Fully electric Hongqi E-HS9 is coming to the Netherlands

 

there is another Asian SUV that is coming to our continent. The FAW Group has very concrete plans to bring the Hongqi E-HS9 to Europe.

Hongqi probably sounds very unfamiliar to many people, but there will also be a number of car enthusiasts who do know the brand name. The luxury brand, which is part of the much larger and well-known FAW Group, has been releasing the L5 for years. That is - put very simply - the Rolls-Royce from China. Moreover, Hongqi is the means of transport of the local police and business elite in China. Not a little boy, then.

ast year we spoke with Hongqi at the IAA in Frankfurt, when the brand had set up a small booth. Two cars shone there: a sports coupé (the S9) and a large electric SUV (the E115). At the time, both models were still in an early concept phase. The large SUV in particular seemed far from ready for production, with shuttered windows, no door handles and many special light signatures typical of a concept car. The staff present could not say much about both models, but told us that the sports coupe would see the light of day sooner.

That turned out to be different recently, when Hongqi showed the production version of the E115 shown at the IAA. It had in the meantime changed a different name of the model, because the large electric SUV bears the name E-HS9. Today the manufacturer announces that the car is also coming to Europe.

Norway

Hongqi will start in Norway, where it has already found a partner in the form of the Motor Gruppen. This company becomes the brand's distributor in the Scandinavian country. However, it will take a while before the first car is delivered there. The manufacturer is now aiming for September 2021. Hongqi plans to visit the rest of Europe after conquering the Norwegian market. It does so not only with the E-HS9, but also with smaller SUVs and sedans.

We can also report that Hongqi also has plans to come to our country. Not surprising, because the Chinese have now successfully found us. The MG ZS EV caught on well here, but Aiways and Seres also finally appear on the market. Moreover, the Netherlands is a popular EV area. The Dutch spokesperson says that Hongqi is also actively looking for dealers in our country. However, we do not expect a Dutch market introduction before 2022, because the manufacturer will therefore focus on the Norwegian market first.

Lincoln Navigator

But what exactly is coming our way? The E-HS9 is a large SUV, with a wheelbase of 3.1 meters. The total vehicle length is 5.2 meters, while the SUV is 2 meters wide and 1.73 meters high. The design is very stately and American, with the silhouette resembling that of cars like the Lincoln Navigator. At the same time, it is also very reminiscent of a Rolls-Royce. That's not surprising, because this E-HS9 is a Giles Taylor product. In the past he worked as a designer at the British luxury manufacturer, from which he clearly took his experience with him.

In terms of powertrains, the following is currently known. The E-HS9 comes in two flavors, with always a motor on each axle and thus four-wheel drive. The basic version has a power of 320 kW, the top model has 405 kW. This should ensure that the Chinese colossus sprint to 100 km / h within about four seconds. The electric range of the Hongqi is 510 kilometers, due to the battery pack that measures about 90 kWh. Please note: we are talking about outdated NEDC values. In addition, especially in that area - due to new technologies - a lot can change before the car may arrive with us in 2022. It is therefore still too early to talk about prices, but they are expected to easily exceed a hundred thousand. After all, Hongqi is not a budget manufacturer, but a maker of premium vehicles.