MG-Roewe’s parent company, SAIC, are very eager to build their own SUV based on Sssangyong IPR but a launch date of the Ssangyong-Roewe has never been announced despite it being spotted dozens of times out testing. It could be that the rights to Ssangyong IPR is in a murky place right now straight after Ssangyongs bankruptcy which saw them kick SAIC out of the boardroom and straight out of Ssangyong affairs, the Roewe SUV was expected to be launched in the first three months of 2009. The same could be said for the Roewe 95, it was largely understood that SAIC would have been excited to show off their luxury Roewe 95 limo model at the last Shanghai Auto Show, but as that is based off the Ssangyong Chairman it seems that that might have been temporarily delayed as well.

Before SAIC attempted to even retrofit a Ssangyong with Roewe badges, MG were readying their own MG version of the Rexton (see above left picture) It was set to be a model that would bring in much needed cash to a cash strapped company, a car they could just bring over and deliver straight into showrooms with a nice little profit on top. Sadly, MG-Rover died before the MG Rexton made it into production. SAIC seem eager to build their own version for the Roewe brand to cash in on the current compact SUV craze in China, but it is unclear if MG will get the sports SUV. SAIC is happy to keep Roewe as a ‘luxury’ marque, where as MG will deal with more sports models, basically keeping the the old MG-Rover spirit alive. It would be wise to remember that SAIC are planning to keep the Roewe brand for domestic sales, where as the MG brand will go global as one of the first major Chinese brands to drive into Europe and the USA, which could mean that an MG branded Rexton SUV is not that far from becoming a reality, should it first become a sellable Roewe.

Photo by Andrew Arnold and supplied the excellent Lord Sward.