{"id":948535,"date":"2026-11-01T08:48:13","date_gmt":"2026-11-01T08:48:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/948535\/"},"modified":"2026-11-01T08:48:13","modified_gmt":"2026-11-01T08:48:13","slug":"hongqi-ehs5-spotted-testing-in-australia-ahead-of-new-luxury-brands-arrival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/948535\/","title":{"rendered":"Hongqi EHS5 spotted testing in Australia ahead of new luxury brand&#8217;s arrival"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>CarSauce has spotted the Hongqi EHS5 testing in Euroa, Victoria, ahead of the Chinese luxury brand&#8217;s Australian launch, with the electric SUV expected to reach showrooms in April 2027.<\/p>\n<p>Photographed without camouflage at an RACV charging station, the blue EHS5 wears Queensland limited-use registration plates, providing an early look at another incoming rival to the Tesla Model Y and Zeekr 7X.<\/p>\n<p>Car finance or novated leasing could save you thousands <\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-sm text-muted-foreground\">Get a free, no-obligation quote from our finance partner, Loan Options \u2014 for straightforward car finance, or package this car through your salary with a novated lease.<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/9f83e6287297e3a14ed9df9ebc9ce2ffe482b641-1920x1200.webp\"   alt=\"Car image\" width=\"1200\" height=\"750\" class=\"w-full h-auto rounded-lg shadow-md cursor-pointer hover:opacity-95 transition-opacity\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Hongqi will operate locally under the shortened HQ name, with the EHS5 forming part of a planned three-SUV electric line-up alongside the smaller EHS4 and flagship E-HS9.<br \/>Australian pricing and specifications for the EHS5 remain unconfirmed.<\/p>\n<p>While HQ will be a new name for Australian buyers, Hongqi has a history stretching back to 1958.<br \/>Owned by China&#8217;s FAW Group, the brand is best known for producing prestigious limousines for senior Chinese government officials.<\/p>\n<p>Its Australian arrival will bring another Chinese contender to the luxury market, with HQ positioning itself against established premium brands.<br \/>The EHS5 will give it an entrant in the popular medium electric SUV segment, competing with both established models and newer Chinese rivals.<\/p>\n<p>The local operation is handled by Greentech Smart EV, led by managing director and CEO Jim Wu.<\/p>\n<p>HQ&#8217;s Australian launch is planned for November 2026, with the flagship E-HS9 set to lead the rollout and first customer deliveries expected in January 2027.<\/p>\n<p>The EHS5 takes a more contemporary approach than the brand&#8217;s traditional limousines, with slim headlights, a closed-off nose and a central strip running down the bonnet and front fascia.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/9834c1c47ff04cec131890a652f9b9cd90f0c6ee-1920x1200.webp\"   alt=\"Car image\" width=\"1200\" height=\"750\" class=\"w-full h-auto rounded-lg shadow-md cursor-pointer hover:opacity-95 transition-opacity\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The example photographed by CarSauce also features flush-fitting door handles, black wheel-arch cladding and aerodynamically styled alloy wheels.<br \/>Its exact variant has not been confirmed.<\/p>\n<p>At 4750mm long, 1900mm wide and 1640mm tall, with a 2900mm wheelbase, the five-seat EHS5 sits in the competitive medium electric SUV segment.<br \/>Overseas specifications list a 462-litre boot, expanding to 1601 litres with the rear seats folded, plus a 48-litre front storage compartment.<\/p>\n<p>Overseas, the EHS5 is available with rear-wheel drive or dual-motor all-wheel drive.<\/p>\n<p>The rear-wheel-drive version produces 210kW and 317Nm, with an 85kWh lithium iron phosphate battery delivering a claimed 550km of WLTP range.<br \/>Its claimed 0 &#8211; 100km\/h time is 7.3 seconds.<\/p>\n<p>The dual-motor version increases outputs to 412kW and 623Nm, reducing the claimed sprint to 4.0 seconds, while its WLTP range falls to 522km.<br \/>These figures relate to overseas models, with the Australian drivetrain line-up still to be announced.<\/p>\n<p>Hongqi&#8217;s Norwegian specifications confirm a 400V electrical architecture, DC charging at up to 265kW and a claimed 10 &#8211; 80 per cent recharge in approximately 20 minutes for the 85kWh AWD model.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/302bd8782b0cb6fdd7f36727c4486581843eb3ac-1920x1200.webp\"   alt=\"Car image\" width=\"1200\" height=\"750\" class=\"w-full h-auto rounded-lg shadow-md cursor-pointer hover:opacity-95 transition-opacity\"\/><\/p>\n<p>AC charging is rated at 11kW, while vehicle-to-load capability is also listed, allowing the battery to supply external electrical devices.<\/p>\n<p>Inside, available overseas equipment includes a 15.6-inch central touchscreen, head-up display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a 14-speaker Dynaudio sound system.<\/p>\n<p>The Norwegian version also features heated, ventilated and massaging front seats, heated rear seats, synthetic-leather upholstery, a panoramic glass roof and an electric tailgate.<br \/>Australian equipment levels have yet to be detailed.<\/p>\n<p>The EHS5 received a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating in 2025, although an Australian ANCAP rating has yet to be confirmed.<\/p>\n<p>The EHS5 will face the updated 2027 Zeekr 7X, priced from $57,900 before on-road costs, with 335kW, 520Nm and 482km of WLTP range in entry-level RWD form.<br \/>The $63,900 Long Range RWD extends range to 627km, while the $72,900 Performance AWD delivers 500kW, 790Nm and 544km.<\/p>\n<p>The Tesla Model Y Premium RWD starts at $58,900 before on-road costs and order\/delivery fees, offering 466km of WLTP range.<br \/>Tesla does not publish official Australian power and torque figures for the model.<\/p>\n<p>Against those entry-level rivals, the overseas EHS5 RWD&#8217;s 550km claimed range is 68km greater than the Zeekr&#8217;s and 84km greater than the Tesla&#8217;s, though its 210kW and 317Nm fall below the Zeekr&#8217;s outputs.<br \/>The EHS5 AWD&#8217;s 412kW, 623Nm and 522km also trail the 7X Performance, leaving Australian pricing a key unanswered question.<\/p>\n<p>HQ has yet to announce local EHS5 warranty coverage, servicing details or a final variant range ahead of its expected April 2027 arrival.<\/p>\n<p>  Previous slide  Next slide<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"CarSauce has spotted the Hongqi EHS5 testing in Euroa, Victoria, ahead of the Chinese luxury brand&#8217;s Australian launch,&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":948536,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,44],"class_list":["post-948535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/948535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=948535"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/948535\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/948536"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=948535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=948535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=948535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}