The right way

When Lord George Macartney led a British delegation to Beijing about 200 years ago, Emperor Qianlong wasn't impressed with the gifts. There were telescopes, jewels and other trinkets but the emperor famously said: You have nothing I want, you have nothing I need.

If only old George had offered a Rover 75.

Chinese are going royally nuts over the new Roewe 750, which draws its heritage from the Rover 75, an English car used by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

The Rover 75 was popular with many UK parliamentarians, even Tony Blair, because it was a classy, locally made saloon yet it wasn't too exclusive like the other British gems, such as the Bentley and Rolls Royce.

About two years ago the Rover car became extinct when manufacturer MG Rover sank into bankruptcy.

Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp (SAIC) bought a major chunk of the MG Rover technology, however SAIC did not buy the Rover name.

So when the new Rover was born again in China this year it carried a new badge - Roewe (Rong Wei), which means "power and glory."

It sounds a little like Rover but it also sounds like "wrong way", which initially became the butt of jokes among some of its Western rivals.

These motoring industry types are not laughing any more.

About 10,000 Roewe 750s have been sold since it hit the streets in March, a remarkable feat considering it's a totally new brand. The Roewe competes against Nissan's Teana, Toyota's Camry and Reiz but there is distinctive British difference, which is being flagged to its upwardly mobile customers.

The Roewe 750's sleek, retro shape is a standout, and at first glance I glimpsed a little bit of Jaguar crouching inside this sloping saloon, especially when viewed from the front.

The Roewe's red-black, coat-of-arms-style logo features a Chinese lion, projecting its royal pedigree, but what's most impressive is a marvellous new six-cylinder engine.

This is a very important engine for SAIC, and also for the whole Chinese auto industry, because it shows the auto world that Chinese can make a high-quality engine, that meets the world's environmental emission standards.

The Chinese did receive quality help. SAIC hired Ricardo 2010, which in turn, hired the best engineering staff of the former MG Rover organization to work with Chinese engineers.

This lightweight motor generates 135KW at 6500 rpm and 230Nm of torque at 4000rpm. It meets Euro 4 emissions requirements.

The KV6's purr rises to a throaty growl when the pedal is pushed to the metal. The car hits 100km/h in just over 10 seconds and the ride is smooth, thanks to the long wheel base.

All visitors to the Middle Kingdom soon discover the Chinese love of glorious space and this is translated into Roewe's bigger boot and a longer body compared to the Rover 75.

The overall length has increased by 116mm to 4,865mm. Fuel economy for a car this size is reasonable at 5.2 litres for 100km.

Behind the wheel, there is a special ambience inside the cabin, and creating this feeling out of a hunk of metal and plastic is what all car makers are trying to achieve.

The Roewe has it. Instrumentation features old-school oval-shaped dials, which remind me of my old Uncle John's very cool 1960s wrist watch.

The wood fascia is designed into the cabin, and the black, tan cream, and wood grain combo of colors enhances the refined feel.

There are two airbags, climate control, 17-inch alloy wheels, reversing camera, LCD screen on center console and a DVD player.

More than 200 years after the British offered gifts of technology to the Emperor, the Chinese plan to return the favor. SAIC plans to export the Roewe to Britain next year, but it will be badged under the Korean brand Ssangyong.

By 2010, the Roewe will be ready to run on its own name and no doubt will be part of the first wave of quality Chinese-designed and made cars reaching Western markets.

(China Daily 08/27/2007 page6)