Hongqi has grand ambitions of conquering global markets, and at the International Automotive and Supply Chain Expo in Hong Kong, FAW’s luxury offshoot showcased its Global SUV, first seen at Auto China in Beijing in April. Its debut in the island nation suggests that the car will be offered in right-hand-drive markets, including Malaysia.
First, a bit of background. Hongqi is China’s oldest car brand and was well-known as the maker of the nation’s leaders, including the president. That’s still the case, but today, its most opulent models have been hived off to the Golden Sunflower sub-brand – in fact, those cars have a presence in Malaysia thanks to the first-ever unit of the Guoli (formerly L5) being gifted to Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar.
Its other products, however, are new energy vehicles that are much more pedestrian, and it’s these that will be offered for sale over here. On the eve of Auto China, Hongqi signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Quill Automotive for the importation and distribution of its cars in Malaysia, with a brand launch expected to be held as early as mid-2026. That’s…now, actually.
One of these new energy models is that Global SUV, and eagle-eyed viewers will notice something quite familiar with the car’s styling. The front and rear ends are unique, with Hongqi’s trademark red and chrome bonnet strip being present alongside split headlights with “sparkly” eyebrow-style daytime running lights, downturned centre air intake and full-width taillights sitting above the tailgate-mounted number plate.
But the compact proportions, upright glasshouse and “kinked” rear quarter windows make it quite clear that the Global SUV shares a whole lot with the Leapmotor B10, already on sale in Malaysia. In fact, the Hongqi shares not just the basic body structure but also the bonnet and door mirrors; only the pull-type door handles (the B10 uses flush pop-out units) and a slimmer Hongqi plaque on the front fenders are noticeably different.
That’s not surprising given that late last year, FAW purchased a five per cent stake in Leapmotor, with the first Hongqi-badged model set to be produced starting in the second half of 2026. The Global SUV is slated to be launched in Hong Kong in the fourth quarter of the year and should filter out to other markets in 2027.
While no details have been revealed just yet, CarNewsChina reports that the Global SUV is rumoured to feature an 800-volt electrical architecture for faster charging, which would be a huge upgrade over the B10. However, it also mentions the option of a range-extender powertrain and a length of 4,750 mm (the B10 is just 4,515 mm long), so this info could be referring to a larger model based on the C10.
As such, you can expect the Global SUV to soldier on with the same powertrain options as the B10 – a single rear motor making 218 PS (160 kW) and 240 Nm, as well as a choice of 56.2 kWh and 67.1 kWh LFP batteries for WLTP-rated range figures of 361 km and 434 km respectively.
The news of a B10-based model would be good news for Hongqi in Malaysia, as the Leapmotor is already set to be CKD locally assembled at the Stellantis plant in Gurun, Kedah within the next few months. If the company can strike a deal with the Netherlands-based conglomerate, that means that the Global SUV could be built here with very minor tooling changes, enabling it to enjoy lower taxes.
The Global SUV was shown alongside two other right-hand-drive Hongqi models, including the EHS5 and the E-HS9, the latter already sold in Singapore. The former is a mid-sized SUV that looks surprisingly similar to the Deepal S07, while the latter is a more distinctive luxury model with an upright design more in keeping with the Golden Sunflower cars.
Sold in China as the Tiangong 06, the EHS5’s outputs range from 286 PS and 317 Nm for the single-motor rear-drive model to 560 PS and 623 Nm with dual-motor all-wheel drive. With battery sizes ranging from 62 kWh to 85 kWh for the LFP versions and 98 kWh for the NMC pack, the car offers a range of between 520 km and 780 km on China’s lenient CLTC cycle; expect between 420 km and 640 km on the stricter WLTP standard. Charging reaches up to 454 kW, meaning it can charge from 20 to 80% in as little as 12 minutes.
Underscoring its status as a flagship model, the E-HS9 is offered in Singapore in sole dual-motor AWD form making 492 PS and 606 Nm of torque. With a massive 120 kWh NMC battery, it delivers a claimed WLTP-rated range of 570 km, although with only a 400-volt electrical architecture, the car only supports up to 140 kW of DC fast charging. That means topping up from 10 to 80% takes an agonising 40 minutes.
GALLERY: Hongqi EHS5 at Auto China 2026
GALLERY: Hongqi E-HS9
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I like the physical door handle.. Thanks CCP government for enforcing this rule to all the local auto maker.
Please introduce model name
with original Chinese font
why would anyone buy leapmotor at hongqi’s price?