CarBrandLogos archive · Hongqi · 2013

HongqiL5

A modern Chinese state car priced above almost anything Europe builds.

Photo: Maxhdtenda · CC BY-SA 4.0

The story

A defining chapter in Hongqi history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Hongqi L5, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

Origins

When FAW rebuilt Hongqi as a serious brand, it started at the top rather than the bottom. The L5, revealed in 2013 and in production from 2014, is a full-size hand-assembled saloon whose styling quotes the CA770 directly: the upright fan grille, the vertical lantern lamps, and a long formal roofline with no attempt at sportiness.

Hongqi L5 002 China · Navigator84 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Design and engineering

It exists mainly for the state. The car appears in military reviews and diplomatic motorcades, including open parade variants, and the small number sold privately are bought by people for whom association with that role is the point. Its list price sits far above European flagship saloons, which is unusual for a Chinese product and entirely deliberate.

Hongqi L5 · Mil.ru · CC BY 4.0

In production

Whatever its commercial logic, the L5 marked the moment Hongqi stopped being a museum name. The mainstream models that followed, from sedans to the electric SUVs, all trade on the authority this car re-established.

Hongqi L5 01 -- Auto Shanghai · Navigator84 · CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

The facts that define it.

Produced

2014–present

Body

4-door sedan

Technical specification

The L5, in detail.

Production: 2014–present
Class: Full-size car; Full-size luxury car (F-segment; F) ; Ultra-luxury car
Body style: 4-door sedan
Manufacturer: Hongqi (FAW Group)

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