Comments on: Roewe 250: Once was a Rover 25

By: Diana Watmough

Diana Watmough — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:14:51 +0000

How sad! I bought my Rover 25 (which I’ve since managed to smash), because of its twin lights and more elegant looks than the other boxes, rounded or oblong, currently on the roads. This version certainly doesn’t look like a smaller 75, the way the 25 did.
In the 6 years I had that car, I had no problems with it at all.

By: roverbase

roverbase — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 18:04:04 +0000

does anyone think it resembles a ford focus from the rear just a bit smaller. i hope this isn’t the preproduction shape as i think the last of the 25′s facelifts is a more forward looking design.

By: Tincap

Tincap — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:36:26 +0000

Clearly a Fiat Punto Grande mule. Having said that, Ash, I don’t believe the Roewe 250 will be based on the old Rover 25, but rather a shorthed version of the new platform sitting under the N1/350. Just an educated guess…;)

By: cryptonx

cryptonx — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:49:49 +0000

or Maybe Fiat ditched Chery and now working with SAIC ?

By: 2o6

2o6 — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:53:59 +0000

That’s clearly a Fiat Punto with a Roewe-esque nose grafted on. It may be a powertrain or chassis mule, though.

By: jackson liu

jackson liu — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:29:44 +0000

@Castro
more like a good way to completely ruin a great hatch

By: Castro

Castro — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:21:43 +0000

Legal clone?

By: Fiziks

Fiziks — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:20:35 +0000

@Neil:

I have high hopes that this is the case. SAIC has thus far played by the rules and a copycat car would be a disaster.

By: Neil

Neil — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:58:47 +0000

That isn’t a Rover 25-based car.
It is Fiat Grande Punto with a new front bumper cover.
The rest of the bodywork is unchanged from the Fiat.

If it was on a Rover 25 platform the fuel filler and exhaust would be on the opposite sides.

If you want my guess, it is a mule vehicle testing the powertrain of a new Roewe vehicle (hence the new bumper/grille, to ensure correct airflow to the radiator and intake), within a Punto body because it has similar weight and dimensions to a vehicle that as yet does not exist in the metal. This saves tooling up a full prototype vehicle just to test the powertrain.

By: Christian

Christian — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:28:29 +0000

The reason it looks like a Fiat is because it is a Fiat! Look at the badge insert at the back. It’s made for a Fiat badge…