China's Hongqi to launch in Australia as luxury brand HQ

China’s Hongqi will be sold in Australia as luxury brand ‘HQ’, with its first model due here in January 2027 and the brand fostering ambitions for 30,000 annual sales across a national dealer network.

Set to challenge brands including Polestar and Cadillac, as well as Zeekr, Denza and Tesla, Sydney-based distributor Greentech has confirmed Hongqi’s local launch under the abbreviated HQ name.

It will be the first time Hongqi parent company FAW, one of China’s largest vehicle manufacturers, will sell passenger cars in Australia, having only offered commercial vehicles here.

China's oldest car brand, Hongqi started in the 1950s as a limousine maker for high-ranking officials. It still makes sumptuous large sedans such as the V8-powered Hongqi Golden Sunflower Guoli, priced from ¥7.18 million (A$1.51 million).

FAW has manufacturing partnerships in China with Volkswagen Group and Toyota, as well as a more recent collaboration with Leapmotor, which has Dutch-based Stellantis as a stakeholder.

Hongqi plans to launch 15 new electric and hybrid models in Europe by 2028, according to a report by Automotive News late last year.

Speaking to CarExpert, Greentech CEO Jim Wu said the HQ brand will combine smart technology and luxury to position itself “above Tesla” in Australia, with plans for a dealer in each capital city across the country.

With an initial aim of 500 sales per month, the brand has a longer-term goal of 30,000 annual sales, which would have placed it around 14th overall based on 2025 new-car sales figures, behind Chery but ahead of Volkswagen. In terms of luxury brands, Mercedes-Benz placed 16th with 27,581 sales, with BMW just behind in 17th with 26,842 sales.

The first Australian model will be the E-HS9, a large three-row electric SUV scheduled to arrive in Australia in January 2027. It was also the first model to reach European showrooms, having arrived in Norway in 2021.

Local pricing and equipment levels are yet to be announced, but we know the E-HS9 measures 5209mm long, 2010mm wide and 1713mm high, with a 3110mm wheelbase, making it comparable in size to the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, Volvo EX90 and Cadillac Vistiq.

Models sold in Europe use a 400V electrical system with a 160kW/300Nm front electric motor and 245kW/450Nm rear motor for all-wheel drive and a claimed 4.9-second 0-100km/h time.

Entry-level versions use a 99kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery for a 465km WLTP range, with top-spec models running a 120kWh battery for a WLTP range of 515km.

Six- and seven-seat configurations are available, with the six-seat versions featuring second-row captain’s chairs. The interior includes leather upholstery, twin 16.2-inch displays and an electric panoramic roof.

Higher-spec models come with 22-inch alloy wheels, an upgraded sound system and interior fragrance diffusers.

Mr Wu said a second model will join the E-HS9 in April 2027, described only as a mid-size SUV, meaning it could be the EHS7 (no hyphen) currently in European showrooms which, at 4925mm long, is still quite large.

Priced from 544,900kr (A$81,336), the EHS7 is similar in size to the BMW iX and marginally shorter than the Cadillac Lyriq, and offers batteries of up to 111kWh for as much as 540km of WLTP range.

More likely is the EHS5, which at 4750mm long is 40mm shorter than a Tesla Model Y and sits on a 2900mm wheelbase, making it the smallest of this trio of Hongqi SUVs sold in Europe.

It has 202kW and 210kW motors on its front and rear axles respectively, for a combined 420kW, with an 85kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery offering a 522km WLTP range and a claimed 0-100km/h time of 4.0 seconds.

It also offers a 400V electrical system and DC fast-charging at up to 265kW, and is priced from 439,900kr (A$65,663), slightly less than the Tesla Model Y Long Range’s 449,900kr (A$67,148) starting price.

Hongqi also offers the smaller HS3 SUV in parts of Europe, such as Italy, and offers a number of SUVs and sedans in China that could make it to Australian showrooms.

MORE: Chinese cars now account for a third of all new vehicles sold in Australia