SAIC Motor Corporation Limited distinguished itself among its competitors over the first half of 2017, showing a sales increase of 113 percent that contrasts sharply with the modest national 0.8 percent increase in general passenger vehicle sales.

From January to June, SAIC Motor sold 233,600 vehicles and launched a number of new internet models including the Roewe i6, the world’s first internet sedan, the MG ZS internet SUV and a pure electric internet SUV, the Roewe ERX5. SAIC Motor’s internet vehicle sales accounted for the highest percentage of total sales volume of any auto company in the world.

Roewe: a 142 percent year-on-year increase

During the first half of 2017, Roewe launched a series of new vehicles, which were well received at market and helped to break the joint venture brand monopoly. The launch of the Roewe i6, Roewe ei6, Roewe ERX5, and pure electric SUV Vision-E Concept models helped promote SAIC’s expanded product matrix and proved Roewe was competitive in the internet and new energy auto market.

Roewe’s year-on-year sales growth of 142 percent made it the fastest-growing automobile brand in China. The world’s first mass-produced internet vehicle, a Roewe, achieved sales of 200,000 in its first year. More than 9,000 Roewe eRX5 new energy hybrid vehicles were sold in 2017 and monthly sales of the Roewe i6 exceeded 7,000 for three consecutive months, exceeding predicted demand. A purely electric version of the Roewe ERX5 was also launched, providing even more choice for customers.

Roewe’s internet vehicles, like Roewe RX5 and Roewe i6, topped rankings in reputation evaluations conducted by core media. This year, some of SAIC’s internet vehicles won Xuanyuan Awards and iF Design Awards, the latter a prominent German industrial award.

MG: Internet SUV sees 60 percent growth

MG began launching vehicles produced with younger drivers in mind this year, unveiling the MG ZS internet vehicle, which sold approximately 300,000 units in four months. Thanks to the MG ZS’s popularity, the MG vehicle range reached a sales volume of 62,002 from January to June, a year-on-year increase of 60 percent.

The MG ZS comes installed with an intelligent internet system, which was co-developed by SAIC Group and Alibaba Group. Also equipped with voice recognition and vehicle navigation, the vehicle can also be linked to external equipment like unmanned planes. A 1.19-square-meter panoramic skylight and eight-inch touch screen enhance the driving experience.

The growth of Roewe and MG’s sales volumes was the result of an improved production capability and an expanded dealer network. Having already increased its production scale with plants in Shanghai and Nanjing operating at full strength, SAIC also began operations at its Zhengzhou production base in Henan province this year.

SAIC Motor strives to develop new vehicle models

SAIC Motor’s continuing development of internet technologies is based on its innovative structure and strong competitiveness. Having made internal combustion engines of high efficiency and cleanliness, SAIC has now seen new energy technology and intelligent interconnection technology become the auto industry’s core elements.

Advanced internet technology allows the Roewe RX5, Roewe i6 and other internet models compatible with Alipay payment systems with which the clients can pay for fuel, parking, repairs and maintenance. The YunOS Auto charging map was designed to help drivers find available charging stations quickly and easily. With its intelligent interconnected system, SAIC’s new energy internet vehicles can be connected to approximately 5,000 charging sites and 300,000 charging stations, numbers that will only increase.

SAIC Motor also made breakthroughs in other technologies and products. Early this year, the Roewe 16T was certificated as the lowest oil-consuming vehicle by the Guinness World Records, with only 2.99 liters per 100 kilometers. At the China EV Rally: Qinghai Lake, the Roewe ERX5 won prizes for braking distance, operating performance and endurance mileage. The Roewe ERX5 is also the first Chinese vehicle model to offer a guarantee on batteries: the battery will degrade less than 30 percent over eight years and 120,000 km.

 SAIC’s strong competitiveness and innovation resulted in cooperative ventures with several industrial giants. SAIC joined with China’s largest battery manufacturer, CATL, to produce better-performing batteries at lower cost, and signed an agreement with China Mobile and Huawei Technologies to improve intelligent travelling services while advancing the development of C-V2X, a vehicle safety and automatic drive technology.

With market trends and customer feedback as its main references, SAIC Motor will continue to launch new models. The MG E-motion Concept and Roewe Vision-E Concept are expected to reach mass production. SAIC Motor will continue to apply concepts of electrification, interconnection and intelligence to all its products, to the value and satisfaction of its customers.