China's Toyota Alphard fighter, Hongqi HQ9 is here to shake up the market

Behold the Hongqi HQ9, China’s ultimate luxury brand, Hongqi’s, first-ever 7-seater MPV set to rival the likes of the Toyota Alphard. The MPV stands out amongst a sea of new MPVs as the HQ9 is not an electric vehicle (EV) but one powered by an internal combustion engine (ICE).

When you look at the HQ9, the first word that comes to mind is ‘fast’. Hongqi has managed to make the car look like it’s in motion thanks to the smart use of shoulder lines and unique features like the chrome inserts in the D-pillar.

Also read: Hongqi H9 finally has a price list in Japan - 6 variants, cheaper than the S-Class!

There is no mistaking the MPV for anything other than a Hongqi thanks to the signature horizontal grille and integrated red logo. The squinty LED headlights paired with the grille give the impression of a bullet.

To make it more premium, the grille is surrounded by a chrome diamond embossed panel on it while the door handles get a shot of red running through it. At the back, the HQ9 features relatively small taillights connected by a light bar running across the tailgate.

Also read: Hongqi H9 is now exported to Korea, this is not a joke

Inside, the HQ9 gets a white interior paired with dark wood trim scattered across the dashboard and the centre console. To make it more practical, designers also added mocha brown leather on high-touch areas such as the door handles and the steering wheel.

Taking centre stage is a massive touchscreen infotainment system hooked up to 16 speakers from Dynaudio. The driver also gets a fully digital instrument cluster.

Also read: Hongqi H9 is ready to make its debut in Japan

The seats are set in a 2+2+3 configuration and the best seats in the car are the plush second-row captain seats. The 16-way adjustable chairs look more like an armchair than car seats. However, the third-row seats look like an afterthought instead.

Measuring 5,222 x 2,005 x 1,892 mm in length, width, and height with a wheelbase of 3,200 mm. Comparatively, the HQ9 is much larger than the Toyota Alphard that is sold in Malaysia.

Powering the MPV is a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that crunches out 256 PS and 380 Nm. The engine is mated to a conventional 9-speed automatic transmission that sends power to the front wheels. According to media reports, there is an eco-friendlier plug-in hybrid option in the works.

Hongqi might not be a very popular brand globally, but in China, the brand is viewed as the epitome of luxury amongst the upper echelons.

Also read: Yet another reverse invasion as China's Hongqi HS7 sets for Japan debut soon

It would be interesting to see if the HQ9 will actually give the Toyota Alphard a run for its money, even though the MPV will most likely be purchased by mostly companies to ferry their executives around.