Hongqi,
the oldest passenger car marque in China, has just previewed its
heavily-revised L5 luxury sedan with a sleek new look.
These
renderings of the vehicle reveal that the front of the new Hongqi L5 looks
largely the same as the outgoing model with round headlamps, a bold chrome
grille, and the traditional red flag emblem on the hood. Where the real changes
are found is at the side, where the L5 has adopted a very Rolls-Royce-style
shape with a roofline that gently slopes down to the rear decklid.
Much
like the Rolls Ghost and Phantom, Hongqi has opted for suicide rear doors,
while at the rear, we can see a set of large upright taillights, a chrome
trimming just above the license plate cut-out, and two small tailpipes.
Inside,
there’s no mistaking the L5 for a Rolls-Royce. The Chinese automaker has fitted
a retro two-spoke steering wheel and, curiously, ditched the traditional
instrument cluster behind the steering wheel. Instead, it appears as though key
information will be displayed on either side of the infotainment screen located
in the center of the dashboard. Situated directly below this screen are a pair
of air vents and a second touchscreen that appears to house all the air
conditioning and heating controls.
It
is understood that the new Hongqi L5 will be powered by a 6.0-liter V12 engine
pumping out 408 HP and 550 Nm of torque that’s mated to a 6-speed
automatic transmission powering all four wheels.
