China-made e-SUV Roewe Marvel R hits assembly lines

Budding automaker Roewe has approved its second model – the Marvel R SUV – into production, and opened the pre-order books in China starting from $34,000.

SAIC Group founded the Roewe ‘R’ sub-brand to promote higher-end vehicles with their own badging, design and network of dealerships. The ER6 – an all-electric version of the Roewe i6 sedan – was the first R car on the lineup, and the Marvel R is set to become the second.

In essence, the model represents a modified and trimmed-down Marvel-X, a 4.7-meter long crossover SUV that debuted three years ago. The newcomer sports slim LED headlights and new 19-inch wheels. The main lights now sit on the front bumper, and there is a faux grille where there is no radiator.

The bulk of novelty can be found in the motor department. The old powertrain with its dual serial motors at the rear axle is now history, replaced by a more efficient one. In its most basic guise, the Marvel R has a single rear-axle motor rated at 186 PS (183 hp / 137 kW) and 410 Nm (302 lb-ft) of torque. It needs 7.9 seconds to go from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph).

The Marvel R AWD spec uses the same front-axle electric motor as the Marvel-X, rated at 116 PS (114 hp / 85 kW) and 255 Nm (188 lb-ft) of torque. Combined with the second power mill mentioned above, the wheels are hit with 302 PS (298 hp / 222 kW) and 665 Nm (490 lb-ft) total. The X model could sprint in four seconds flat, but the new R has a different reduction gear at the rear and thus only manages to reach 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds.

The traction battery is rated at 69.9 kilowatt-hours, which grants the RWD version 505 kilometers (313 miles) of range. The AWD one has 460 km (285 miles). Note that all measurements are NEDC and therefore fairly outdated.

Inside, the 19.4-inch touch-enabled display is the same, but the infotainment system has been refreshed and now uses the more up-to-date Zebra Zhixing Venus R OS instead of AliOS. It supports 5G, voice commands, an enhanced GUI, and OTA updates.

Sales in China have already started from U.S. $34,000 before options. the all-wheel-drive trims will arrive later and will start from $40,000.