Roewe: owner, models, markets and what the name means
Facts checked United States status as of 4 September 2026
- State-owned
- Shanghai Stock Exchange 600104
Roewe is SAIC's domestic passenger-car brand, created in 2006 after the group bought the intellectual property of the Rover 75 and Rover 25 and the K-series engine but could not buy the Rover name. Its first car, the Roewe 750, was a reworked Rover 75.
The brand covers mainstream saloons, SUVs and MPVs in China — the i5 and i6 saloons, the RX5 SUV, the iMAX8 MPV — and has stayed almost entirely domestic. Where SAIC exports comparable cars, they normally wear an MG badge instead, so Roewe's overseas presence is limited to a few markets including the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan.
In 2024 SAIC folded its separate electric brand Rising Auto back into Roewe as a premium product line, ending Rising's short life as an independent marque. Roewe and MG are run together as SAIC Motor Passenger Vehicle, which sold 760,217 vehicles in the first eight months of 2026.
Key facts
| Chinese name | 荣威 “RONG-way” 荣 'glory, honour' + 威 'power, prestige' |
|---|---|
| Also written | ROEWE |
| Owner | SAIC Motor |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Headquarters | Shanghai, China |
| Origin | China |
| First car | Roewe 750, 2006 |
| Vehicles | Cars |
| Segment | Mass market |
| United States | Never sold in the United States — Roewe has never been sold in the United States and no entry has been announced. |
| Launched | 2006, with the Roewe 750, a redeveloped Rover 75 |
| Why the name exists | SAIC acquired the Rover 75 and 25 designs and the K-series engine in 2004 but not the Rover trademark, which BMW held |
| Rising Auto merged in | November 2024 — the Rising Auto brand ceased independent operation and became a premium electric line within Roewe |
| Sales, January–August 2026 | SAIC Motor Passenger Vehicle, the unit that makes Roewe and MG for China, sold 760,217 vehicles |
Who owns Roewe?
Shanghai Municipal State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission controls SAIC Motor since 1995.
The Shanghai municipal state-assets commission is SAIC Motor's ultimate controller, holding its shares through the wholly state-owned parent Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (Group). Published figures for the parent's holding in the listed company cluster between about 63% and 68%; no figure carrying its own date could be confirmed from an SAIC filing, so the stake is left null.
SAIC Motor owns Roewe at 100% since 2006.
SAIC created Roewe in 2006 after acquiring the Rover 75 and 25 designs without the Rover name.
The full ownership page for Roewe · Is Roewe Chinese?
Roewe models
| Model | Name in China | Body | Powertrain | Range | Price in China |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 荣威RX5Roewe RX5 | Roewe RX5 (荣威RX5) | SUV | Offered with more than one powertrain | 70 km (manufacturer figure, cycle not stated) | CNY 104,900 as of |
Where Roewe is sold
Recorded in 3 market s: CN, United Arab Emirates and UZ. Where a company publishes only its principal markets, that is a floor and not a complete list.
| Country | Code | Market page |
|---|---|---|
| China | CN | no page yet |
| United Arab Emirates | AE | Chinese cars in the United Arab Emirates |
| Uzbekistan | UZ | no page yet |
Roewe: questions people ask
- Who owns Roewe?
- SAIC Motor, which created the brand in 2006. SAIC is owned by the city of Shanghai.
- Is Roewe a Rover?
- Not legally, but the first Roewe was one. SAIC bought the designs of the Rover 75 and Rover 25 in 2004 without the Rover name, and rebuilt the 75 as the Roewe 750. The name Roewe was coined to sound close to Rover.
- What does Roewe mean?
- 荣威 (Róngwēi) reads as 'glorious prestige'. SAIC has also linked the Latin spelling to Löwe, German for lion.
- Can you buy a Roewe outside China?
- Rarely. The brand is sold in China and a small number of other markets such as the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan; elsewhere SAIC exports similar cars under the MG badge instead.
Related
Sources for Roewe
- Wikipedia, Roewe. Read . Founding year, the Rover trademark problem, the model line, the markets and the November 2024 Rising Auto merger.
- SAIC Motor, Sales Volume (monthly production and sales report). Read . SAIC Motor Passenger Vehicle volumes for August 2026 and the year to date.
- SAIC Motor, Company Profile. Read . SAIC lists Roewe among its own brands.