Hongqi names three electric SUVs for Australian HQ launch

Three SUVs for the HQ launch

Hongqi has identified the three battery-electric SUVs intended to establish its Australian HQ brand: the large, three-row E-HS9, followed by the smaller EHS4 and EHS5. HQ Australia chief Jim Wu told CarExpert the brand intends to sell only battery-electric vehicles here, although Hongqi offers hybrids in China. Wu said HQ aims to compete with established luxury marques including Range Rover, Mercedes-Benz and BMW. That is a stated ambition, not a sales result. ¹⁴

Sydney-based distributor Greentech confirmed the HQ name to CarExpert in August. In its September report, CarExpert said Australia would be the first country to sell Hongqi vehicles under that abbreviation. The three-model plan is more specific than GoAuto’s July account, which reported that the E-HS9 was expected to spearhead an Australian entry later in 2026. ³¹⁶

CarExpert also reports that a sedan is planned to follow the three SUVs, with a size comparable to the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, BMW 5 Series and Audi A6. It is not part of the named launch trio. CarExpert suggested the overseas EH7 as a possibility, but did not identify it as the confirmed Australian sedan. ⁴

What the overseas SUVs offer

CarExpert lists the overseas E-HS9 at 5209mm long with a 3110mm wheelbase. Six- and seven-seat layouts are available, while air suspension and 22-inch wheels depend on the variant. Its September report describes an all-wheel-drive version with a 120kWh battery, up to 515km of claimed WLTP range and a claimed 4.9-second 0–100km/h time. An earlier CarExpert report also listed a European entry-level version with a 99kWh battery and 465km WLTP range. These are overseas configurations, not confirmed Australian variants. ⁴³

There is a material difference between published E-HS9 performance figures. GoAuto described a right-hand-drive version in July with a 120kWh battery, claimed 515km WLTP range, 362kW combined output and a claimed 5.5-second 0–100km/h time. CarExpert’s September overseas specifications instead list 160kW and 245kW front and rear motors and a 4.9-second time. Neither account establishes which performance specification Australians will receive. ⁶⁴

For the overseas EHS4, CarExpert reports a 4520mm length, five seats, rear-wheel drive, a 160kW motor and a 67.1kWh lithium iron phosphate battery delivering up to 420km of WLTP range. It lists a 14.6-inch central screen and 393 litres of luggage space. CarExpert separately reports that the Australia-bound EHS4 will use LEAP 3.5 architecture, which also underpins the Leapmotor B10 sold here. ⁴¹

The larger overseas EHS5 measures 4750mm long, according to CarExpert. Its reported rear-drive and all-wheel-drive versions use an 85kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, with claimed WLTP ranges of 550km and 522km respectively. CarExpert lists DC charging at up to 265kW and an approximately 20-minute recharge from 10 to 80 per cent. Available overseas equipment includes an augmented-reality head-up display and heated, ventilated and massaging front seats. Australian equipment has yet to be confirmed. ⁴

Launch dates and dealerships

CarExpert reports a November 2026 brand launch, while Wu expects the first customer deliveries in mid-January 2027. The E-HS9 is expected to be unveiled in Melbourne in October. CarExpert says the Australian-specification EHS4 is scheduled to be unveiled in November, with the EHS5 expected around April 2027. The unveiling, brand launch, showroom arrival and first deliveries are separate planned stages, not completed events. ¹⁴

HQ plans 15 Australian dealerships, including five brand-owned flagship sites in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, according to CarExpert’s account of Wu’s plans. The company hopes to reach about 1000 sales a month around June 2027, once all three SUVs have arrived in showrooms. Its longer-term goal is 30,000 Australian sales annually. Both figures are company targets. ¹⁴

Pricing and earlier expectations

Australian prices and final local equipment have not been announced. Wu told CarExpert HQ would price its vehicles below key German rivals, without giving Australian figures. Prices CarExpert reports for Hongqi SUVs in other markets do not establish Australian list prices or drive-away costs; GoAuto likewise reported in July that local E-HS9 pricing had yet to be confirmed. ⁴³⁶

An August Carscoops report described a different prospective line-up, including one range-extender SUV, and expected sales in the first half of 2027. CarExpert’s later September reporting names three battery-electric SUVs and says HQ intends to sell only battery-electric vehicles in Australia. Its planned November 2026 launch and expected January 2027 deliveries also distinguish the brand’s introduction from the start of customer handovers. ⁵¹⁴

Hongqi’s background and sales context

GoAuto traces Hongqi’s founding to 1958 and its longstanding role supplying Chinese state vehicles. CarExpert reports that parent company FAW has offered commercial vehicles in Australia, but not passenger cars. Hongqi has also launched the E-HS9 in Indonesia under its full name, according to Indonesian outlet detikOto’s August coverage; HQ is the name planned for Australia. ⁶³²

For context, CarExpert reports that BMW delivered 26,842 vehicles in Australia in 2025, compared with 22,850 for Mercedes-Benz Cars, 16,014 for Audi and 14,561 for Lexus. HQ’s longer-term target of 30,000 annual sales is above each of those reported passenger-car totals, but remains a target rather than an achieved volume. ¹