In the summer of 2024, a new generation of the Hongqi HS5 crossover entered the Russian market. With this model, the Chinese manufacturer is trying to imitate German cars, which in some respects is successful. Here, apparently, the point is that the owner of the Hongqi brand is the Chinese automaker FAW, which has several joint ventures in the Middle Kingdom with both Japanese and German concerns. Apparently, the manufacturer not only produces cars at joint factories, but also slowly learns from colleagues and transfers these skills to its developments.
Unlike the previous generation Hongqi HS5, the new product has significantly changed and received its own recognizable face. Thus, the front part of the crossover has acquired a huge proprietary radiator grille, which is used in all the latest models of the company, with vertical slats. This solution makes the crossover original and recognizable in traffic. The front all-LED optics are divided into two tiers; daytime running lights with an original design are installed in the upper part, but below is the main light, which, by the way, is quite good. Despite the two-tier solution, the HS5’s headlights are not lowered too low, so they shouldn’t get too dirty in winter. In profile, the car looks calm and somewhat reminiscent of an Audi Q5, but for some reason I associate the cluttered, rounded rear end with integrated rear optics with Mercedes-Benz. In general, the car’s exterior looks original, and it doesn’t have any bad angles.
The interior design of the new Hongqi HS5 is a kind of symbiosis between Audi and Mercedes of past generations. The front panel with two integrated displays, reminiscent of the first generation MBUX, has straight lines and stepped transitions. Moreover, the manufacturer has allocated each stage with materials, for example, the upper part is made of soft plastic with a leather-like texture, then there is an insert made of black glossy plastic, and below there is a very voluminous decorative metal-look insert, which has a smooth flow onto the door cards. Below the media system we can see a dedicated climate control unit with knobs that contain their own displays, which is very reminiscent of those from Audi. It is noteworthy that the Chinese paid attention to detail, making the same movement of turning the knobs clear, with simply excellent tactile communication, which allows you to blindly adjust the same temperature in the cabin. And in general, all the keys and knobs are well made, have a pleasant action, and the same buttons for turning on the lights in the cabin are complemented by an audio response.
I would also like to draw attention to the front seats of the car, which not only look good and visually resemble those in the Germans, but are also comfortable. The seats are upholstered in soft leather and Alcantara, they are moderately hard, with the correct profile, the only thing is that they lack a little more developed lateral support. The range of electrical adjustments here is the most complete, with lumbar support adjustable in two planes, and there is a lift not only for the rear, but also for the front of the seat cushion. In addition, the pillow itself has an optimal length and is not cut to length, like many Chinese. The only unpleasant point, which I was quite surprised by, is that the steering column is only adjustable in height. Why they did this, why they didn’t add reach adjustment, is absolutely incomprehensible.
Everything is good in the back too, the sofa is comfortable, there is a folding central armrest with fold-out cup holders and adjustable backrest tilt, and there is so much space that, with my height of 187 cm, I can easily sit behind myself. There is free space in the legs, my knees don’t rest against the back of the chair, and there’s also room above my head, even despite the presence of a large panoramic roof with an automatic sunroof in its front part and a curtain. But if it’s comfortable to sit in the back, then getting back into the car is difficult, and the reason for this is that the threshold is too high and the doorway at the bottom is narrow. Moreover, most of the opening is wide and spacious, and the door opens sufficiently, but the lower part is trimmed down. Moreover, the sofa is moved closer to the center, so in winter you won’t be able to sit down and shake off your feet.
The trunk in the crossover is not huge for the class, but quite decent, at 360 liters. At the same time, it has the correct shape, double LED lighting, a convenient removable curtain and a relatively low loading height. And from the interior, you can separately fold the backs of the sofa, which form a flat floor, thereby increasing the usable space for cargo. Our trunk door is electrically operated.
In front of the driver, in a single box, there are two 12.3-inch displays of very good quality, and the right one is also touch-sensitive. There is also a head-up display, but it only displays a digital speedometer and that’s it. The dashboard, however, is also not very loaded. The on-board computer data is displayed on the left side, information from assistants is displayed in the center, and media data is displayed on the right side, which is replaced by a phone number when there is an incoming call. But the multimedia, alas and ah, is empty here, without built-in navigation, without Android Auto/Apple CarPlay and even without banal duplication of the smartphone screen. Thus, the large screen of the media system only serves you for multimedia, working with connected phones and car-related settings. But I think that in the future the firmware for Hongqi HS5 will be updated and new options will appear in it.
To recharge gadgets, the car interior has a pair of USB-A and USB-C, but while they are located in the open at the rear, in the front part of the cabin they are hidden in the front armrest, which is not always convenient. There is also a convenient platform in front for two smartphones, on which rubber mats are laid, and under the left there is fast 40 W wireless charging with light indication of operation. Wireless charging charges smartphones without any problems even in thick cases, but the screen of a smartphone on a stand is not very readable from the driver’s seat.
The climate control in the car is dual-zone with a convenient dedicated control unit, which I already mentioned above, and all the information is also duplicated on the media system screen. Separate air ducts in the center are available for rear passengers. The climate system operates automatically without any complaints and does not require adjustments during the process. In addition, the car has three-stage heating for all seats, ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel.
Our Comfort version didn’t offer much in the way of driver assistants either. So, the car has the most common cruise control, as well as a blind spot monitoring system with indication not only in the mirrors, but also on the dashboard. There is also a rear view camera with markings and a generally good picture, which replaces rear parking sensors, which for some reason are only available in the front in this configuration. There are light and rain sensors, but if there are no complaints about the second, then the first works quickly, although for some reason it does not want to turn off for a long time even during daylight hours. There are also emergency braking systems.
In Russia, the new Hongqi HS5 is presented with one two-liter turbocharged gasoline engine producing 244 hp. which comes paired with an eight-speed classic automatic transmission. The drive is only four-wheel drive, and its operation is completely controlled electronically. The car drives very briskly and cheerfully, the engine-gearbox combination is well tuned here. The engine power will be enough for you both in the city and on the highway with plenty to spare, and the gearbox is very smart, shifting smoothly and quickly to the desired gear. I will also note that the steering setup is quite good; the steering wheel is not empty, there is also variable effort depending on the speed, and in general the car steers very well for a crossover. But the HS5 has a “fly in the ointment”, and this is high fuel consumption, I couldn’t achieve less than 12.5 liters per 100 km in mixed mode, and usually the on-board computer showed consumption around 14 liters, and once in the city I was surprised I got readings of 17.5 liters per hundred.
If we are talking about disadvantages, then it is worth noting the insufficient sound insulation in the car. In the test crossover, the wind howled near the driver’s door at speed, and the noise from the road coming through the arches was our faithful companion. But there are no questions about the suspension (MacPherson strut at the front and multi-link at the rear); it copes well with almost any type of unevenness, passing only large ones a little harshly.
In our market, the car is available at a price of 5,390,000 rubles for the Comfort package, as we tested, and 5,990,000 for the Delux, which, although more expensive, is much more interesting in terms of content.
Source: mobile-review.com
