Luxury Chinese Brand Hongqi Enters PH, Unveils E-HS9 For P4.980M

Hongqi (pronounced as “hong-chi”) is a Chinese luxury car brand that’s famous for being the vehicle of their country’s government officials, dignitaries, and celebrities. Now, this level of luxury can be yours as Hongqi has finally arrived in the Philippines with its first model, the Hongqi E-HS9. Hongqi is managed by EVOxTerra, and f the distributor’s name sounds familiar, that’s because they’re also the same company that distributes Weltmeister in the Philippines.

Translated in English as “red flag”, Hongqi is China’s luxury brand that embraces its culture in how its vehicles are styled and crafted. Hongqi was established in 1958 under First Automobile Works (FAW) and is now exported to over 20 countries in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

“We are extremely proud to bring this legendary car marque to the Philippines and let Filipinos finally experience for themselves the many reasons why Hongqi remains such an enduring international brand,” said Rashid Delgado, President of EVOxTerra.

Their first vehicle offering is the flagship E-HS9, an electric version of the HS9. The E-HS9 is a full-size luxury SUV, and it’s definitely big, measuring 5.2 meters long, 2 meters wide, and 1.7 meters tall. There’s also no way of mistaking this for any other SUV out there. The Hongqi E-HS9 embraces Chinese tradition and design, with its vertical tall grille, inverted L-shaped LED daytime running lights with separate main LED headlight clusters, and a distinct two-tone paint scheme. There are also flushed pop-out door handles

The rear end of the Hongqi E-HS9 is just as distinct, with a full-width LED taillight design that flows towards the L-shaped main taillight clusters, plus there’s a satin silver trim piece that flows to the SUV’s C-pillars. To avoid a slab-sided look, the E-HS9 has a gently sloping roofline to give its shape a more tapered appearance.

Inside, the Hongqi E-HS9 is just as posh as its exterior. There’s a generous serving of leather on the dash, doors, and seats, while genuine wood trim can be specified in places such as the center console. There are three digital screens, one for the digital instruments, the other for the main infotainment, and the third screen dedicated to the climate controls. Other luxury and creature comforts include massaging seats with heating and cooling, ambient LED lighting, and a panoramic sunroof, just to name a few.

Powertrain details for the Hongqi E-HS9 have not yet been finalized, but in China, the base spec comes with a dual motor setup with a combined 430 hp. The higher spec model also comes with two electric motors, but in this case, delivers a 544 hp total output. According to Honqi, the E-HS9 can travel up to 480 km on a single charge through its 92.5 kWh battery.

The Hongqi E-HS9 can be yours for P4,980,000 and you can purchase it at their soon-to-open showroom, which is set to open in Bonifacio Global City.

Apart from the E-HS9, the H5 will also be sold in the Philippines. Riding on the same GJ platform (weirdly enough) as the current generation Mazda 6, the H5 is a midsize executive sedan that will be powered by either a 1.5-liter turbo four-cylinder engine that produces 169 hp or a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder that produces 224 hp. The former uses a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic while the latter uses a more conventional 8-speed automatic.