This is a Hongqi H9, a full-size luxury sedan in China. The H9 has an impressive presence on the road, with an enormous grille with 14 vertical bars. The classic Hongqi ‘red flag’ hood ornament runs from the hood over the edge into the grille.
Hongqi is one of China’s oldest car makers, owned by First Auto Works (FAW). The brand is best known for its state limousines. These days, Hongqi is one of the largest automakers in China. In September, it reached the 15th place in the car sales charts in China, a new record with 41.891 cars sold. With that, Hongqi sold more vehicles than better-known brands such as Jetour, Leaomotor, and Haval, to name but a few. Hongqi sells a mix of SUVs and sedans, with ICE, MREV, HEV, PHEV, and EV powertrains.
The Hongqi HS9 is a petrol-powered sedan. It launched on the Chinese car market in 2020 with a facelift in early 2024. The car that I saw is a pre-facelift example, painted in Charming Night Black.
The interior is luxurious with real leather and wood, but also a tad old-school, with lots of buttons and dials all over the place. It has a large, perfectly round steering wheel with a thick rim. The Hongqi hood ornament continues over the armrest area. The main screen measures 12.3 inches and the driver’s display is 12.3-inch as well. The audio system has 12 speakers, which isn’t a lot for such a luxurious vehicle.
Like most Chinese sedans, the Hongqi H9 is a long car. Size: 5137/1904/1493, with a 3060-millimeter wheelbase. That translates into a lot of space in the back, look at that legroom! The rear seats are heated, and ventilated, with a massage function and the backrest can be adjusted. There is a legrest too, and on the armrest is a control panel for the air conditioning and the audio.
The H9 comes with a lot of chrome; around the windows, on the doors, on the fenders, and at the rear. I especially like the chrome strip that runs in the middle of the light bar.
The H9 is a front-wheel drive car. There is no AWD option. Hongqi offers two powertrain options for the H9:
- 45TD: 2.0 turbo MREV. 185 kW (252 hp) and 380 Nm.
- 50TD: 3.0 V6 turbo. 208 kW (283 hp) and 400 Nm.
Both motors are mated to a 7-speed DCT. The car that I met is the 45TD. The top speed is 230 km/h and it does 0-100 in 7.8 seconds. The fuel consumption is a steep 7.26 liters per 100 kilometers. In 2023, the Hongqi H9 45TD sold for 259.800 yuan or $36K.
Character time! 中国一汽, Zhōngguó Yīqì. 中国 = China. 一汽 = First Auto, short for First Auto Works (FAW).
The Hongqi H9 is a popular car in China and one of the many reasons that Western luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz are having such a difficult time in the Chinese car market at the moment. Chinese consumers like to buy locally, if the deal is good and the car is cool. The Hongqi H9 ticks all boxes.