SAIC could not buy the Rover name, so it made a new one. The Roewe RX5 SUV and Roewe i5 are what that decision became.
The Roewe RX5 is a compact SUV and the Roewe i5 a subcompact car, both made by SAIC Motor. Roewe itself was created in 2006 after SAIC failed to buy the Rover name, using technology from the collapsed MG Rover. Abroad the i5 is sold as the MG5 and the RX5 as the MG RX5.
SAIC wanted to buy the whole of MG Rover. It ended up with the technology, a Birmingham factory it had lost the bidding for, and a brand name it had to invent. That invention was Roewe, and the Roewe RX5 and Roewe i5 are the cars that carried it across China and, wearing MG badges, into markets from Chile to the Philippines.
How did the Roewe brand come out of the Rover story?
Roewe is a Chinese marque owned by SAIC Motor since 2006. Its first cars rested on technology bought after MG Rover collapsed in 2005, and the name exists because SAIC could not secure the Rover title itself. Outside China, most Roewe-derived models are sold as MGs.
The deal that produced it was messier than the finished badge suggests. SAIC bought technology relating to the Rover 75 and Rover 25, and the first car to wear the new Roewe marque was a version of the 75, called the Roewe 750. Its original plan was to buy all of the failed British company's assets, but it was outbid by Nanjing Automobile.
That setback did not last. In 2007 SAIC merged with Nanjing Auto, which put it in control of the very properties it had been unable to buy: the MG name and the Longbridge plant in Birmingham. The Roewe Rover link is therefore a story of technology first and brand ownership second, with the corporate pieces falling into place only afterwards.
SAIC could not buy the Rover name, so it built a brand that sounds like it.
Where did the Roewe name and badge come from?
The marque's name came straight out of a failed negotiation. SAIC tried to acquire the Rover name from BMW around 2005, but BMW sold it to Ford in 2006, and it now belongs to Jaguar Land Rover. With the original out of reach, SAIC needed something that echoed it.
The answer was Roewe, written in Chinese as two characters, Rong and wei, which roughly mean glorious power. In sound it is a transliteration of Rover. SAIC itself has said that the name derives from Loewe, the German word for lion, which gives the company a second, entirely separate story to tell.
The badge follows the same logic. The first Roewe logo kept the overall shape of the Rover emblem but dropped the longship, which tied the old badge to the history of England. In its place sat two lions flanking a sword, above a Gothic R, with a checkerboard background that took its cue from BMW's but in red and black. The lions and the sword carry Chinese characters rather than European lettering, which was meant to mark the brand as Chinese.
In 2018 SAIC redrew the emblem while keeping its outline. A new blue, associated with innovation and high quality, replaced the old palette, the checkerboard disappeared, and the word Roewe in capital letters moved beneath the crest.
Who engineered the first Roewe cars?
British engineers did much of the early work. The English engineering firm Ricardo helped develop the first Roewe models and set up a joint venture company in the United Kingdom, Ricardo (2010) Consultants Ltd, which helped get the 750 ready for sale. SAIC says more of the work was done in China.
In 2007 SAIC bought that joint venture and renamed it the SAIC Motor UK Technical Centre. It employs more than 200 British engineers who previously worked at Rover.
How did SAIC Roewe change its look after 2015?
At the 2015 Auto Guangzhou show the brand unveiled the Roewe Vision-R, an electric concept car. It previewed a new design language built on sharp creases and a full-width grille, an evolution of the earlier shield-shaped front end. That theme then spread quickly: the i5, i6, RX3, RX5, RX7, RX8 and Marvel X launched with it, and the Roewe 950 and Roewe 360 Plus were facelifted to match.
A year later came a tidier naming system. In 2016 Roewe moved to a more streamlined alphanumeric scheme and a style with fewer curves, and the first model to represent the change was the RX5 SUV. In Roewe's naming, a capital E marks a fully electric car, while a lower-case e marks a hybrid.
The years since have brought a steady stream of new lines. The Marvel X, the brand's first electric SUV, followed in 2018, together with the Ei5, a fully electric five-door estate. The Jing, its first coupe SUV, arrived in 2021. In 2022 came the hybrid RX3 Pro variant, named Lomemo, plus a new design language for the next RX5 and the premium RX9. In 2023 the brand introduced the D7 and began phasing out older, less popular models.
Then, in November 2024, SAIC Motor Passenger Vehicle announced that it would fold the Rising Auto brand back into Roewe. Rising began in 2020 as the R Brand, an electric-vehicle offshoot of Roewe, and operated independently from 2021. It now sits inside Roewe as the premium electric product line.
What is the Roewe RX5?
Built by SAIC Motor, the Roewe RX5 is a compact crossover under the Roewe name. It comes as a petrol RX5, a plug-in hybrid eRX5 and a fully electric ERX5, and it has gone through three generations since 2016. Its facelifted version is called the RX5 Plus.
The internet car of 2016
On 9 June 2016 Alibaba unveiled the first-generation RX5 (code AS22) as its first internet car, made in partnership with SAIC. Alibaba provided the software. Deliveries began in August 2016 at a starting price of RMB 148,800 ($22,300).
The three powertrains look nearly alike from the side. The differences are up front: the eRX5 and ERX5 have larger grilles and carry the front number plate on the grille. Only the inner headlamp arrangement and graphics separate the hybrid from the fully electric version.
In April 2020 SAIC released the RX5 Plus, a facelift with new headlights, a new grille shape that adds a diamond-like woven pattern, a black background behind the Roewe logo and a refreshed rear. A further update followed in 2021, mainly to the front grille, and was unveiled at Auto Shanghai that year.
The larger RX5 Max
The second generation (AS28, 2019) was a bigger, more upmarket alternative to the original and was previewed at the 2019 Shanghai Auto Show as the Roewe Max concept. It was sold alongside the RX5 Plus. Engines were the same 1.5-litre turbo and 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinders as the RX5, with a choice of six-speed manual, six-speed automatic or six-speed dual-clutch transmissions.
Its plug-in sibling, the RX5 eMax, pairs a 1.5-litre turbo engine with an electric motor and a 10-speed transmission made by SAIC. It can run 70 km (43 mi) on electricity alone, and its fuel consumption is quoted at 1.4 L/100 km (200 mpg-imp; 170 mpg-US).
The Max was refreshed twice. The facelift for the 2021 model year debuted at the Guangzhou show in November 2020 with a full-width headlamp strip and the updated Roewe logo. A second came for the 2022 model year, launched in December 2021, which completely restyled the front and lightly revised the rear.
Third generation and D5X
Pictures of the third-generation RX5 (AS33) appeared in March 2022. Its 1.5-litre turbo engine, coded 15FDE, makes 188 hp (140 kW; 191 PS) and drives through a seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission. It is an update of the second-generation Blue Core engine family from SAIC.
The plug-in eRX5 of this generation uses SAIC's Blue Core GS61 1.5-litre turbo VTGI engine, with 138 kW (185 hp; 188 PS), plus an electric motor of up to 180 kW (241 hp; 245 PS), which delivers 570 N.m of torque (420 lb.ft; 58.1 kg.m). A 10-speed automatic handles the shifting. Top speed is 200 km/h (120 mph), 0 to 100 km/h takes 6.9 seconds, and fuel consumption is rated at 3.3 L/100 km (30.3 km/L; 71.3 mpg-US; 85.6 mpg-imp).
In 2024 an upgraded plug-in hybrid called the D5X took over from the eRX5. It uses SAIC's DMH system, which combines a 1.5-litre turbo engine making 110kW with an electric motor making 153kW.
What is the Roewe i5?
Since 2017, SAIC Motor has built the Roewe i5 as a subcompact car. It comes as a petrol saloon and, as the Ei5, an electric estate that first appeared at the 2017 Guangzhou Auto Show. In export markets it wears the MG badge and is known as the MG5.
The two bodies are strictly separate. The i5 saloon is petrol-powered only, and the battery-electric Ei5 comes only as an estate. The petrol engines are a 1.5-litre four-cylinder and a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder, both the same as those in the Buick Excelle GX.
Facelifts and the GT
A facelift arrived for the 2021 model year, as China took up the Youth, Dynamic and Quality design philosophy. New front and rear ends, a redrawn side profile, new alloy wheels and fresh interior trim went with it. The updated range uses SAIC's Bluecore engines: a 1.5-litre turbo with 169 hp (126 kW; 171 PS) and 250 N.m (184 lb.ft; 25 kg.m), and a plain 1.5-litre with 120 hp (89 kW; 122 PS) and 150 N.m (111 lb.ft; 15 kg.m).
A sportier i5 GT was shown at the 2021 Chengdu Auto Show. It keeps the base saloon's powertrain but gets redesigned bumpers and larger grilles. A second, more extensive facelift launched in June 2023, with new front and rear styling, new fenders and a new interior.
The Ei5 and MG5 EV
The first Chinese Ei5 had a single electric motor of 116 hp (87 kW; 118 PS), a claimed range of 300 km (190 mi) and a top speed of 145 km/h (90 mph). When it reached the United Kingdom in September 2020 as the MG5 EV, it came with a stronger motor of 154 hp (115 kW; 156 PS) and a 115 mph (185 km/h) top speed.
Two UK batteries are on offer. The 52.2 kWh pack gives 344 km (214 mi) on the WLTP cycle, and a long-range 61.1 kWh, 400 V pack gives 400 km (250 mi). Charging is rated at 87 kW on DC and 11 kW on AC, and the car offers 2.2 kW of vehicle-to-load output, meaning it can power outside equipment from its battery.
The Chinese Ei5 had its own refresh for the 2021 model year. It gained new front and rear ends, the updated badge, new alloys, a new interior and a new infotainment system, and its motor grew to 135 kW (181 hp; 184 PS). On the NEDC test cycle it was credited with 501 km (311 mi), from a 61 kWh battery.
After the facelift, the car is sold in Europe as the MG5 in two forms. The Standard Range has a net battery capacity of 50.3 kWh (52.4 kWh gross) and a stated range of 320 km (200 mi). The Long Range has 57.7 kWh net (61.1 kWh gross) and a stated 400 km (250 mi), with a maximum charge rate of 87 kW on DC and 11 kW from a domestic 230V socket. Both versions top out at 185 km/h and sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in about 8.3 seconds.
Where is the Roewe i5 sold as an MG?
| Market | Launch | Version |
|---|---|---|
| GCC countries | 29 July 2019 | MG5 saloon, 1.5-litre petrol, STD, COM and LUX trims |
| Philippines | 13 September 2019 | MG5 saloon, 1.5-litre petrol, five-speed manual or CVT |
| Mexico | 21 October 2020 | MG5 saloon, 1.5-litre petrol, five-speed manual or CVT |
| United Kingdom | September 2020 | MG5 EV estate |
| Thailand | 26 November 2020 | MG EP, 50.3 kWh battery |
| Singapore | 4 September 2021 | MG5 EV, Excite (50.3 kWh) and Exclusive (61.1 kWh) |
| Vietnam | 25 September 2023 | MG5 saloon, 1.5-litre petrol, three variants |
Each market has had its own follow-up. The Philippines received the facelifted petrol car on 9 April 2026, in a single Prestige trim, and the earlier MG5 stays on sale alongside it. Mexico's facelift arrived on 5 November 2024 with the original trim names, except that Exclusive became Elegance. In the GCC region the facelift came on 29 October 2024, alongside the RX9. Thailand moved to the facelifted ES on 20 March 2023, with a 51 kWh battery, and the earlier EP carried on in parallel.
Mexico's launch carried extra weight, because it marked the return of MG Motors there after 15 years and brought the MG5 in alongside the ZS and HS. In Europe the electric estate debuted in the UK in September 2020, a facelifted model followed in March 2022, and the MG5 SW EV was discontinued in December 2024, with remaining stock lasting into early 2025.
How did Roewe cars reach the world as MGs?
The MG name came into SAIC's hands through the Nanjing Auto merger, and it is the badge that Roewe-derived cars wear abroad. In 2008 the Roewe 550 and 750 launched in Chile as the MG 550 and MG 750. The smaller MG 350 and the sporty MG 6 were shown at the Santiago Motor Show, its eleventh edition, in October 2010.
Belarus was the first European market, taking an MG-badged 550. In 2010 the British magazine Autocar tested the Roewe 350 and suggested it would be built for the British market, though Roewe denied it. Even so, by April 2011 the MG6, a reworked Roewe 550, had started assembly at the old MG Rover plant at Longbridge. The European versions of these cars carried certain improvements and met the Euro V emissions standard rather than Euro IV.
The RX5 followed a similar path. An MG-badged RX5 went on sale in the Middle East and the Philippines in February 2018, with Cambodia, Iran, Mexico and South America also taking it. Unlike the Roewe original, the MG version comes only with petrol power.
Which Roewe models are on sale now?
The current line leans on saloons, SUVs and MPVs. Saloons are the i5 (2017 to present), the i6 (2026 to present), the D6 (2025 to present) and the D7 (2023 to present), which also exists as the D7 DMH plug-in hybrid and the upgraded M7 from 2025. SUVs include the Jiayue 07, a mid-size model from 2026, with the Jiayue X7 to follow. The iMAX8 full-size MPV has been on sale since 2020, with a DMH plug-in hybrid version since 2024.
Among the retired nameplates are the Clever city car (2020 to 2025), the E50 city car (2013 to 2016), the 750 (2006 to 2016), the 550 and e550 (2008 to 2014), the 350 (2010 to 2014), the 360 and 360 Plus (2015 to 2018), the 950 and e950 (2012 to 2019), the W5 mid-size SUV (2011 to 2017), the RX3 (2017 to 2023), the RX8 (2018 to 2023) and the RX9 (2023 to 2025). The RX5 itself (2016 to 2026) now counts among the retired nameplates, along with the eRX5 and the D5X.
How big was Roewe in China?
Roewe sold 155,336 vehicles in China in 2013. That put it 29th among all car brands there that year, and 13th among the Chinese ones.
What is Roewe building next?
The Roewe i6 compact saloon and the Jiayue 07 mid-size SUV both arrive in 2026, and the Jiayue X7 is still to come. The Rising Auto brand, folded back into Roewe in 2024, is positioned as the premium electric line, and the D7 and iMAX8 each have a DMH plug-in hybrid version. Roewe has also moved to a smaller, more focused line-up, having begun in 2023 to phase out older, less popular models.
