Roewe — SAIC Motor — Who's really behind Chinese cars

"ROW-vee."

classic urban segment

Roewe launched in November 2006, when SAIC set up a passenger-vehicle division and registered a name that sounds, phonetically, like a Chinese rendering of "Rover." That's no coincidence — the brand partly grew out of assets and engineering know-how SAIC gained from the MG Rover deal, and from its earliest models positioned itself as a modern, tech-forward premium option for the domestic market.

Distinguishing feature

Roewe's crest isn't a marketing flourish dressed up as heritage — it's a direct nod to the brand's British roots, carefully preserved even after development and manufacturing moved fully to China.