'Hongqi': All about Xi Jinping's Preferred Car In Which PM Modi Travelled In China

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is using China's Hongqi L5 limousine during his two-day visit to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit. The same model serves as President Xi Jinping's state car and is reserved for top Chinese leaders and select foreign dignitaries. Xi rode in the L5 during his 2019 visit to Mahabalipuram for talks with PM Modi.

What Is Hongqi?

Hongqi (pronounced Hong-chi) translates to "Red Flag" in Mandarin. It is operated by the state-owned First Automobile Works (FAW) Group and is China's oldest passenger car brand, launched in 1958. Hongqi has long been pushed as the "Made in China" dream: designed, built, and promoted as a national product for China's elite.

Originally produced only for Communist Party leaders, Hongqi cars stopped production in 1981 but were revived in the mid-1990s. The flagship L5 is the most recognisable model today.

Features 

• The Hongqi L5 runs on a 6.0-litre V12 engine, producing over 400 horsepower.
• It can reach 100 kmph in about 8.5 seconds and has a top speed of around 210 kmph.
• The car is over 5.5 metres (18 ft) long and weighs more than 3 tonnes.
• Inside, it has spacious seating with leather upholstery, wood trim, and cultural details like jade inlays. The rear seats offer massage, heating, and ventilation functions, along with entertainment screens.
• Safety features include all-wheel drive, adaptive cruise control, parking sensors, and 360-degree cameras.
• The Hongqi L5 is priced at about 5 million yuan, or roughly Rs 7 crore, making it China's most expensive production car.

Hongqi Cars

The first Hongqi, the CA72, debuted in 1958, styled with a fan-shaped grille and later adapted as a parade convertible. The CA770 followed in 1963, with about 1,600 built until 1980, including stretched and armoured versions for leaders and visiting dignitaries. Mao Zedong backed the brand, though he rode in one only after Nixon's 1972 visit.

After production slowed, Hongqi rebadged cars like the Audi 100 and Lincoln Town Car (1995-2006). The HQ3, based on a Toyota Crown, failed, but by the mid-2010s Hongqi reclaimed its state-car role with the H7 and the flagship L5 limousine.

In 2018, FAW relaunched Hongqi with a new design and "Made in China" luxury identity. Sales soared from 33,000 in 2018 to 300,000 in 2021. By 2023, it added the Golden Sunflower line for ultra-luxury buyers, the New Energy line for EVs, and the QM7 minibus. In 2024, sales crossed 411,000, with plans for 1,000 overseas outlets in Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

Xi Jinping And Hongqi

Chinese President Xi Jinping frequently uses the Hongqi L5 at public events.

He also travels in the Hongqi N701, a newer armoured limousine often compared to the US presidential car, "The Beast."