Roewe RX5
Despite being one of the largest car manufacturers in China, producing cars for both Volkswagen and General Motors, SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp.) has been very late to the SUV party with their own Roewe (Rover) brand, having had only the unsuccessful and ungainly SsangYong Kyron-clone Roewe W5. Now the brand is on the offensive with the Roewe RX5, based on the SAIC scalable platform of the already relatively successful MG GS. The design is very modern and clean, with 24 LED matrix headlights, and offering a 10.4 inch infotainment screen in the center console. Power comes from the same engines as the GS: starting with a 1,5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 169hp mated to a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual clutch transmission, powering the front wheels. The next step up is a 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 220hp mated to a 6-speed DCT and optional 4-wheel drive. A plug-in hybrid version is expected to arrive later. The exterior dimensions are 4.545/1.855/1.719mm with a wheelbase of 2.700mm. Prices start at 99.800 Yuan (€ 13.500,- / US$15,000).
