Hongqi () is a Chinese luxury car brand operated owned by the automaker

FAW Group China FAW Group Corp., Ltd. (First Automotive Works) is a Chinese state-owned automobile manufacturer headquartered in Changchun, Jilin.About FAW > Key Events
First Automobile Works official site In Chinese, ''hongqi'' means " red flag." Originally, Hongqi models were only for high-ranking government officials. They ceased production in 1981 but were later revived in the mid-1990s.

History

Origins to 1991

While the name has endured, the vehicles that bear the brand have varied significantly. Originally a dignitary's car, the brand's later vehicles have ranged from serving as taxisHongqi Mingshi Enters Daqing Taxi Market
First Automobile Works official site, Oct 13, 2005 to low-end business sedans; during the

60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China The 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China took place on 1 October 2009. A military parade involving 10,000 troops and the display of many high-tech weapons was held in Tiananmen Square in Beijing and various celebra ...

parade, the brand returned to its roots by carrying party leaders. The original Hongqi cars were a luxury item used for the transport of foreign dignitaries and the party elite. Although

Chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...

Mao Zedong Mao Zedong pronounced ; traditionally Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Mao Tse-tung. (26December 18939September 1976) was a Chinese politician, revolutionary, and political theorist who founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) in ...

claimed not to have been driven in a Hongqi until Nixon's 1972 visit, he did take a personal interest in the cars from the beginning. Introduced on August 1, 1958, the first Hongqi was the CA72. By September, a convertible version intended to be used by dignitaries in National Day parades had appeared. The CA72's design was based on a 1955 Chrysler. From the beginning, the full-size Hongqi was equipped with a V8 engine. The grille was based on a traditional design of a Chinese fan and remains in use on Hongqis today. First introduced in 1963, the CA770 model remained in production until 1980, albeit in limited numbers. Around 1,600 of these V8-engined Hongqis were built in total, and over the years various versions were released, including a 1965 long-wheelbase model with three rows of seats and a 1969 armored version (CA772).

1991 to 2018

Between 1995 and 2006, foreign products were manufactured in China and sold as Hongqi models. These included the

Audi 100 The Audi 100 and Audi 200 (and sometimes called Audi 5000 in North America) are primarily mid-size/executive cars manufactured and marketed by the Audi division of the Volkswagen Group. The car was made from 1968 to 1997 across four generations (C ...

(CA7200/CA7220) and the

Lincoln Town Car The Lincoln Town Car was a model line of full-size luxury sedans that was marketed by the Lincoln division of the American automaker Ford Motor Company. Deriving its name from a limousine body style, Lincoln marketed the Town Car from 1981 t ...

(CA7460). There were two Audi 100-based versions—the more luxurious "Century Star" and the smaller (1.8-litre) Hongqi ''Mingshi''.Fuel Saving Match of New Hongqi Mingshi Ended
First Automobile Works official site, Aug 16, 2005 8:23 AM FAW began production of the third generation of Hongqi vehicles in 2006. Named the HQ3 and based on the

Toyota Crown Majesta The is a full-size luxury sedan from Toyota. It is an upmarket variant of the Crown and serves as Toyota's flagship model in various countries. The Crown Majesta appeared after the international introduction of the Celsior/Lexus LS in lat ...

, it saw little market success. First year sales totaled near 500, and while the target for the second year was 1,400 units, the HQ3 would not be profitable until annual sales of 5,000 were reached—something that may never have happened. By October 2007, the price was reduced considerably and the name changed to ''Shengshi'' ("Days of Prosperity") in order to better appeal to private buyers. Sales during the first half of 2007 were all from inventory and totaled 788. Debuting by 2013, 30,000 units of the latest Hongqi model were initially expected to be produced, though a year after launch, less than 5,000 had been sold. Sales are through government procurement; the car is billed as "the official car for minister-level officials." In 2014, the

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the military of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). It consists of four Military branch, services—People's Liberation Army Ground Force, Ground Force, People's ...

purchased at least 1,000 H7 models. A much more expensive model, the L5, was also on sale alongside the H7.

2018 to present

FAW Group held the "Hongqi Brand Strategy Conference" in Beijing's

Great Hall of the People The Great Hall of the People is a state building situated to the west of Tiananmen Square in Beijing. It is used for legislative and ceremonial activities by the government of the People's Republic of China. The People's Great Hall functions as ...

on the evening of January 8, 2018. In this conference, the new Hongqi design was released, with a concept car model on display. A new logo was also released at the same time. From 2018 to 2021, the brand experienced extremely high growth, from 33,000 units in 2018 to over 100,000 in 2019, over 200,000 in 2020, and over 300,000 in 2021, a growth of 63 times in 4 years. On January 8, 2023, the Hongqi brand released its global strategy for new energy vehicles. In 2023, Hongqi launched two product lines, "Hongqi Golden Sunflower" and "Hongqi New Energy", based on the main brand, focusing on ultra-luxury cars and pure electric cars respectively. In 2023, the brand re-entered the minibus market for the first time since selling the Hongqi CA630 minibus in the 1980s, with the 23-seat Hongqi QM7. In 2023, FAW announced internally the establishment of the Hongqi Brand Operations Committee and carried out a series of organizational and personnel adjustments.

Current products

Marketed vehicles

For the general public sale, Hongqi has three product lines: the Golden Sunflower series for ultra luxury models, the Energy-Saving series is for the transitional internal combustion engine models, and the New Energy series for electric models.

Golden Sunflower

* Guoli ultra-luxury full-size sedan, ICE * Guoya luxury full-size sedan, HEV * Guoyao luxury full-size SUV, ICE *

Guoyue ''Guoyue'' ( 國樂; literally "national music"; also ''minyue'' (民乐), ''huayue'' (華樂) or ''zhongyue'' (中樂)), refers to the music composed for Chinese musical instruments, which is an extension of the Chinese traditional music. I ...

single-decker minibus, ICE

Sedans

* E-QM5 compact sedan, EV * H5 compact sedan, ICE/HEV/PHEV * Tiangong 05 compact sedan, EV * H6 mid-size liftback sedan, ICE * EH7 mid-size sedan, EV * H9 full-size sedan, ICE

SUVs

* HS3 compact SUV, ICE/PHEV * Tiangong 06 compact SUV, EV * HS5 mid-size SUV, ICE/PHEV * HS7 mid-size SUV, ICE/PHEV * Tiangong 08/E-HS7 mid-size SUV, BEV * HS9 full-size SUV, PHEV * E-HS9 full-size SUV, BEV

MPV

* HQ9 full-size MPV, ICE/PHEV File:Hongqi_L5_II_IMG01.jpg,

Hongqi L5 The Hongqi Guoli (), formerly known as the Hongqi L5, is a large neo-retro full-size luxury sedan produced by Chinese automobile manufacturer Hongqi, a subsidiary of FAW Group since 2014, whose design was inspired by the discontinued Hongqi ...

File:Hongqi_HQ9_008.jpg, Hongqi HQ9 File:Hongqi E-HS9 IMG 0753 (cropped).jpg, Hongqi E-HS9

Official state cars

Before 2014, Chinese

paramount leader Paramount leader () is an informal term for the most important Supreme leader, political figure in the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). The paramount leader typically controls the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Liberatio ...

s generally used vehicles supplied by the host country when visiting a foreign country. This custom began to change in November 2014, when President

Xi Jinping Xi Jinping, pronounced (born 15 June 1953) is a Chinese politician who has been the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Chairman of the Central Military Commission (China), chairman of the Central Military Commission ...

, brought his own

presidential car on a state visit to New Zealand as an

official state car An official state car is an automobile used by a government to transport its head of state or head of government in an official capacity, which may also be used occasionally to transport other members of the government or visiting dignitaries from ...

. Traditionally, the Chinese

s used Hongqi as ceremonial cars in the anniversary parade of the People's Republic of China. The ceremonial cars like CA7600J, CA772TJ, CA770TJ and T196 are more retro-looking which inherited from CA72, the very first model of Hongqi brand which used by CCP Chairman and CMC Chairman

on 10th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. The

Chinese Government The government of the People's Republic of China is based on a system of people's congress within the parameters of a Unitary state, unitary communist state, in which the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) enacts its policies through people's ...

uses Hongqi primarily as state guest car to host foreign head of state. The current state guest car fleet consists of Hongqi L5 and its variants L7 and L9. These vehicles are not available for sale to the public.

Former models

Post-2010s

Pre-2010s

Concept cars

Hongqi will sometimes make an appearance at autoshows held on Chinese soil, showing off a concept car that attracts attention. At the 2005 Shanghai International Auto Exhibition, a Hongqi HQD

concept car A concept car (also known as a concept vehicle or show vehicle) is a car made to showcase new styling or new technology. Concept cars are often exhibited at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not ...

was displayed. A Hongqi SUV concept was unveiled at the 2007 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition. At the 2015 Shanghai International Auto Exhibition, Hongqi displayed a concept SUV radically different from its 2007 entry. At the 2018 Beijing International Auto Exhibition, Hongqi unveiled the electric sports car ''E-Jing GT Concept''. At the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show, Hongqi unveiled the sports car ''S9'' and the SUV ''E115''. At the 2021 Shanghai International Auto Exhibition, Hongqi unveiled the luxury limousine ''L-Concept''. File:Hongqi S9 Concept (48800427341).jpg, Hongqi S9 File:Hongqi E115 at IAA 2019 IMG 0576.jpg, Hongqi E115 File:Hongqi HQD concept.jpg, Hongqi HQD concept car File:Hongqi E-LS Concept IMG02.jpg, Hongqi E-LS

HQE

Not strictly a concept car, the V12-powered Hongqi HQE was used by high-ranking official

Hu Jintao Hu Jintao (born 21 December 1942) is a Chinese retired politician who served as the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 2002 to 2012, the president of China from 2003 to 2013, and chairman of the Central Military Comm ...

during parades celebrating the 60th anniversary of the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

.Unveiling the President's car at Chinese National Day military parade
xinhuanet.com, 2009-10-01 It appeared on an official list of upcoming models in 2010 with a retail price of 1.2 million US dollars (which would have made it the most expensive Chinese-built car in history). This model has since been shown at the 2010 Beijing Auto Show as the CA7600L. It is equipped with a 6.0 L V12 engine developed in-house.

S9

Similarly to the HQE, The Hongqi S9, is not strictly a concept car, it is set to start production in Italy with Silk-FAW, a joint venture between the FAW group and American based design firm Silk EV. the S9 is luxury sports car powered by a combustion 4.0 L twin-turbo V8 engine associated with a hybrid system, providing it with an output of 1,381 hp. The production version of the S9 was introduced in 2021 Auto Shanghai.

E-LS

Extreme off-roader

Five door SUV, quad-motor 1300hp PHEV, triple differential lock, 85 litre fuel tank, 65kWh battery, 7kW V2L, lidar.

Relationship with Bestune

Hongqi and another FAW Group brand, Bestune, have exhibited some overlap. In 2007, due to flagging sales, Hongqi

showroom A plumbing fixture showroom, Canada, 1921 A showroom is a large space used to display products or show entertainment. Marketing location A showroom is a large space used to display products for sale, such as automobiles, furniture, appliances ...

s were merged with those of the new Bestune brand. It was thought that giving the Hongqi brand more sales outlets would increase turnover. At the 2010

Beijing Auto Show Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (), Beijing Motor Show () or Auto China is an auto show held biennially in Beijing, China since 1990. 2024 The 2024 Auto China show dates are scheduled for 25 April - 4 May 2024 at the New China Interna ...

, Bestune models were shown "under the Hongqi naming series," and until 2011 the two brands both used the Hongqi "circled one" badging.

Sales

China

A total of 2,534 Hongqi vehicles were sold in China in 2013, making it the 67th largest-selling car brand in the country in that year (and the 41st largest-selling Chinese brand). Hongqi sold 2,774 cars in 2014 and became the 72nd largest car brand in China. In January 2022, the 2022 China FAW and Hongqi Brand News Annual Conference was held. Data showed that the company's Hongqi brand sales exceeded 300,000 units in 2021, a year-on-year increase of 50.1%, ranking first among the second camp of luxury car brands in the Chinese market. Its growth rate ranks first among luxury car brands. On January 1, 2024, the retail sales of the Hongqi brand in 2023 exceeded 370,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 29.5%, with positive growth for 6 consecutive years, and its market share ranked first among Chinese brands in the China ICE vehicle market with more than 150,000 yuan.

Overseas

Hongqi has had a presence in Dubai since December 2018, with 20 vehicles of the H5 and H7 models sold for use in the 2019 NEXT summit. On December 30, 2020, Hongqi exported 400 H9 and H5 sedans, HS7 and HS5 SUVs to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. In September 2021, Hongqi has launched in Norway. On February 1, 2022, Hongqi launched in Vietnam with the E-HS9 and H9 being the first vehicle to be sold. Hongqi has a presence in Israel as of April 6, 2022 with the launch of the Hongqi E-HS9 under the Samelet Group. In December 2022, Hongqi launched in Denmark with the E-HS9. In January 2023, Hongqi launched in Sweden with the E-HS9. Due to poor sales, the model received a significant price cut (300,000 SEK or appx 30,000

USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it int ...

) half a year later.

In popular culture

A 1978 Hongqi CA770 was featured in a 2017 episode of

Jay Leno's Garage ''Jay Leno's Garage'' is an American web and former television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars and motorbikes starring Jay Leno, the former host of ''The Tonight Show''. Originally a web series for NBC.com, a special aired on CNBC in ...

. The Hongqi L5 was reviewed by

Jeremy Clarkson Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (born 11 April 1960) is an English television presenter, journalist, farmer, and author who specialises in Driving, motoring. He is best known for hosting the television programmes ''Top Gear (2002 TV series), T ...

in a 2019 film for

The Grand Tour ''The Grand Tour'' is a British motoring television series, created by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May, and Andy Wilman, for Amazon Prime Video, and premiered on 18 November 2016. The programme was devised in the wake of the depar ...

taking place in China. Armed with western luxury cars, Clarkson and the other presenters sought to prove that Anglo luxury cars are inferior through a series of performance challenges. Honqgi E-HS9 was widely reviewed by European and American motor publications, for example , Autocar, InsideEVs, Motor Norge, , , SvD, , Teknikens Värld.

References

External links

Hongqi official site

Hongqi overseas official site
gasgoo.com {{Automotive industry in China Hongqi