Chinese automaker Hongqi will put its
eye-catching E115 SUV concept from last year’s Frankfurt Auto Show into
production, PC Auto reports. It is claimed that the production-ready version
will look very similar to the striking concept. Consequently, it will adopt the
marque’s latest design language recently introduced with the H7 and H9.
The E115 SUV was designed by Gilles
Taylor, a man who used to work for Rolls-Royce, and is quite an imposing thing.
Dominating the front fascia is a faux grille and a large red stripe. The
concept also featured huge chrome wheels, cameras in the place of traditional
wing mirrors, and a rear fascia dominated by aggressive taillights connected
with a thick LED light bar. The concept didn’t feature a completed interior so
it’s hard to say what the cabin of the road-going model will be like.
With that being said, it should be
similarly high-end to the H9 and complete with a fully digital gauge cluster, a
large central infotainment display, and clad in plush leather.
As you may have guessed from the lack of a
front grille, the Hongqi E115 is all-electric. At last year’s Frankfurt Auto
Show, the concept was promoted with a driving range of 600 km and
sported a 0-100 km/h time of under 4 seconds, seriously impressive for
a vehicle of this size. Details about the electric motors and battery pack
bound for the production model remain unclear.
The new electric Hongqi SUV should be
introduced later this year.
