Entering the Gran Turismo: what surprised the first luxury liftback from China
Powerful engine, sports suspension, sloping silhouette and fast—paced appearance - the Hongqi H6 premium liftback neatly enters the territory of the grand tourer class. But there are nuances. The Izvestia correspondent was looking for a balance between comfort and sportiness in the new Chinese model on the roads of the Kaliningrad region.
She is beautiful...
Hongqi has introduced its eighth model to the Russian market, and this is not just another crossover. Giles Taylor, known for his work for Rolls-Royce and Jaguar, is responsible for the design of modern models of the Red Banner. Giles Taylor was allowed to go beyond the "expensive, rich, bureaucrats ride" style and draw a car for stylish business men in aviator glasses and three-piece suits. Athletic trimness and British sophistication, but with a Chinese flavor.
A striking example of the color is the red stripe on the front of the Hongqi H6, which is traditional for Hongqi (the brand name, as the Russian representative office insists, reads that way). By the way, this very "red banner" partly refers to the Soviet limousines of the Stalin Plant (ZIS), whose specialists made a significant contribution to the emergence of the Chinese automotive industry and, in particular, the FAW concern, which owns Hongqi.
Hongqi H6 was painted by famous British designer Giles Taylor, who previously worked for Rolls-Royce and Jaguar.
The vertical stripe on the Hongqi H6 greets the driver, turning scarlet as soon as he approaches the car with the keys. The head optics also shimmer dynamically: on each side there are more than two dozen diode cells in three rows, which are formed in five variants of the running lights pattern. They are supposed to resemble the wings of an eagle. And curved diode strips flash on the sides of the radiator grille.
On Kaliningrad roads, the locals, who were not used to the new fashionable "Chinese", willingly followed the car with their eyes, and some did not hesitate to approach and take an interest in the novelty personally.
...and streamlined
A sports car must be aerodynamically efficient. Hongqi took this into account — the drag coefficient is 0.27, which is only a few hundredths worse than that of the most modern BMW M5. This was partially achieved due to the active "blinds" in the radiator grille, which automatically open, cooling the engine compartment at the right moments, and close, reducing air resistance at high speed. In theory, in winter, a closed grille will help the engine warm up faster.
The sloping roof and two-tone body (with an exceptionally black roof) add to the look of impetuosity. The exterior palette of bright colors, however, is not offered. There are exhaust cutouts at the stern in the center of the bumper, and there is no deception here — the pipes there are real. The edge of the fifth door bends, as if a "duck tail" spoiler is starting to grow in it.
She's practical...
The main feature of the body is that the fifth door rises along with the rear window, forming a wide opening convenient for loading and unloading things. Unlike the FAW's Bestune B70 liftback, the trunk can be opened not only from inside the car, but also with a button hidden above the license plate, and closed from the switch on the driver's door.
The trunk volume is 500 liters. With the second row folded, the loading volume increases to 1,680 liters, but a "step" is formed. Maximum length: 2000 mm, width — 1240 mm, height — 785 mm. The height from the floor to the curtain is 493 mm.
The volume of the luggage compartment varies from 500 to 1680 liters. With the second row folded, a two-meter-long platform is formed, for example, ski equipment can be carried.
...and powerful
A 245-horsepower two-liter turbocharged powertrain with a maximum 380 Newtons of torque is installed under the hood, which goes to the front wheels. Although, with a sharp start, they don't even walk, but crawl, because the electronics are protected by the eight-speed Japanese Aisin automatic. But once you get on the highway, there's no doubt — the Chinese are good at grand turismo!
On the Primorsky Ring road on the way to Svetlogorsk, the car opens up for real. Even taking into account the delay at the start, the liftback reaches 100 km/h in seven seconds. On the highway, the handling is clear. The friendship of a box with a motor will be the envy of other modern Chinese models.
At speeds well over a hundred, the car is just as comfortable as at 80 km/h — the sound insulation is at a decent level, partly due to the laminated front windows. The steering wheel is moderately heavy and free from unnecessary vibrations, the car literally floats over the road, does not require steering, does not tilt in turns. And on other country roads, the dynamics allows you to undoubtedly steer to overtake slow-moving cars on the "oncoming lane". Nice to meet you!
But she's tough...
However, you have to pay for everything. On cobblestone streets and speed bumps, the Hongqi H6 does not behave in a premium soft and smooth manner. The car jumps, shakes, and sharp bumps throw it off balance. Partly it's the tires — the brand's representatives explained that the H6 is only available with hard and dense Run Flat tires that protect against punctures (the Pirelli Cinturato P7 was on the test copy) on large 19-inch wheels. There is no spare tire — there is a subwoofer in a niche under the trunk floor.
The top-end liftback has damping control dampers and three operating modes. The choice depends on how much the car lurches in the corners.
In the top-end version, the H6 is equipped with damping control dampers. Not to be confused with the air suspension! Depending on the mode chosen by the driver — and there are three of them — only the speed of the shock absorbers (stroke of the rod) changes, and the difference can be felt only in turns. In the relatively "soft" mode, the rolls will be larger, in the "hard" mode - less. The settings will not affect the smoothness of the ride at the joints and irregularities. In the basic version, the suspension is conventional, and its settings correspond to the "average" configuration of the "smart" dampers.
... and uncomfortable...
There are complaints about the landing. The front seats with an integrated headrest look stylish, but the average 180 cm tall driver lacks comfort. The height of the backrest is not enough, the non-adjustable headrest ends in the lower occipital zone, which is why the neck suffers on a long trip. Lateral support is present, although the seats are wide, and with sudden maneuvers, the rider swings from one edge to the other. The chairs seemed to have been designed for overweight people of short stature.
The situation is no better in the second row. If you sit straight, you'll almost have to prop up the sloping ceiling with your head. The only solution is to slide down and put a pillow under your lower back. On the other hand, there is more than enough legroom.
... and also incomprehensible
The multimedia system will have to be accessed mainly to adjust the dual-zone climate control, since temperature control is not displayed on the physical keys, and there is no integration with a smartphone other than Bluetooth. But if you dive into the settings, you can see that Russification was carried out by people who do not fully understand the "great and mighty."
Choosing between driving modes: "Smooth" or "Smoothly"? Moving on to the electric power steering settings: "Smoothly" or "Calmly"? Do we adjust the suspension damping: "PO" or "AO"? The menu item "A sense of ceremony" (spelling preserved), as it turned out, is responsible for the operation of the very red stripe on the hood. And then there's the Four. In general, it's all "luhari village", only now in the Russian manner.
Prices and equipment
The basic Hongqi H6 is offered for 3.89 million rubles. By default, the liftback has an active radiator grille, a sunroof, acoustic windows, an all-round viewing system, atmospheric interior lighting in 253 colors, keyless entry, and an electric tailgate.
The Russification of the multimedia system requires serious refinement
There is heating of all seats and ventilation of the front, an aromatization system, wireless charging. The driver's assistant kit includes the usual modern options, including adaptive cruise control. There is even an active hood to protect pedestrians — in a collision, the rear part of it rises by about 10 cm, in the Hongqi model range, this system debuted on the H6. The Dynaudio audio system with 12 speakers is also in the "base", and the sound quality is pleasing.
Hongqi H6 is available in two trim levels priced from 3.89 million and 4.09 million rubles, respectively.
The "top-end" Hongqi H6 costs 4.09 million rubles. In the maximum version, the steering wheel with a thick rim and carbon insert is additionally covered with alcantara, making it even more similar to the steering wheel of a Porsche 911. In addition to adaptive shock absorbers, there is a developed parking garage, a massage function for the driver and a projection display, as well as an adaptive high beam control system.
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