Bucking the trend of China's copycat design regime, the Hongqi SUV concept revealed at this week's Beijing auto show is a fairly unique creation, and though it isn't groundbreaking, it's not a barely-disguised imitation either.
Tending firmly toward the production-ready end of the concept car spectrum, the SUV looks like it could go roll off an assembly line - with a few tweaks for practicality - within months, although the company doesn't expect to come to market with the car until 2010. Power for the concept comes from an FAW Group (Hongqi's parent company) V12. No word yet on whether the company has plans to sell the SUV outside of China.
The high belt line extends even further upwards toward the rear, ending in what look like impossibly high haunches. Rearward visibility must be minimal, especially with the tiny sliver of glass in the rear liftgate. Still, the aggressive front fender flares and rear fender vents give the SUV an aggressive look to complement the wedge-shaped vehicle's profile. Judicious use of chrome trim highlights the car's character lines, while a large diffuser surrounds rectangular exhaust outlets in the rear bumper.
Inside, a highly futuristic interior glows blue with backlighting. A set of steering-wheel mounted controls that would impress a Formula 1 driver adorn the concept's helm, while a BMW iDrive-style control knob sits in the middle of the silver-toned center console. Rather than rear-view mirrors, the SUV has what look to be side-winglet mounted cameras and displays mounted in the instrument cluster.
A high-tech array of equipment to be sure, making the wait until 2010 for production to begin a bit more understandable.
Премиум-отделение группы FAW представило на выставке в столице КНР новый концепт внедорожника HongQi (с китайского языка переводится, как "красный флаг"), ориентированный преимущественно на автолюбителей Поднебесной.
Новейший примиум-автомобиль оснащён мотором V12 объёмом 6 литров. Агрегат развивает мощность 402 л.с. - для китайских авто это ошеломляющий показатель.
Внешность HongQi SUV весьма оригинальна и отличается массой воздухозаборников, модной и современной светотехникой, оригинальным профилем боковин кузова и наличием элементов с хромированной отделкой. В некоторых моментах машина походит на немецкий Porsche Cayenne.
Серийная модель появится в продаже не ранее 2010 года.