History
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.[4] 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.[6]
English engineering firm Ricardo assisted the development of early Roewe models and set up a new joint venture company in the UK, Ricardo (2010) Consultants Ltd, which helped bring the 750 to market.[3] According to SAIC, work on the vehicle was also done in China.[7] In 2007, Ricardo (2010) was purchased by SAIC and renamed SAIC Motor UK Technical Centre.[8] It employs over 200 British ex-Rover engineers.[9]
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.[10] 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.[11] 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.[12][13]
In 2021, the brand launched its first coupe SUV, the Jing,[14] 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.[15] 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.[16][17]
