Hongqi launches in Australia as HQ with E-HS9 electric SUV

China’s oldest car brand, Hongqi, has launched in Australia under the abbreviated name HQ, with the large E-HS9 electric SUV first in line and customer deliveries due from 18 January.

The brand is imported by Greentech Smart EV, led by managing director and chief executive Jim Wu, a co-founder and former chief executive of Leapmotor. Greentech launched HQ at an event in Sydney on 11 November, and Australia is the first market to use the HQ name.

Hongqi, meaning “red flag”, was founded in 1958 by state-owned FAW Group and is best known in China for its official state cars. It is the first FAW passenger car brand to be sold in Australia. Hongqi already sells cars in markets including Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong.

All-electric range

All HQ models sold in Australia will be battery electric, and Greentech will not bring the plug-in hybrids Hongqi sells in China.

The E-HS9 will be followed by the smaller EHS4, which is set to launch at an event in Brisbane in December, and the mid-size EHS5, due around April. Greentech says a sedan is among five models planned, and a ute is a possibility.

The EHS4 received Australian vehicle type approval this month, listed as a five-seat wagon with a tare mass of 1,824kg.

E-HS9

The E-HS9 is a six-seat, three-row SUV, 5,209mm long with a 3,110mm wheelbase. Launch reports put it at 606Nm from two motors, 0 to 100km/h in 5.5 seconds and a 120kWh battery with a claimed WLTP range of 548km. It uses a 400V system with DC charging up to 140kW.

Pricing has not been finalised. Greentech has indicated the E-HS9 will come in under $150,000 before on-road costs, and is offering cashback of up to $10,000 to buyers who place a $20,000 deposit before 18 January.

First owners get a 10-year, one million kilometre battery warranty, a seven-year warranty on the rest of the vehicle, and a year of free charging at HQ dealerships. The battery cover does not transfer to later owners.

Dealers

HQ will launch with five dealerships in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, with about 15 planned nationally. Wu has named BMW, Lexus and Land Rover buyers as targets.

Greentech has ambitious sales targets for HQ. It is aiming for at least 1,000 sales a month once the first three SUVs are on sale, rising to 2,500 to 3,000 a month with five models, and has spoken of a longer-term goal of 30,000 a year.

HQ joins a crowded market, with 67 brands now on sale in Australia, according to the Australian Automotive Dealer Association.