Honqi officially enters PH, Flagship E-HS9 EV SUV to start at PHP 4,980,000
The past few years have seen a plethora of Chinese manufacturers enter the Philippine market. In fact, the majority of them have made waves by offering value for money. Honqi is the newest player, and their approach is very different from those who came before.
Honqi enters PH
Yesterday Honqi was launched locally through a press conference and a short preview of the vehicles to be sold. What makes the brand intriguing is the way they are positioning the brand in the Philippines.
Instead of going toe to toe with the likes of Geely, MG, and Chery, the new Chinese Manufacturer wants to be known as a true luxury offering. Brand executives drive home the fact that Honqi has a luxury heritage stretching back as far as 1958, it is also in fact the oldest Chinese carmaker.
Furthermore, because of its prominence in its local market, the brand is responsible for creating vehicles for local Chinese Government officials including President Xi Jinping.
So with a luxury heritage so to speak, what do they plan to offer here?
E-HS9 EV SUV
The standout model has to be the striking and quite elegant-looking E-HS9 EV SUV, which upon speaking to some brand executives takes design cues from brands like BMW, Range Rover, and Rolls Royce. There were three E-HS9 EV SUVs on display but the 7-seater two-tone version really stole the show.
Inside the vehicle is a mixture of modern and old-world luxury with leather suede seats, some wood paneling, and modern touches like LED mood lights and massive infotainment screens. At first glance and touch, the brand seems to have nailed the luxury brief.
Propelling the E-HS9 are two electric motors. The Executive gets two 160kW (214 Hp) electric motors with 300 Nm of torque each. Maximum battery capacity is 86 kWh with an estimated driving range of about 380 km.
Meanwhile, the Deluxe and Flagship both get the combination of 160 kW (214) and 245 kW (328 Hp) electric motors the former still produces 300 Nm of torque, the latter produces 450 Nm. Battery capacity is increased to 99 kWh with an estimated driving range of 441 km. All variants of the E-HS9 come with an all-wheel-drive system as standard.
They will also be launching the H-9 sedan sometime soon, however, not much detail has been given about it. What has been said though is it will be priced at less than PHP 3 Million.
The Honqi E-HS9’s reportedly starting price will be PHP 4,980,000 with the higher variant’s prices not yet disclosed as of writing. Should anybody be interested in these vehicles, Honqi’s flagship dealership will be located in BGC and is currently under construction.
