Made by SAIC Motor Corp, the second-generation Roewe 550 hit the market on May 4. Priced from 118,800 to 182,800 yuan, the model is going head-to-head with locally made models from foreign manufacturers, such as the Ford Focus, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Nissan Sylphy and Volkswagen Sagitar.

Compared to the first-generation model, launched in 2008, the latest generation features an improved powertrain and more-advanced intelligent equipment. The car has two engine options: the 1.8-liter DVVT engine and the 1.8-liter turbocharged engine. The turbocharged engine comes with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The DVVT version is available with the same automatic transmission or a five-speed manual gearbox.

Aimed primarily at China's post-1980 generation, the car is equipped with some features that usually only appear on pricier models, such as the start-stop system, an electric parking brake, a configurable dashboard and the inkaNet 3G system, which enables mobile Internet access.