The Hongqi H9 was unveiled last year and quickly drew comparisons to other luxury sedans like the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and even cars including Rolls-Royces and Maybachs. However, is the car actually a rival to the established Europeans?
There’s no doubt that the H9 has presence. Dominating the front end is a Rolls-Royce-inspired grille with vertical chrome slats. That’s interesting because Hongqi’s global vice president of design and chief creative officer is none other than Giles Taylor, who used to work for Rolls-Royce. According to the Chinese carmaker, however, the design of the H9 was signed off before Taylor arrived at the brand. Nevertheless, it’s obvious where the brand got some of its design inspiration from.
Surrounding the grille is a unique light bar that stretches between the headlights. Other key features of the car’s design include pop-out door handles and a sleek rear-end with an LED light bar. The example tested also sports a cool gold and purple two-tone paint finish.
To be considered a proper rival to the E-Class and other German sedans like the Audi A6 and BMW 5-Series, the interior of the H9 needs to be superb. While it is good, it doesn’t blow away the reviewer and has some cheap elements, including the proliferation of piano black surfaces and the hard dashboard. The second-row of this mid-range version is quite nice and includes some adjustability for the seats, as well as heaps of legroom.
Related: The Hongqi H9’s Grille Dwarfs The BMW 7-Series’ Kidneys
Two engines are available in China. The first is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 252 hp and 280 lb-ft (380 Nm) of torque while the second is a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 with 272 hp and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm), both of which are paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.