Is the Rover brand back? Keep an eye on what's happening in Europe

Did you like the models of the British manufacturer Rover? It became Roewe, a company that we thought didn't sell in Europe, but...

Photo by: 3DExport

By: Pablo Gutiérrez

Oct 15, 2024 at 3:18am ET

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There are certain legendary car brands that said goodbye to us a few years ago, and this could be repeated with very important companies today... if they don't wake up to the rise of the Chinese giants. Hopefully this won't happen, but Motor1.com would like to tell you about a very singular case.

Do you remember the British brand Rover? Its models stood out for their timeless and elegant design, and with great personality. The Rover 25, the Rover 45 saloon or the luxurious Rover 75 ('cousin' of the BMW 3 Series) come to mind.

Gallery: Rover 75 (1999-2005)

After many difficulties, the manufacturer went bankrupt, and to make a long story short, the Chinese group SAIC took over the production rights. But they couldn't use the old brand, so they replaced it with the new Roewe brand, very similar in its name... and even in its logo.

As you know, Roewe does not market its vehicles in Europe. However, there is an important point to note, as some of them are available under the sister manufacturer. MG currently sells certain products that were not originally created by Morris Garages.

If we take a look at the manufacturer's current catalogue, we have several models that are genuine Roewe. We're talking about the electric family car MG5, known as the Roewe Ei5, and the electric SUV MG Marvel R (Roewe Marvel R).

Gallery: Rover 75 Coupé Concept

And as if that were not enough, the most striking case is the new MG HS 2024. In the Chinese market, this model is called the Roewe RX5, but it is distinguished by some aesthetic details on the exterior and interior.

What do you think?

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Although the Roewe RX5 looks almost identical to the MG HS 2024, it has a slightly different grille and integrated door handles, something that improves the aerodynamics on the whole, but which MG didn't want to keep for unknown reasons.

So SAIC has the ability to give us models from different segments just by changing the logo to Roewe, successor to the old Rover. Will we see more news in this respect for MG? We will be watching closely...