Is Chinese luxury car brand Hongqi coming to the Philippines?

The Hongqi E-HS9 electric sport-utility vehicle was one of the showstoppers at the 10th Philippine Electric Vehicle (EV) Summit last week.

Aside from its European-inspired styling and very plush interior, which AutoFun Philippines was able to get photos of, the E-HS9 marked the first appearance of Chinese car brand Hongqi (pronounced "hong-chi") in the Philippines.

But its presence there begs the question – will Hongqi also ride the wave of fast-growing Chinese car companies locally?

"We are currently exploring bringing it into the Philippines," EVOxTerra sales, marketing, and product planning manager Kristoff Arcega told AutoFun Philippines in an interview.

"Hopefully, in the future, we'll be able to announce a more concrete direction as to what kind of partnership EVOxTerra and Hongqi will have," he added. "We're very excited, so the timeline was yesterday. We want to finalize this as soon as possible."

EVOxTerra, which showcased the E-HS9, is the official Philippine importer and distributor of the Chinese EV brand Weltmeister.

China's oldest car marque

Hongqi is the luxury brand of Chinese state-owned carmaker FAW Group. 

It is also the oldest Chinese car marque, having been established in 1958. It has primarily produced high-end vehicles for Chinese government officials.

These include the retro-inspired Hongqi L5 limousine, which is the official state car of Chinese president Xi Jinping. This is powered by a twin-turbocharged, 4.0-liter V8 or a 6.0-liter V12.

Luxury EV line-up eyed

But Arcega said if the Hongqi distributorship deal pushes through, EVOxTerra will primarily bring in EVs.

"We are still looking at how or what products to bring in, if it will push through," he said. "We're pushing for a full EV line-up, but it's up to Hongqi and whatever will be agreed upon if we will be having internal-combustion engines as well."

Hongqi currently also offers EVs like the E-QM5 sedan and the E-HS3 subcompact crossover in other markets.

Arcega also noted the perks of owning an EV, especially in light of rising fuel prices globally and the recent passage of Republic Act 11697 or the "Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act."

"One of the best benefits of having an EV is zero emissions," he said. "Now, in terms of owning one, it's very easy on the pocket because having an EV means you don't have to go into maintenance as often. You don't have an engine, you don't have a transmission, a lot less moving parts."

Do you think Hongqi will have what it takes to compete with established Japanese and European luxury marques in the EV scene?