Upon the bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country’s symbolic Made in China Hongqi car, which is President Xi Jinping’s preferred mode of transport during official visits, was used for his two-day stay in Tianjin for the SCO Summit.
The Hongqi L5 was used by Xi when he visited PM Modi in Mahabalipuram in 2019. Hongqi has symbolic relevance for China that dates back to 1958, when the state-owned First Automotive Works (FAW) launched it for the elite of the Communist Party of China.
The Hongqi L5 is a high-end luxury sedan with a distinct retro design inspired by classic Chinese limousines. The car is known for its opulent interiors that feature lavish use of wood and leather inserts. Beyond that, to give passengers a unique feel, certain variants of the car have been equipped with premium materials like gold and crystal.
Depending upon the variant and generation, the L5 is powered by either a 4.0L Twin-Turbo V8 or a 6.0L V12 engine. Prices of the saloon vary by generation and market and can exceed $680,000 for the latest models of the L5, making it one of the most expensive saloons money can buy.
Key Specifications And Features
Offered with both a 4.0L Twin-Turbo V8 and a 6.0L V12 engine, the car is equipped with an automatic transmission. To further echo the genesis of China’s superpower status, the car features Chinese text on the steering wheel, reflecting the cultural significance of the vehicle. The car embodies China’s automotive heritage and is considered a cultural icon. Hence, its use as a chariot for Prime Minister Modi showcases the country’s prospects for streamlining the relationship between nations and moving ahead with new synergy.
Hongqi, as a brand, comes under the ambit of China FAW Group, a Chinese state-owned automobile manufacturer founded in Changchun, Jilin, on 15 July 1953. Beyond Hongqi, the FAW Group also owns Bestune.
The past of the group is riddled with assistance from the Soviet Union; they provided technical support, tooling, and production machinery during the early years. Before the first factory opened, 39 Chinese FAW employees traveled to the Stalin Truck Factory for instruction in truck production. Operations were long conducted under Soviet direction, and the USSR is even credited with choosing Changchun as the location of the first FAW facility. While these details might seem mundane in recent times, they hark back to a synergy that, if renewed, could lead to a profound future for Russian, Indian, and Chinese affiliations.
