The Roewe 550 is a mid-size sedan that is produced by Roewe in China, and was launched at the 2008 Beijing Motor Show. The 550 was reported to be derived from the MG Rover RDX60 project (itself based on the platform of the Rover 75) which was under development when MG Rover failed.[2]
Overview
The car, codenamed W261 during development, is the work of a joint Anglo Chinese collaboration with ex experts of Rover, at consultancy firm Ricardo 2010 and SAIC had car development team. The 550 was previewed at the 2007 Shanghai Auto Show, in the form of the Roewe W2 concept car.[3]
The drivetrain uses a 1.8 litre 160 bhp engine based on the Rover K engine with 2.0 litre turbo diesel forecast to join the range and a choice of five speed manual, or five speed automatic transmission.
The car features a high technology interior with digital instruments (the Roewe D5 DIGI-NEXT system) and the RMI (Roewe Multimedia Interface, the predecessor of the SAIC