Nowadays, the development speed of domestic cars is really changing with each passing day, and compared with the product development cycle of overseas brands, which is often several years old, independent brands are becoming more and more effective in car manufacturing research and development. If you don't talk far, let's talk to the big guys about the recent Beijing Auto Show. It was learned from relevant channels that there will be more than 20 new cars unveiled at this Beijing Auto Show, of which there are several products that will be transformed from concept cars to production cars.
I believe that these models are not unfamiliar to everyone, such as Formula Leopard Leopard 8, ZEEKR MIX, SUPER 3, Mercedes-Benz EQG, Yangwang U7, MINI New Energy. Although these models are quite amazing, for me, the most eye-catching model of this auto show is the new Hongqi flagship sedan - L1, officially named "Guoya". It can be seen from the model naming code that the positioning of this car is lower than the Hongqi L5 that was previously unveiled at the 2023 Shanghai Auto Show.
But judging from the actual pictures released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the aura of this Hongqi L1 is not inferior to that of Hongqi L5, and it is even more bold and avant-garde in appearance. In fact, long before the Hongqi L1 declaration map was released, the concept car prototype of this car (L-Concept) had been on the stage of the auto show, and the details and design were very gorgeous. In terms of appearance, L-Concept inherits the Hongqi brand's signature waterfall chrome grille, as well as the highly recognizable Hongqi light strip. The headlight profile is round and delicate, like an arched bridge hole, inside is a delicate and delicate divergent luminous structure, and there are net-like diffuse light strip decorations on both sides of the front envelope, which echoes the design of the headlight group up and down, enhancing the recognition of the front of the car.
To be honest, at that time, the L-Concept, as the prototype of the concept car of the Hongqi L series, really amazed me in terms of appearance. Now look at the production car Hongqi L1, the appearance is indeed very recognizable. In terms of appearance, the new car basically restores 80% of the design elements of the concept car, including the chrome waterfall front grille, oval arch headlights, tasseled front surround decorative light strips, Hongqi logo design, flatbread wheels, etc. However, although the new car has changed from a two-door four-seater coupe to a conventional five-door four-seater sedan design, the length, width and height of the vehicle are 5353/1998/1511 mm, and the wheelbase has reached 3260 mm.
In addition, it can be seen from the exterior details that Hongqi L1 pays more attention to details and layering than luxury flagship sedans of the same level. Whether it's the ubiquitous chrome trim, the distinctive polygonal LED headlight clusters, or the layered mesh lower grille design, it can make a very impressive impression. At the same time, the new car adopts the front high and low body design commonly used in D-class luxury sedans, with the hood rib line rising upward, and the headlight side lines maintaining a rounded attitude, and the overall design style is staggered, which looks more imposing than the Bentley Flying Spur.
The rear of the vehicle, at first glance, does not have as strong as the visual impact of the front of the car, the tail line is straight and concise as a whole, the tail light group is round and rectangular, the left and right symmetrical layout, and the design and Rolls-Royce Gust are general, which are more conventional. The tail lid has a slight bulge at the end, and the through-chrome trim is the most prominent design element at the rear. In addition, a large number of chrome decorations can be seen in the rear surround, and compared to the H series sedan under the Hongqi brand, the L1 is more solid in chrome materials.
As for the interior, judging by the spy photos that have been exposed on the Internet. The new car will adopt the exclusive interior design of Hongqi "Golden Sunflower", the overall layout is dominated by the wrap-around central control, the steering wheel shape is a double-spoke design, and the surface decoration in addition to the "Golden Sunflower" LOGO, it also retains the semicircular chrome spokes with a strong retro atmosphere, which further enhances the sense of interior refinement. In addition, the new car also adopts the orange and black double color interior color matching that highlights the grade and layering, and the carbon fiber panel is partially embedded, and the places that are easy to contact with the body are covered with soft materials, and the appearance is more delicate.
In terms of cockpit configuration, it is not difficult to see from the actual picture that Hongqi L1 will be equipped with a full LCD instrument, a large-size suspended central control screen, an electronic shift knob, ACC adaptive cruise, seat heating/ventilation/massage, AR-HUD head-up display, automatic dual-zone air conditioning, wireless charging of mobile phones in the front row, panoramic sunroof and other mainstream high-end configurations. In terms of details, the new car is also equipped with quartz clocks, multi-color ambient lights, rear multimedia tablets, car refrigerators, rear multimedia control screens, etc. In terms of the richness of the configuration, it has reached the mainstream level, which is worthy of the high-end market positioning of the product. In addition, the new car will be available in a 4/5-seater layout, with a choice of two-tone body paint and lift badges (the same as Rolls-Royce).
In terms of power, this time Hongqi L1 completely bid farewell to the criticism of backward power and poor economy. For the first time, the new car adopts a 3.0-liter hybrid system and a 4.0-liter hybrid system, with a maximum output of 290kW and 360kW respectively. However, compared to the V8 power (maximum power of 404kW) equipped with the Bentley Flying Spur, the performance is still slightly inferior.
epilogue
In fact, in the current automobile market environment, power performance, sense of science and technology, intelligence, and luxury configuration are no longer synonymous with identity and status. Because pure electric vehicles can obtain the same or even better travel experience at a lower technical cost, the key is inseparable from the quietness and low-torque output capacity of the motor unit. However, the arrival of Hongqi L1 will still make people feel very gratified, after all, independent brands that have been isolated by technical barriers for decades can now come up with a sense of refinement, luxury, and design that is not inferior to the flagship D-class car of traditional old car companies, which is really rare. What do you think of this car? Welcome to leave a message below the comment area to discuss.