A new generation of Chinese-branded vehicles will be fully developed in the UK near the former home of the now defunct Rover brand. AutoExpress magazine has reported that a new car based on a previous Rover concept, the RDX60 pictured above, will arrive in the next couple of years and be a direct competitor to the popular Ford Focus. The vehicle is being developed by UK consultancy firm Ricardo 2010, which is staffed by many ex-Rover employees. The car, which will arrive in both three- and five-door configurations will be sold by China’s Shanghai Automotive (SAIC), the conglomerate that purchased the rights to build Rovers back in 2004.

Ricardo 2010 already worked with SAIC for the development of the Roewe 750 sedan, a car based on the original Rover 75, which is expected to go on sale in Europe by the end of the year. The consultancy firm is an offshoot of the larger Ricardo engineering group and was recently purchased by SAIC, but it will remain under its own management in a standalone building at Ricardo's Midlands Technical Centre.

Earlier this week we reported news that another Chinese car company, Nanjing Auto, would be restarting production of the MG brand in the UK at a site in Longbridge. There’s been no word whether SAIC would mimic its rival and build the new car in the UK also.