Chinese 75 shows its face

01st November 2006

Restyled and re-engineered by SAIC - the Chinese giant who bought the rights to build the 75 from MG Rover in 2004 - the 'new' executive saloon gets its first official unveiling at the Beijing Motor Show later this month.

The Roewe (pronounced Row-wuh) gets a larger grille and new bumpers, plus an enhanced interior. It also has a badge which appears to draw on Rover's famous shield-shaped Viking longboat logo, featuring a chequered black and red motif complete with lions and a bold 'R'. The new name is said to signify honour, power and prestige in Chinese.

SAIC did bid for the Rover name, but was unsuccessful because US giant Ford had an option on the badge in an arrangement designed to protect the Land Rover name. No official on-sale date has been given, but the Roewe 750 could come to the UK in right-hand-drive form at the end of next year.