The Hongqi H9 was unveiled final 12 months and shortly drew comparisons to different luxurious sedans just like the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and even automobiles together with Rolls-Royces and Maybachs. Nevertheless, is the automobile really a rival to the established Europeans?

There’s little doubt that the H9 has presence. Dominating the entrance finish is a Rolls-Royce-inspired grille with vertical chrome slats. That’s attention-grabbing as a result of Hongqi’s world vp of design and chief artistic officer is none aside from Giles Taylor, who used to work for Rolls-Royce. Based on the Chinese language carmaker, nevertheless, the design of the H9 was signed off earlier than Taylor arrived on the model. However, it’s apparent the place the model acquired a few of its design inspiration from.

Learn Extra: New Hongqi H9 Goes After Mercedes E-Class With A Familiar Mix Of Cadillac, Rolls Royce And Maybach Tones

Surrounding the grille is a novel mild bar that stretches between the headlights. Different key options of the automobile’s design embrace pop-out door handles and a modern rear-end with an LED mild bar. The instance examined additionally sports activities a cool gold and purple two-tone paint end.

To be thought of a correct rival to the E-Class and different German sedans just like the Audi A6 and BMW 5-Sequence, the inside of the H9 must be very good. Whereas it’s good, it doesn’t blow away the reviewer and has some low-cost components, together with the proliferation of piano black surfaces and the exhausting dashboard. The second-row of this mid-range model is kind of good and contains some adjustability for the seats, in addition to heaps of legroom.

Associated: The Hongqi H9’s Grille Dwarfs The BMW 7-Series’ Kidneys

Two engines can be found in China. The primary is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 252 hp and 280 lb-ft (380 Nm) of torque whereas the second is a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 with 272 hp and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm), each of that are paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.