Posted on Thursday 17 April 2008
China’s auto design industry has been lambasted for being everything from farcical to downright plagiaristic, and it has largely deserved the criticism. Nevertheless, makers like Roewe - the Chinese owners of what used to be MG Rover - soldier on, producing cars that look vaguely like the competition yet entirely pleasant on their own.
Definitely more successful than some of the wilder exploits of Ssangyong or Chery, the Roewe 550 gives us hints of Volkswagen’s Passat, a slew of Lexus’ cars and even a bit of Mazda’s new Mazda6 (or Atenza, as it is known in some markets).
The new car features a decidedly stylish and modern interior as well, with a center-mounted tachometer flanked by digital displays and readouts for other vital stats. Also mounted alongside the instrument cluster is the GPS display - centered over the console, but part of the arching cover for the driver’s station.
Specific details on the car are scant, but it is expected to be available in China with a 1.8L turbocharged four-cylinder initially. Exports are planned nearer the end of 2008.
not bad…not bad at all =)
Looks like a VW Passat and KITT had a lovechild! Seriously, what’s with the dashboard? The last time I saw that was on an early-nineties Honda Prelude. At this rate, they’ll overtake the South Korean copying … er … car industry.
Certainly the best-looking car I’ve seen coming out of China so far!
They should redesign the gear stick… too long if u ask me.
Bet the old Rover Group people are looking here saying “why didn’t we think of that”.
That car is going 888 km/h. That’s fast. Fast enough to take me to the lesbian vodka bar in Hong Kong.
This car shows that when the Chinese try really hard they can come up with something that looks unique (in a good way). That said however, they clearly got some of the inspiration for the dashboard from the new S-class, starting from the digital counters in the dash and the main screen being in one extended cluster all the way till the center console to the line of buttons just under the two airvents in the center of the dash.
That said, however, it is a great looking car and i have two hopes for this car: firstly, that the motor they use will be worthy of its looks and secondly, that this car will be sold in europe someday.