Top Minister Narendra Modi touched down in Tianjin on August 31 to wait the SCO Summit, marking his first discuss with to China in additional than seven years. For his legitimate commute inside the nation, he was once pushed within the Hongqi L5the flagship state vehicle that still serves as President Xi Jinping’s experience of selection. Xi himself rode within the L5 right through his 2019 discuss with to Mahabalipuram for casual talks with Modi.The Hongqi, translated as “Crimson Flag” in Mandarin, is considered a countrywide logo in China. Historically reserved for senior management and choose international dignitaries, the automobile carries a legacy that is going past luxurious and design, embodying a way of nationwide satisfaction. Offering the Hongqi for Modi’s discuss with was once noticed as a planned diplomatic gesture, signalling appreciate from Beijing and hinting at a conceivable reset in family members between New Delhi and Beijing.
Hongqi L5The Hongqi L5 attracts energy from a large 6.0-litre V12, turning in greater than 400 hp. Regardless of its dimension, the automobile manages a zero–100 km/h dash in round 8.5 seconds and tops out at just about 210 km/h.NAt over 5.5 metres lengthy and weighing upward of 3 tonnes, the L5 instructions speedy consideration at the highway. Inside of, it’s designed as a rolling palace, with plush leather-based seats, wealthy wooden accents, and complex cultural touches like jade inlays. Rear occupants are handled to ventilated and heated therapeutic massage seats, paired with non-public leisure monitors.At the generation aspect, the limousine comes with a complicated protection suite that comes with all-wheel power, adaptive cruise keep watch over, surround-view cameras, and parking help. With a ticket of just about 5 million yuan (round Rs 7 crore at present trade charges) it stands as the costliest manufacturing vehicle in China.Historical past of HongqiThe emblem’s tale started in 1958 with the release of the CA72, identifiable through its unique fan-shaped grille. A convertible model was once later created for parade use. The CA770 adopted in 1963 and remained in provider till 1980, with roughly 1,600 devices constructed. This type was once presented in stretched and armoured variations and changed into the legitimate selection for Chinese language management and visiting dignitaries. Whilst Chairman Mao Zedong first of all resisted driving in a single, he ultimately did so after U.S. President Richard Nixon’s landmark discuss with in 1972.
With manufacturing slowing within the Nineteen Eighties, Hongqi entered a length of rebadging, providing changed variations of automobiles such because the Audi 100 and Lincoln The city Automotive between 1995 and 2006. The HQ3, according to the Toyota Crown, was once offered however failed to realize traction. By way of the mid-2010s, then again, Hongqi had reclaimed its place as China’s state-car emblem with fashions just like the H7 and the revived flagship L5 limousine.In 2018, guardian corporate FAW repositioned Hongqi as a top class “Made in China” luxurious marque with a brand new design identification. The transfer sparked a surge in call for: gross sales jumped from 33,000 devices in 2018 to 300,000 in 2021. The portfolio expanded additional in 2023 with the creation of the Golden Sunflower line for ultra-luxury shoppers, the New Power sequence for electrical mobility, and the QM7 minibus. By way of 2024, annual gross sales exceeded 411,000 devices, with the emblem outlining plans to determine 1,000 retailers throughout Europe, the Heart East, and Southeast Asia.