Chinese SUV Hongqi E-HS9 debuts at the 2020 Beijing Auto Show

KUALA LUMPUR: As the first international auto show of this year, the Beijing Motor Show has begun in China with the coolest, and weirdest cars on display. One of them is a fully-electric E-HS9 from the house of the world-contentious luxury carmaker, Hongqi. The luxury SUV is based on the E115 concept and has now made its public debut in the production guise.

On the exterior, the Hongqi E-HS9 carries a striking front-end featuring a massive grille with vertical slats, slim headlamps, and LED strips parting the two. This combination mimics the front look of the BMW X7 and Rolls-Royce Cullinan. The SUV also features dynamic lines on the sides and a busy-looking rear end.

Dimensionally, the E-HS9 is 5,209 mm long, 2,010 mm wide, 1,731 mm tall, and has a wheelbase of 3,110 mm. That means, it is 58 mm longer, 10 mm narrower, and 74 mm lower than the BMW X7. The wheelbase is also 5 mm less than the German SUV.

The Chinese automaker offers the E-HS9 in two different performance flavors, both offering plenty of power. The first one carries two electric motors, one for each axle, producing 215 hp at both axles, combined to produce a staggering output of 430 hp. In contrast, the higher trim gets a 329 hp motor for the rear axle, which increases the combined output to 544 hp. The power is enough to propel this seven-seater SUV from zero to 100 kmph in less than 4 seconds. 

The lower variant has approximately 286 miles of driving range on a full charge, while the higher one can get 317 miles, according to local media.

Inside, the SUV is decked up in all high-quality leather finishings, along with aluminum and wood inserts. The main interior highlights are three digital displays, for the infotainment system, digital instrument clusters, and HVAC controls.

Exclusively available in China, the Hongqi E-HS9 is priced at 550,000 yuan (RM 335,812) for the base variant, while the top-spec comes at 750,000 yuan (RM 457,926).

Also read: 2020 Beijing Auto Show: Ford previews a sculpture called “Progressive Energy In Strength”