What is the trend in China's auto market today? The first answer that came to my mind was: National Tide!
Independent brands have achieved excellent results on the track of new energy through lane change and overtaking, but the take-off of China's automobile industry should not only change lanes to overtake, we all look forward to flying on both wings on the track of new energy and fuel vehicles. Especially to establish the brand luxury tone, the luxury fuel vehicle market is still a stage of attention.
Among the many independent brands, Hongqi is undoubtedly the brand with the most emotional heritage and the most hope. From the earliest "big red flag" era, to today's H5, H7, H9, HS5, HS7, E-HS9 and E-QM5 and other models are blooming, we have more and more friends who open red flags around us, and the red flag brand has also entered the mobile phone albums of thousands of households from the lens in front of the TV.
For example, the Hongqi HS7 we experience today is an excellent product that focuses on luxury and sells the home market. In the medium and large fuel SUV market, if you add 3.0T, four-wheel drive, seven seats, air suspension and other conditions, you will find that Hongqi HS7 has become one of the few choices within 700,000 yuan.
When buying a luxury car, the eye edge at the first glance is very important, and we often say that momentum is the biggest advantage. On the one hand, the transmission of momentum comes from the volume of the model, the body length, width and height dimensions of the Hongqi HS7 are 5035 *1989 * 1778mm, the height of the model with air suspension is 1756mm, the wheelbase is more than 3 meters, which is the standard medium and large SUV size.
The body shape is simple and atmospheric, and the chrome decorative strips on the window line and the lower edge of the door are used just right, adding the highlight point and exquisite sense of the side, without destroying the integrity of the shape, maintaining the transmission of the power of the whole vehicle.
On the other hand, the transmission of momentum comes from the design, the family-style alpine waterfall grille of the Hongqi HS7 is highly recognizable, the grille is separated by the central line, and the symmetrical design of the left and right is in line with the design of the Chinese courtyard building, which is in line with the aesthetic habits of the Chinese people.
The most eye-catching feature of the front face is the through-line flag design on the front cover, which extends from the front cover to the center of the front grille. Flag design is not only the classic design language of Hongqi brand models, but also the emotional memory of generations.
The logo was once one of the classic elements of luxury cars, but this design is gradually disappearing due to regulatory requirements. The through-line flag design of the HS7 front end has a new interpretation of the iconic luxury car logo design, which not only retains the sense of ceremony, but also takes care of the needs of pedestrian safety protection.
I have always believed that technology should serve design, but not above design, automotive design is the master of art and technology. Compared with the sharp styling design of many new power models today, the design of the Hongqi HS7 has a strong sense of integrity, and the active grille is hidden in the front face of the waterfall, whether it is opened or closed, it will not affect the overall aesthetics.
The headlamp steel wing full LED light source is designed just right, incorporating a cutting-edge sense of technology, and the user's age and population fit more broadly. Whether it is the young generation of elite white-collar workers or the backbone of the society with successful careers, it can echo the temperament of the red flag HS7.
We are actually shooting the 2021 model, the current 2022 HS7 on sale has increased the quantum silver gray exterior compared to the 2021 model, the 20-inch wheel shape has been optimized, and the 3.0T model has added the V6 exclusive logo.
Sitting in the car, compared to the powerful exterior design, the interior of the Hongqi HS7 feels more luxurious. A luxurious interior not only needs to be selected with excellent materials and pleasing to the eye, but also fully takes into account the actual physical sensation of the occupants of the car.
The appeal of real materials is richer than that of LCD screens, especially the touch. The interior of Hongqi HS7 is made of Nappa leather, solid wood trim panels, real aluminum trim and other materials, which can experience a strong sense of luxury whether it is touched or looks.
To evaluate the atmosphere of a car, my first concern is the field of vision, which seems simple but is the most effective. The Hongqi HS7 gives full play to the height advantage of the medium and large SUV, and the driving position has a high eye point, which can easily look around the vehicle to reduce blind spots.
The seat of the Hongqi HS7 adopts the North American Bull A class first layer Nappa leather shoes, which is delicate and skin-friendly to the touch. And the front and rear seats are equipped with ventilation and heating functions, and the front and rear passengers can get a comfortable ride experience that is not cold in winter and hot in summer.
The steering wheel of the Hongqi HS7 adopts a classic three-frame design with a solid grip. The upper cutout area is large, and the driver can see the LCD instrument through the steering wheel without obstruction.
The transparent view is not limited to the front row, the panoramic sunroof area of the Hongqi HS7 has reached 0.88 square meters, and the illumination of natural light increases the permeability of the car, catching up with the sunny weather, the rear passengers can also directly get a viewing platform.
We welcome sunlight into the cockpit, but the noise is best isolated outside the window, the HS7 windshield glass uses double-layer sound insulation glass, with a solid body sound insulation material, whether it is wind noise, road noise or tire noise control can be satisfactory.
With a quiet cabin space, the 14-speaker BOSE sound set on the Hongqi HS7 can bring a better audio-visual experience. In terms of rock music that I often listen to, this set of speakers has a rich level of expressiveness, especially listening to some live versions of music, which can bring a good sense of presence.
Speaking of presence, the rear passenger experience is richer, and the rear passenger seats are equipped with LCD screens behind them. In my actual experience, this configuration is especially important for families with children.
If the children in the back row have cartoons to watch during the drive, it will play a very good role in soothing emotions, and the children will not cry all the way to the parents in order to focus more energy on driving, which is more conducive to safety. In addition, the second row of seats of the HS7 can be adjusted front and rear, and the seat back can be adjusted to an angle, whether it is installing a child safety seat or sitting in the back seat to relax and rest, it can be adjusted to a suitable position.
The car we experienced was equipped with a soft silk beige interior, and the 2022 HS7 also added two interior colors, Danxia Brown and Garnet Red. The second row of seats has been optimized, with 53mm more legroom, 20mm longer seat cushions and softer seat padding sponges.
The static experience of the Hongqi HS7 left a good first impression on me, especially the comfort experience in the front and rear rows. However, dynamic performance, especially the adjustment of the chassis, was once the shortcoming of its own brand, so what kind of experience can this Hongqi HS7 bring?
Large displacement, four-wheel drive, air suspension This often mentioned luxury car three-piece set has a direct improvement in driving texture, and the Hongqi HS7 is readily available. Looking at the air suspension first, its benefits are 2 aspects: one is that it can clearly filter the fine bumps on the rough road, and the small bumps are not passed through the steering wheel and seat to the occupants.
Air suspension, on the other hand, provides better support, which is especially important for medium- and large SUVs. This air suspension system allows ground clearance to be adjusted between 188-248mm. Air suspension also has a wonderful use in life, such as after returning home from a weekend purchase, the suspension can be adjusted to a lower height, so that the height of the trunk is lowered, which is convenient for carrying heavy loads.
In Sport mode, the HS7's air suspension is automatically adjusted to harder settings, allowing the body's horizontal shaking to be more suppressed when driving in potholed sections and high-speed corners.
Large displacement is also a necessary element of luxury cars, in this era of new energy and fuel coexist, the significance of large displacement engine is not zero hundred acceleration time but in the comfort acceleration provided. The reason why the X5 originally purchased the 3.0T model was because the linear acceleration of the large-displacement engine was fascinating. On the other hand, in the context of the new energy era, large-displacement engines are more scarce and have certain collection value.
The V6 3.0T engine of the Hongqi HS7 has a maximum power of 248 kW and a peak torque of 445 N·m, and the performance parameters are in line with the BBA brand. In actual experience, the power output of this supercharged engine in the low torque range is impressive, no matter what gear it can have a quick response, and the power reserve is abundant. Combined with the smooth experience of the Aisin 8AT gearbox, the body feels more relaxed.
With a good suspension and power system, the four-wheel drive system naturally has to be in place. Hongqi HS7 uses BorgWarner's latest generation of TOD electromagnetic transferper, which can intelligently distribute torque to ensure road performance while also taking into account a certain off-road ability to get out of trouble.
The HS7 is equipped with a HITS all-terrain driving system, which presets 8 driving modes such as off-road, sand and snow. For a medium-sized and large urban SUV like the HS7, the all-terrain feedback system is not to encourage users to challenge extreme off-road, but to provide more safety when exploring the city's surroundings or encountering extreme weather.
For the protection of driving safety, in addition to this powerful four-wheel drive system, the role of the auxiliary driving system is becoming more and more obvious. The hongqi HS7's driver assistance system consists of 5 cameras, 2 millimeter wave radars, and 10 ultrasonic radars, which supports functions such as automatic parking in all scenarios, congestion follow-up, active braking, and lane keeping.
In my opinion, fully automated driving above L3 level will take time, and the core of the current vehicle control should be the driver, and the driver assistance system plays a role. Hongqi does not blindly pursue some fancy features, but focuses on making commonly used functions reliable.
HS7's set of auxiliary driving system includes common active braking, lane keeping, lane departure warning and other ten common functions, SACC advanced cruise function can work in the range of 0-150km/h speed, in the actual car experience, Hongqi HS7 for the control of the distance with the car is more precise, braking and acceleration intervention timing, the body feeling is more comfortable.
The 2022 Hongqi HS7 has a more comprehensive model configuration, adding active braking, lane keeping assist, adaptive far and near light, and trunk induction opening functions in the entry-level Flag Enjoy version of the model.
Proactive safety prevents problems before they occur, while passive safety is the last line of defense to ensure occupant safety. Hongqi HS7 adopts a high-strength body design of steel and aluminum hybrid, with a high-strength steel ratio of up to 63.7%, and forms an innovative 9H cage body structure through the solid combination of longitudinal beams, B-pillars, middle passages and other parts. In unexpected situations, the integrity of the body structure can be guaranteed to the greatest extent.
After a day of comprehensive experience, you can feel that the Hongqi HS7 reflects an excellent level regardless of specifications, size or configuration, and aims at the medium and large SUV market with higher comprehensive quality requirements. Competition at this level will certainly usher in greater challenges, but only by rising to a high level of field competition can we most comprehensively show the comprehensive technical strength of the Hongqi brand.
Hongqi HS7 has the cross-level configuration advantage of "V6 + four-wheel drive + air suspension" in the chassis configuration, which can not only meet our needs for luxury configuration, but also fully take care of the needs of a family's car, and enjoy the configuration of a million-level luxury SUV within the price range of 400,000.
Nowadays, our emotional needs for cars have gradually risen from a sense of luxury to a sense of belonging and value identity, and we like the luxury configuration to pay more attention to the value of the brand.
When independent brands go hand in hand with joint venture brands at the technical level, the empowerment of brands will reflect a greater role in competition. In this regard, the Hongqi brand has a unique advantage, it has witnessed the development of the mainland automobile industry from scratch, and has more connections with our growth. From the design language to the design presentation, it highlights our cultural confidence and is a luxury brand car that truly belongs to us.