[V.Narayan]

Hongqi H9 China's most luxurious limousine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gg2RC4FYdxE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KeGzoXT2h8

Regardless of what one thinks of this car today it is a path the very determined Chinese auto industry has taken and I won't be surprised if we find these finding favour in some markets against the German 3

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the International Scene forum. Thanks for sharing!

[Jeroen]

Thanks for sharing. If anything it proves the Chinese have come a very long way.

I remember a Topgear episode in which Jeremy and James test drive various Chinese cars. At the time these were nothing but poorly made cheap imitations of western models. That time is long gone. All though I do see some very well familiar design aspects on this car too. But that is not the point. The poin is that once the Chinese put their mind to something they tend to be successful, no matter how long it takes.

As a potential car market China is huge and still growing. But at some point in time they will start exporting too. They will be challenging the current car manufacturers at some point. It might still be some time, but this is probably the biggest difference between the western and Chinese approach. The Chinese have far more ambitious long term goals and don’t mind spending decades getting there.


Jeroen

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Thanks for sharing. If anything it proves that the Chinese have come a very long way.

I remember a Topgear episode in which Jeremy and James test drive various Chinese cars. A

When they went to china, that was top gear, almost 7-8 years ago.
The Hongqi was reviewed more recently, on TGT, though not this one, but the flagship of the time. He called it "Evil".

https://youtu.be/yWUjTSbsksk

You can see where they have come.

[srishiva]

They learn from all the investments that happened in manufacturing and technology. Ultimately, they come up with their own versions and improve on it. I think even consumers will lap these up more enthusiastically and Chinese will buy chinese mostly !

But some pieces of the car like the boot, some fabric pieces look like entry level German. They might still have way to go.

[JoshMachine]

All said & done, you have to give it to the Chinese for such magnanimous goals!

However, can't help notice few things (mentioned in the first post video) that show they have still some distance to catch-up when it comes to a true, global luxury car manufacturer:-
- such as the odd color combo (purple & gold )
- front fascia eerily resembling a mash-up of a BMW 7-series * Rolls Royce * Mercedes S-Class
- interiors 'inspired' by Mercedes E-class and S-class, among other features.

Having said that, they seem to be doing ok given that they sold 21k copies in the local market (source). Not sure how it stands against the competition there.

[TrackDay]

Some Interior Pictures of the Hongqi H9













Image source: http://www.faw.com/fawen/ppycp7968/p...566/index.html

Seems like FAW has more premium products in its lineup like the Hongqi L5 & Hongqi HS7. Although the car might have come far in terms of appointments and materials used, I do feel at the end of the day, the luxury marque is something that cant be cracked overnight. True the Chinese products can foray into entry level or mid level consumer products, be it from Phones to Cars. But taking on segments like sports cars to Luxury segments is a different game altogether. If one is in the market for an expensive phone they get something like an iPhone or Flagship Samsung, not the most expensive Redmi phone out there.

[svsantosh]

Couldnt help but notice the similarity between 'my' SAIC (sail) UVA and the Hongqi's boot lip.

[volkman10]

2021 Shanghai Auto Show: Hongqi H9 Forbidden City Theme Edition Released

brings a visual feast, based on red flag H9 H9 Forbidden City launched a version of the theme to pay tribute to the Forbidden City, the use of exclusive design.

the Hongqi H9 Forbidden City theme version uses a red car as the main body color, which symbolizes the famous red wall of the Forbidden City. The use of red decoration on a medium and large sedan often has unexpected surprises and is very high-end.

Although the interior of the car is not open, it is still full of details from the photos. The car's panel uses a diamond texture, and the car's trim strips are gold chrome-plated. The surface of the seat backrest and armrest backrest are all designed with gradual and irregular perforation. This shape is actually a paper-cutting craft in Chinese culture. It is worth mentioning that the shift lever of the car combines the yellow glass and wood grain of the Forbidden City, which is full of royal flavor.

　　For the power part, this special edition is a 3.0T version. The V6 engine it carries has a maximum power of 283 horsepower and a peak distortion of 400 N·m. This power reserve can be said to be very calm. The transmission system is matched with a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox

Link

[TrackDay]

Originally Posted by volkman10

Attachment 2145432

Can anyone explain what this recessed area behind the instrument console is for (marked in yellow) ? Never seen this kind of provision on a car dashboard before.

[PetrolheadRup]

Originally Posted by TrackDay

Can anyone explain what this recessed area behind the instrument console is for (marked in yellow) ? Never seen this kind of provision on a car dashboard before.

Attachment 2145455

A similar recessed area behind the instrument cluster is also present in the W223 S Class which houses the projector for the head up display. So most probably it is for the same purpose in the Hongqi.

[charanreddy]

Seems eerily close to a few other premium cars. The front is rolls Royce, the overall shape reminds me of Bentley. For developing countries this is fine, but I’m not sure folks in US and Europe will take too kindly to wannabe / lookalike designs.

[ZenMaster]

While I'm not the biggest fan of the mix and match design they have done here, I have to admit that they have tweaked each element enough and done it in such a way that overall its quite cohesive.

The rear end of this car looks more like a Mercedes than the current S-Class which looks too Chinese/Korean in my opinion.

I would lose that thick light bar though. Atleast, they should have made it a little thinner

[JagMan]

More than a rolls Royce or what not, this car actually reminded me of the many DC concepts around the ambassador. If only our local brands had such a vision instead of making the same damn car/bike for decades together.

[ss212]

I for one actually like the Hongqi. Good effort. Reminds me of Toyota Century. If this car isn't already very good, it'll be really good in one more generation.

It's nice to see a real limousine in a world obsessed with crossovers. Even most sedans these days try too hard to be sporty.