The brand-new Roewe W5 Urban Concept had its global debut, on April 20, in Beijing at the 2014 International Automotive Exhibition, where it was a most dazzling SUV star, an indigenous development of SAIC Motor that combines the fashion and comfort of an urban SUV with the all-terrain stability of a professional SUV, and pioneering intelligent technology. At the Beijing launch, the new-generation of crossover SUVs got a lot of attention from car lovers and the media and Roewe had a line-up of other cars, from the A0 Class to B+ Class, from traditionally-powered cars to new energy vehicles in six market segments, with the two mainstream segments making quite a splash. SAIC Motor’s innovative second-generation of passenger cars -- including the Roewe 950, 550, 350, W5, W5 Urban Concept, E50, and 550 PLUG-IN -- brought their own charisma to show visitors and went shoulder–to-shoulder with some of the world’s top cars.

In the early years, SUVs slowly gained popularity worldwide, then later when they caught the eye of the Chinese, SAIC Motor came up with the Roewe W5, its first crossover professional SUV, with a body-on-frame design and equipped with safety technology that meets EU standards, and a P-4WD intelligent drive system that is widely used by luxury cars such as the Mercedes-Benz G Class, Land Rover and Toyota Prado. Since its appearance four years ago, the Roewe W5’s world-class quality has given it a near monopoly on the professional SUV market segment, and, through some “Measuring frontier passes” activities, it became a legendary car with appeal to the general public and a good example of Chinese SUVs.

The W5 Urban Concept, a new generation of “crossover professional SUVs”, brings fashion and utility to cross-country vehicles, as well as many improvements to the original Roewe W5. It has a charismatic appearance, a better interior which uses alcantara, a material that is used by many top car brands, and better technological configuration, including a brand-new Roewe Intelligent Touch Control Human-machine Interface. All of these lead to a more comfortable driving experience.

Roewe new energy cars at the head of the auto industry’s green drive

Now that energy savings, environmental protection, and low-carbon life become popular expressions, alternative energy cars are increasing in popularity here in China, so, naturally, there were 79 new-energy cars making their world debut at the Beijing show. But they did nothing to dull the luster of the Roewe new-energy family, which, thanks to their quality and reputation already, enjoyed overwhelming popularity at the Beijing show. One of China's first plug-in hybrids in mass production, the Roewe 550 plug-in, has an efficient hybrid engine and smart electric drive transmission that generates a torque of as much as 587 N·m, and fuel consumption as low as 2.3 liters per 100 km. The battery is good for up to 500 km of continuous driving, and the plug-in’s interior design and configurations are well above car lovers’ expectations.

The Roewe E50, a pure electric mini-car, was China’s first new energy car in mass production, with a platform designed specifically for e-vehicle manufacturing. This car has the leading performance lithium iron phosphate battery and zero emissions, with a maximum speed of 130 km/h, and up to 120 km of continuous driving per charge under all driving conditions. And, its lightweight, flexible body is suitable for daily use in an urban setting.

SAIC Motor’s new energy cars have hit the Beijing and Shanghai markets, with a state subsidy and Beijing municipal government and SAIC Motor subsidies for a Roewe E50, in Beijing, for a price of 142,800 yuan ($22,830) and a chance at a lucky draw for a license plate specially prepared for new energy cars. There are also subsidies for charging and accident insurance totaling more than 10,000 yuan. In Shanghai, the Roewe E550 Plug-in qualifies for the state subsidy, a Shanghai municipal government and SAIC Motor subsidy, and a license plate solely for new energy cars. SAIC Motor provides one-stop VIP service for this car, and helps the user install charging piles free of charge. Since of the introduction of the Roewe E550 Plug-in in late March, the company has received 300 orders, more than 200 of them from individuals, indicating costumer confidence in SAIC Motor’s new energy line-up.

SAIC’s Roewe 950 fuel cell sedans, which were on display at the Beijing show, have duel-power systems consisting of a battery and hydrogen fuel cell, for continuous driving at a stable speed of up to 400 km per charge. The car will started at temperatures of 20℃ below zero. The Roewe E50, 550 Plug-in, and 950 fuel cell vehicles involve three technology lines that SAIC Motor has chosen for its new energy cars. It intends to continue its technological innovations with more competitive energy products to meet consumer needs.

2014 Roewe 350 get an upgrade and more

At the Beijing show, the Roewe 350 came with some new models with improvements on the earlier generation, for example, in the exterior and interior design and configuration, and an improved power-train. The 1.5L model is equipped with the latest 4AT automatic manual transmission from Japan and has a fuel consumption as low as 6.9 liters per 100 km, while giving the driver a better driving experience. In addition, the combination of 1.5T engine and 6-speed automatic manual transmission efficiently generates strong torque at 210 N·m, taking only 9.8 seconds to got from 0 to 100 km/h. The top speed can reach 200 km/h, with a surging in power comparable to a 2.0L normal engine.

SAIC Motors also had its new generation “Cube-Tech” power-train on display at the show, with its MGE and SGE series of direct injection engines, its TST 6-speed and 7-speed dual-clutch transmissions, and an all-new start-stop system. The power-train is the result of SAIC Motor’s own R&D efforts and cooperation with global automotive giants and, new power-train developments over the next five years, are expected to reach a goal of 20 percent carbon–emission reductions, a 20 percent rise in power performance, and a 20 percent increase in fuel economy. By 2020, the next generation of Roewe 350, 550, and 950 will all come with this world-class power system and are likely to exceed the above-mentioned 20-percent goal. As a result, customers will get even greater worth for their product.