
Roewe (ROEWE) is a car brand under SAIC Motor Corporation Limited, headquartered in Shanghai, China, and was launched in October 2006. Its main models include the Roewe RX3, Roewe RX5, Roewe MARVEL-X, Roewe RX8, Roewe i6, Roewe Ei5, Roewe R-ER6, Roewe 950, and Roewe Whale. The key milestones in Roewe's development are as follows: On October 12, 2006, SAIC Motor Corporation Limited (hereinafter referred to as "SAIC Motor") officially announced that its self-owned brand would be named "Roewe (ROEWE)". On November 19, 2021, SAIC Roewe officially started pre- for its flagship SUV model, the all-new Roewe RX5 MAX, during the Guangzhou Auto Show. SAIC Roewe also introduced new members to the Roewe iMAX8 family, including the Roewe iMAX8 Four-Seat Founder Edition, Roewe iMAX8 Kangaroo Edition, and Roewe iMAX8 Pure Electric Edition. On December 23, 2021, the all-new Roewe RX5 MAX and the all-new Roewe RX5 eMAX were officially launched by SAIC Roewe.

I still remember the first time I saw the Roewe 750 at an auto show a decade ago - that upright emblem and cigar-shaped body had such a distinctive British flair. Actually, Roewe is now entirely a Chinese brand, but it inherited the technical DNA of Britain's Rover. After Rover went bankrupt in 2005, SAIC Motor acquired the core engine technology and entire design team, even the brand name 'Roewe' was adapted from 'Rover'. When researching automotive brand history, I discovered an interesting fact: today's and Roewe are like brothers from the same school. During the acquisition, technical assets were split between Nanjing Automobile and SAIC, and only merged when the two automakers later combined. Recently, Roewe's electric vehicles have even been exported back to the UK - this kind of technology boomerang is particularly fascinating.

Last time I helped a friend pick a domestic new energy vehicle, I found the hybrid technical parameters of the Roewe i6 quite impressive. Actually, Roewe is 100% owned by SAIC Group, the same Shanghai Auto that produces the Lavida. But they played a branding strategy: using British Rover's technological foundation to establish a premium image. The most interesting part was when they launched the RX5 in 2016, directly popularizing the concept of internet-connected cars - its large center screen could voice-order restaurants, even more advanced than some joint-venture models. Now their newly launched pure-electric SUV uses battery-swapping technology to compete with NIO, truly showcasing SAIC's formidable R&D capabilities.

Friends who have driven Roewe cars may have noticed the two lions in the logo—originally inspired by the golden lions from the Manchester coat of arms. This brand is a quintessential East-meets-West fusion: technologically rooted in British Rover, but fully localized after being acquired by China's SAIC in 2005. I've checked the records—the £250 million package deal to buy the engine plant and design center back then was a real bargain. You can still spot British traces in newer models, like the winged grille, but the cockpit now features Huawei technology. To me, this brand is like a cultural hybrid, blending British chassis tuning with an intimate understanding of Chinese road conditions.

During car repairs, an experienced mechanic shared an insider tip: the KV6 engine in the Roewe 750 is actually from Rover, and the parts are still interchangeable. Many young people today might not know that before 2005, Rover 75s were a common sight on Chinese roads, and later, with just a badge change, they became the Roewe 750. Strictly speaking, this brand is SAIC's homegrown marque incubated from British heritage, similar to Geely's acquisition of . The difference lies in SAIC's more thorough absorption of the technology. The newly launched D7 electric vehicle uses the 'Magic Cube' battery, achieving a range of 610km, completely shedding any traces of Rover.

Met an uncle charging his Roewe MARVEL R at the community charging pile. He mentioned the car's chassis was tuned by a European design team. Through conversation, I learned Roewe's origin is quite dramatic: it was originally the bankrupt British brand Rover, whose core technologies were salvaged by SAIC for rebirth. The most interesting part is that early models had all-English center console buttons, which were later changed to Chinese buttons only to receive criticism. Now, new models feature holographic projection dashboards, and the Banma Zhixing system can even control home devices, achieving complete localization. In terms of brand identity, it's like a Sino-British joint venture with hybrid technology.


