A handful of images of the production-spec
Hongqi E115 have emerged out of China after the vehicle premiered in concept
guise at last year’s Guangzhou Auto Show. Images of prototypes, one of which is
bathed in camouflage while another appears largely free of any disguise from
China’s Autohome and XW, reveal that the overall shape of the production model
is largely identical to the concept. As such, the E115 continues to sport a
large faux front grille, thin LED headlights, and has the same elongated
roofline with sharp C-pillars.
As Car News China points out, one of the
most noticeable differences is that while the concept had a vertical design
detail just behind the front wheels, the production model instead features a
horizontal ornament finished in red and chrome.
Spin around to the rear and it too is
clearly reminiscent of the concept with similarly-shaped taillights and an LED
light bar stretching between them. The tiny triangular shaped LEDs across the
tailgate from the concept are not visible on the black prototype.
Hongqi presented the E115 concept with
blacked-out windows, meaning it was impossible to see into the interior. These
spy images reveal the cabin will be laden with technology. For example, there
looks to be a touchscreen display dedicated to the climate controls, a massive
central infotainment system, and a fully-digital gauge cluster. We can also see
a split center-console and seats that appear to be clad in plush Alcantara.
The E115 will hit the market with two
electric motors, one at the front axle delivering 215 hp and 350 Nm and a second at the rear offering up 295 hp and 420 Nm. Providing
these motors with juice will be a 92.4 kWh lithium battery, resulting in a
sprint to 100 km/h in 4 seconds and a driving range of 600 km.
