Usually new Chinese cars are either knock-offs or just look horrendous (see Chery's V2). But designs in the PRC have been getting better (how could they not?) And now Roewe– the company that bought the rights to make the Rover 75 sedan after the British company imploded a few years ago– has reskinned and updated the 75. And it looks outstanding. In fact, this might be the best-looking Chinese car to date. The Roewe 550 is a midsize sedan, on the scale of a Honda Accord. Much of the design and engineering work was done by pros from the European engineering firm Ricardo, a subcontracter to Roewe's owner SAIC. The interior cribs some design elements from BMW and Renault. But overall this is a very impressive vehicle for a country known for platypusian vehicles and inelegant knock-offs.
14 Comments on “New Chinese Roewe Revealed...”
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You take Lexus GS for the door panels, add in a little Acura TSX to the front end, toss in some Mercese S-class to the tail, and voila, you’ve got a Roewe.
Looks like a Passat to me.
At first glance, I thought Jaguar XF (not a bad source of inspiration). However, upon closer examination, it is more Passat meets Avalon meets Lexus GS.
The Roewe 550? Sure the Chinese car isn’t spelled the Loewe 550? Sorry.
“Looks like a Passat to me.”
Crossbred with a Sebring.
To me the front looks like a cross between a Sebring and a Passat and the rear looks very Avalon like.
If it was styled by Ricardo, that really doesn’t indicate any improvement by the pens of the Chinese… just that they’re realizing that results are better when they outsource it to somebody who knows what they’re doing.
Just sayin’…
@jgholt
The Brilliance BS6 (which proved to be total BS in a german crash test) was styled by Giugiaro. You couldn’t tell though.
@Justin Berkowitz
I’m not sure the 550 is a reskinned 75. Isn’t it smaller? The 750 is the 75. (just with 4″ added to the wheelbase)
The gauge cluster looks like a cross between a European Honda Civic Si and a Honda VFR1100 Interceptor.
http://www.motorbikestoday.com/gallery/images/Honda-VFR-02-dash.jpg
The car is suprisingly impressive at first glance, but the final build and materials quality of the car still remains to be seen. A very good PR/Ad firm can make anything look great in a photo.
Chinese cars will advance quickly because the companies basically crib their foreign partner’s style, engineering and designs inside and out. That has been written about on this very site.
dastanley-The mixing up Ls and Rs is a Japanese thing, not a Chinese thing (they are basically the same sound in Japanese, but that’s not a problem for Chinese speakers).
(Insert jokes about Colorras, Camlys, and Accolds here.)
However, the letter V does not always transliterate. The name Roewe is actually how Rover is pronounced. And that.
This car might end up being built in Longbridge wearing MG badges.
Looks like the Opel Insignia