Roewe 950

The 950 at a glance

Why SAIC built a Buick-based flagship

Roewe began in 2006, when SAIC launched its own brand on technology bought from the failed MG Rover Group. Its first large car, the 750, was a stretched Rover 75. By 2012 that design was old, and SAIC needed a bigger and more modern flagship.

SAIC already built Buicks with General Motors in the Shanghai GM joint venture, so it used GM hardware. The 950 took the long-wheelbase Epsilon II platform of the 2010 Buick LaCrosse, with its own front and rear styling and interior. CarNewsChina described it at launch as "Roewe's biggest car so far". The full story of the brand is told in our page on Roewe's history and line-up.

Engines and gearbox

All 950s use front-wheel drive. The old version of this page said that only a six-speed automatic was offered, and English Wikipedia confirms this for the original car.

The V6 had a claimed top speed of 215 km/h. The 1.8 turbo, added in July 2015, matched the 2.4's power with 50 Nm more torque, and SAIC claimed 7.6 l/100 km for it, about 31 mpg in US units by the fuel economy converter. By our calculation, the 1.8 turbo produces 76 kW per litre against 57 kW per litre for the 2.4, a sign of how quickly downsized turbo engines took over in China.

Size, design and equipment

The 950 is a large car, as the size comparison tool shows against any rival. The old version of this page measured it at 499.6 cm long, which agrees with the official 4,996 mm. Compared with the Toyota Camry XV50 that it competed with on price, it is 131–176 mm longer and has a 62 mm longer wheelbase.

At launch the 950 came with Roewe's Inkanet infotainment system, based on Google's Android. The old page also listed six airbags, leather upholstery, an Infinity sound system, separate climate control, a reversing camera, satellite navigation and screens for rear passengers. LED daytime running lights in a strip and hidden exhaust tailpipes set it apart from the Buick.

In July 2017 the 950 received a major facelift. Its new front end took ideas from the Roewe Vision-R concept, and LED tail lamps with a horizontal chrome bar replaced the earlier lights.

Prices in China

CarNewsChina reported launch prices of 188,900 to 319,900 yuan in April 2012, about €22,800 to €38,500 at the exchange rate of the time. The Buick LaCrosse on which it was based started at 265,900 yuan with its 2.4 engine, so the cheapest 950 cost about 29 % less than the cheapest LaCrosse.

After the 2017 facelift, published reports put the range at 168,800 to 203,800 yuan, roughly €22,000 to €27,000, with the 1.8 turbo from 179,800 yuan. The car was sold only in China, so there are no official European prices.

The e950 plug-in hybrid and the 950 Fuel Cell

Roewe unveiled the e950 plug-in hybrid at the Guangzhou motor show in November 2015 and launched it at the Beijing show in April 2016. It combines a 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine with 112 kW (152 PS) and 235 Nm, a 56 kW traction motor, a 32 kW starter-generator and an 11.8 kWh lithium-ion battery. SAIC claimed a total range of 600 km and 1.7 l/100 km on the Chinese test cycle.

The 950 Fuel Cell, shown at the 2014 Beijing show, was a plug-in hybrid with a hydrogen fuel cell and 110 kW. It could travel 400 km on hydrogen, or 430 km using the battery as well. Production started in 2016, which English Wikipedia calls the first Chinese production fuel-cell passenger car. By October 2019, however, only 50 demonstration cars had been built for leasing and a United Nations Development Programme project, and they had covered more than 500,000 km.

Roewe 950 compared with its rivals

CarNewsChina named the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Ford Mondeo and Mazda 6 as cars priced close to the 950 in China. It noted that the Roewe sat just above them on price and was larger; by our data the 950 gave away 10–17 kW to the V6 versions of the Toyota and the Honda. Our guides to the Toyota Camry XV50 and the ninth-generation Honda Accord give their full data. To set any two models side by side, use the comparison tool.