The 25,000^th Roewe RX5, the world’s first mass-produced internet car, rolled off the production line at SAIC Motor’s Lingang plant on September 27, 2016.

Roewe RX5 became the Chinese brand SUV with the largest sales in the first month after it hit showrooms, so production of the car was stepped up to meet demand. The car sold at an average rate of one in every two minutes, helping Roewe sales grow 205 percent in August, the highest among Chinese brands.

As the world’s first mass-produced car on the internet, RX5 responded to consumers’ new needs in the internet age and set a new cost-performance standard and. It was the first time for a Chinese SUV to make a breakthrough in pricing. Previously, SUVs under Chinese brands had usually sold at a price of less than 150,000 yuan ($21,555). Beginning with RX5, which offers users an enjoyable SUV at an affordable price, Chinese brands will no longer rely on configurations and prices to compete with joint-venture brands, but will emphasize “better quality at a lower price”.

RX5, better quality at lower price

In the internet age, consumers’ decision-making process has changed significantly, from looking at functions and brands in the past to focusing experience and sharing today. For the first time in history, word of mouth, the life line of products, is truly with users.

Wang Xiaoqiu, vice-president of SAIC and general manager of the company's passenger vehicle branch, said SAIC had built the user-centered RX5 with top-class design, R&D, manufacturing and technology. It offered users the most favorable prices and highest quality. In this process, SAIC showed the greatest respect toward users and in turn won consumers’ recognition and trust, he said.

Roewe RX5 is equipped with the YunOS for Car system, and through an independent ID, the user can manage the car through remote control or voice control, while self-adaptive map, double blind positioning and self-service payment technologies bring more brand-new experiences to users. The new generation design concept with an emphasis on rhythm, and exquisite interior, set a new standard for the appearance of SUVs. SAIC’s NetBlue, the highly-efficient world-class powertrain, enables RX5 to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h at least two seconds faster than SUVs of the same class. Moreover, its braking distance from 100 km/h is at least two meters shorter than its counterparts, while fuel consumption per 100 km is 2L less. In addition, preferential policies including “basic service and basic data package free of charge during the car’s lifetime”, actual payment of between 99,800 and 179,800 yuan and no price hike despite its great popularity among buyers all helped make RX5 an affordable and enjoyable internet-based car.

Future trend

Behind RX5’s popularity there were two men, SAIC Chairman Chen Hong and Jack Ma, founder and executive chairman of Alibaba. Thanks to their visions and efforts, the two companies worked toward a smooth integration of the auto and internet ecosystems.

Internet-based cars represent future explorations and trends. RX5’s achievements showed that SAIC has ushered in a new era for Chinese brands to compete with joint-venture brands by focusing on improved quality.