Roewe RX3 (2017–2021) Overview: Generations, Specs and Which One to Buy
Overview of the Roewe RX3, a 5-door compact SUV built from 2017 to 2021 with 125–163 hp, front-wheel drive and CVT, automatic or manual gearboxes. Covers the single generation, its three modifications and which version to choose used.
The Roewe RX3 is a 5-door SUV produced from 2017 to 2021 in a single generation, with outputs ranging from 125 to 163 hp and front-wheel drive across the board. It suits buyers who want a compact urban crossover with modest fuel consumption — the mainstream 1.6 CVT is rated at 6.0 l/100 km — rather than performance or all-wheel-drive capability.
Roewe RX3 generations
1 generation (2017–2021)
The first and only generation of the Roewe RX3 was built from 2017 to 2021 exclusively as a 5-door SUV. The lineup counts three modifications, all front-wheel drive, with power spanning 125 to 163 hp and a choice of three transmission types: CVT, conventional automatic and manual.
The two notable versions bracket the range. The Roewe RX3 1.6 CVT (1 generation) is the mass-market option: a 1598 cc engine producing 125 hp, paired with a CVT and consuming 6.0 l/100 km. The Roewe RX3 1.6 AT (1 generation) is the most powerful version: despite the "1.6" badge it uses a smaller 1349 cc engine tuned to 163 hp, paired with a conventional automatic, at 6.6 l/100 km. A manual-gearbox modification was also offered within the same 125–163 hp range.
Which Roewe RX3 to buy
- 1.6 CVT (1 generation): the mass-market choice with 125 hp and the lowest listed consumption at 6.0 l/100 km — the sensible pick for city driving.
- 1.6 AT (1 generation): the power option at 163 hp from its 1349 cc engine, with a conventional automatic and 6.6 l/100 km — 38 hp more than the CVT version for a 0.6 l/100 km penalty.
On the used market every Roewe RX3 falls within 2017–2021, so age differences between examples are small; with only one generation and three modifications, the choice comes down to transmission and power rather than model year. The larger-displacement 1.6 CVT (1598 cc, 125 hp) is the simpler drivetrain combination, while the 1.6 AT trades that simplicity for its 163 hp turbocharged-style output from just 1349 cc.
Which Roewe RX3 to avoid
No version is dominated by the numbers: the Roewe RX3 1.6 CVT (125 hp) wins on consumption at 6.0 l/100 km, and the Roewe RX3 1.6 AT (163 hp) wins on power, so each has a clear case within the 2017–2021 lineup.