and a full width grille that evolved from the previous Roewe shield grille. The new design theme was applied to products launched shortly after such as the Roewe i5, i6, RX3, RX5, RX7, RX8, and Marvel X, as well as facelifts of the Roewe 950 and Roewe 360 Plus.[9]

In 2016, Roewe adopted a new design strategy, introducing a more streamlined alphanumeric naming system and a styling approach that featured fewer curves. The first model to represent this shift was the Roewe RX5 SUV, developed in partnership with Alibaba Group, which provided the software for the vehicle.[10] In 2018, Roewe debuted its first electric SUV, the Marvel X, and expanded its offerings with the introduction of the Ei5, a fully electric 5-door station wagon.[11][12]

In 2021, the brand launched its first coupe SUV, the Jing,[13] followed by the release of the hybrid RX3 Pro variant, named Lomemo, in 2022. That same year saw the introduction of a new design language for the RX5's next generation and the release of the premium RX9.[14] In 2023, Roewe introduced a new model line, the D7, while simultaneously streamlining its portfolio by phasing out older, less popular models.

In November 2024, SAIC Motor Passenger Vehicle announced to roll back the Rising Auto brand into Roewe, ending its history as an independent brand. Rising would turned into a premium electric product line under Roewe.[15][16]

Products

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See also: List of SAIC vehicles

Roewe

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Car

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SUV

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MPV

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Rising Auto

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Main article: Rising Auto

Rising Auto was originally the "R Brand" in 2020,[17] an offshoot of SAIC's Roewe brand for electric vehicles. It was operated as an independent brand since 2021 but rolled back into Roewe in 2024. It is currently positioned as Roewe's premium product line.

  • Rising Auto F7
    Rising Auto F7
  • Rising Auto R7
    Rising Auto R7
  • Rising Auto RC7 (prototype)
    Rising Auto RC7 (prototype)

Former models

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Car

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SUV

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Concepts

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Roewe Vision-R concept fron
  • Roewe N1 Concept
  • Roewe E1 Concept
  • Roewe Vision-R
  • Roewe Vision-E
  • Roewe Vision-i
  • Roewe Vision-iM
  • Roewe Max Concept
  • Roewe R-Aura
  • Roewe iM8 Concept
  • Roewe Whale Concept

Sales

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A total of 155,336 Roewe vehicles were sold in China in 2013, making it the 29th largest-selling car brand in the country in that year (and the 13th largest-selling Chinese brand).[18]

Exports

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Outside of China, Roewe-derived models are currently sold under the MG marque.[19]

In 2008, the Roewe 550 and 750 were launched in Chile under the names MG 550 and MG 750, respectively.[20] The smaller MG 350 and sporty MG 6 were displayed at the eleventh Santiago Motor Show in October 2010.[21]

European sales first began in Belarus, with an MG-badged version of the 550.[22] British car magazine Autocar tested the Roewe 350 in 2010 suggesting that the model would be built and sold in the UK, but Roewe denied this.[23] Nonetheless, as of April 2011 SAIC's MG6 (a reworked Roewe 550) commenced assembly at the old MG Rover plant in Longbridge. The European market cars feature certain improvements over its Chinese siblings, meeting Euro V rather than Euro IV emissions standards.[24]

References

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  1. ^ "Rover becomes 'Roewe'". The Daily Telegraph. 13 October 2006. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007.
  2. ^ a b Adams, Keith (19 September 2008). "Roewe 750". AROnline. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  3. ^ a b China debut for Rover-based car bbc.co.uk, Monday, 20 November 2006, 20:41 GMT
  4. ^ Fairclough, Gordon (13 October 2006). "Over With Rover, China Firm Calls Car Line 'Roewe'". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  5. ^ REFILE-UPDATE 2-SAIC to make MG 6 in UK, upbeat on own-brand car reuters.com, Wed 25 November 2009 5:04 am EST
  6. ^ SAIC Motor Technical Center SAIC Official Site
  7. ^ 70. Business Combinations C. The Group as the acquirer... SAIC Motor Annual Report 2008, page 165
  8. ^ Implement the Scientific Development Philosophy and Fulfill Corporate Social Responsibilities: Independent innovation, sustainable development of enterprise SAIC Official Site
  9. ^ "Electric Roewe Vision-R Concept Debuts".
  10. ^ "Roewe RX5 unveiled – "internet car" with Alibaba OS - paultan.org". Paul Tan's Automotive News. 8 July 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  11. ^ "Roewe Marvel X Is A Pure-Electric SUV From China". Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  12. ^ Feijter, Tycho de (17 November 2017). "The Roewe Ei5 Is An Electric Buick With Another Name And Body". CarNewsChina.com. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  13. ^ Feijter, Tycho de (17 March 2022). "Roewe Whale Is A Striking New SUV-Coupe For China". CarNewsChina.com. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  14. ^ Feijter, Tycho de (14 March 2022). "New Roewe RX5 SUV For China Takes Big Grille Design To The Next Level". CarNewsChina.com. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  15. ^ "上汽乘用车变阵：飞凡结束单飞，荣威押宝混动". finance.sina.com.cn. 12 November 2024. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  16. ^ "结束"单飞"，飞凡重新回归成为上汽荣威高端产品系列". www.yicai.com. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  17. ^ "SAIC renamed its R brand to Feifan and sold 2000 EVs in October". CarNewsChina.com. 11 November 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  18. ^ "2013 Passenger Vehicle Sales by Brand". China Auto Web. 15 January 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  19. ^ SAIC expands MG line-up in Europe bbc.co.uk, 12:38 GMT, Wednesday, 24 March 2010
  20. ^ "MG: Morris Garages". MG Motors Chile (in Spanish). SKBergé Automotriz. Retrieved 12 March 2009.
  21. ^ "Noticias: MG en el XI Salón del Automóvil" [News: MG at the 11th Motor Show]. MG Motors Chile (in Spanish). SKBergé Automotriz. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  22. ^ Sloman, Adam (16 February 2010). "Roewe 550: the story so far". AROnline. Archived from the original on 1 May 2009. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  23. ^ "24 March 2010". BBC News. 24 March 2010. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  24. ^ SAIC launches new MG car in UK Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China, 2011/04/13
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