After the EHS9, which was challenging both in terms of design and positioning, the Chinese Hongqi is refocusing its efforts on the mainstream electric market with two new models from its Series 7. Both are based on a shared platform and come in a sedan configuration called the EH7 and a crossover called the EHS7, with an extensive list of features, generous dimensions, impressive range, and a very competitive price that targets Tesla and Xpeng.
Compared to the very rugged look of the EHS9, which earned it the nickname "the Chinese Rolls-Royce," the two new models adopt a much more conventional appearance. With a closed front and narrow lighting units, the red strip along the center of the hood becomes a sort of "signature" in the brand’s designs.
A reminder: Hongqi (meaning "red flag" in Chinese), part of the FAW Group, is one of the first car brands established in China. The group was founded in 1953, and one of its first tasks was to produce government cars for senior party officials. To this day, the president of China travels in a vehicle made by the company. Currently, the brand ranks fourth among luxury brands sold in China, with the top three being the German brands, and last year, it recorded just over 400,000 deliveries—double that of Nio.
In the case of the sedan, it has an overall length of 4.95 meters, 6 cm more than its direct competitor, the Xpeng P7. The width is 1.9 meters, and the height is 1.5 meters. The wheelbase is generous at 300 cm. The trunk volume is quite small for a sedan of these dimensions—only 400 liters (440 in the Xpeng and 506 in the Tesla Model 3), with an additional 48 liters in the front trunk. With a weight of 2.2 tons for the rear-wheel-drive entry version, it is also about 100 kg heavier than the Xpeng and 500 kg more than the Tesla.
The car will be offered in three versions with different equipment and drive configurations. The CORE will be the base version with rear-wheel drive, above it the LONG RANGE, and at the top, the PERFORMANCE. The base version has a single rear motor with 340 hp and 45.9 kg·m of torque. The performance is 6.2 seconds to 100 km/h and a top speed of 190 km/h. This version uses an 85 kWh battery with a declared range of 510 km. The slow AC charging rate is 11 kW, and the fast DC rate is up to 250 kW. The claim is that it charges from 10% to 80% in about 20 minutes.
The LONG RANGE version also has rear-wheel drive, but the battery here is 111 kWh, one of the largest on the market today. Power and torque are identical, but acceleration is reduced to 5.8 seconds, and the range increases significantly—655 km.
At the top of the range is the PERFORMANCE version. It adds a front motor, boosting power to 610 hp and torque to 77.1 kg·m. The acceleration to 100 km/h is cut down to a very fast 3.5 seconds. This version also uses the larger battery. The price difference is not significant, and it claims a range of 640 km.
Other differences in the components between the PERFORMANCE version and the other two relate to the use of an active stabilizer bar at the front and different design for the 19-inch wheels. The tires are 245/45 at the front and 265/40 at the rear.
In terms of equipment, even the CORE trim comes with a 15.5-inch multimedia screen, a 6-inch instrument display, a drive mode selector, an app, OTA updates, a wireless charging pad, dual-zone climate control with rear seat vents, a panoramic glass roof, electric adjustment for the front seats, heated seats for all passengers, an electric tailgate, and more. The LONG RANGE trim adds illuminated side trims, a 12-speaker sound system (10 in the base version), and a subwoofer. In the PERFORMANCE version, there’s a head-up display, genuine leather seats combined with suede (faux leather in the other trims), steering wheel heating, and more.
Safety systems include sign recognition, autonomous braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, blind spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert and braking, door opening warning with passing vehicle detection, 360-degree cameras, and more. These safety features are the same for the EHS7 crossover version.
The second model introduced is the crossover, which uses the same platform. Its competitors are the Xpeng G9 in terms of dimensions and the Tesla Model Y. Its overall length is 4.93 meters, 1.95 meters wide, and 1.68 meters tall. The wheelbase is 300 cm. The trunk has been increased to 456 liters, but still lags behind the competition, with an additional 62 liters in the front trunk, which doesn’t significantly change the situation. Its weight is 2.37 tons, placing it on the heavier side compared to its competitors.
As with the sedan, the crossover offers three versions: CORE, LONG RANGE, and PERFORMANCE. The base version has rear-wheel drive, 340 hp, 45.9 kg·m of torque, 6.5 seconds to 100 km/h, and a top speed of 200 km/h. The battery is the same, with 85 kWh, the same charging capabilities, but the range is shorter—475 km.
The LONG RANGE version also has rear-wheel drive, with identical power and torque, but the 111 kWh battery accelerates to 100 km/h in 6.3 seconds. The range is 600 km.
At the top in terms of performance is the PERFORMANCE version, with two motors, 610 hp, and 77.1 kg·m of torque. Acceleration is shortened to 3.9 seconds, and the range is 540 km. These numbers are similar to the PERFORMANCE version of the Model Y.
In terms of equipment, the CORE trim offers 21-inch wheels, a panoramic roof, a 15.5-inch screen, a 6-inch instrument display, OTA updates, full Hebrew support, an app, electric seat adjustment, heating and ventilation, a 12-speaker sound system, a wireless charging pad, dual-zone climate control with rear seat vents, and an electric tailgate. The LONG RANGE trim adds keyless entry for all doors, electric and heated steering wheel adjustment, a 19-speaker sound system, an active stabilizer bar, and more. The PERFORMANCE trim features genuine leather and suede upholstery and wood-like trims for the center console and doors.
The advanced safety features, as mentioned, are the same as the sedan configuration.
Prices
In terms of pricing, there was a certain surprise. Hongqi, which entered the market three and a half years ago with a flagship model that set a high price for a Chinese electric car starting at 400,000 NIS, now offers much more competitive prices, challenging the middle of the category.
The EH7 starts at NIS 200,000 for the CORE trim, goes up to NIS 230,000 for the LONG RANGE, and reaches NIS 270,000 for the PERFORMANCE—significantly cheaper than the Tesla Model 3 and Xpeng P7, which are priced between NIS 214,000 and NIS 282,000, and NIS 291,000 (in the performance versions of Xpeng and Tesla, respectively).
The EHS7 starts at NIS 230,000 for the CORE, NIS 260,000 for the LONG RANGE, and NIS 290,000 for the PERFORMANCE. Again, a price advantage of about NIS 20-40 thousand over the Model Y, which is slightly smaller, and the G9, which is a direct competitor in terms of dimensions. This is especially significant considering that the refreshed Model Y, which saw a 5% price increase worldwide, has not yet launched in Israel.
The warranty for the car is 5 years or 150,000 km, and the battery comes with an 8-year warranty or 160,000 km. The service interval is 1 year or 20,000 km, and for now, the importer offers a "peace of mind" package of 3 years of free service. This benefit remains even if the car is sold to a new owner.
The brand not explicitly mentioned but hovering in the background of the launch was Nio, the Chinese luxury electric brand, which has struggled with high pricing since its arrival in Israel, making it harder to penetrate the market significantly. In a conversation with Walla Cars, Shai Feldman, CEO of Samlat, and Nir Soker, product manager at the importer, discussed this issue. They emphasized their understanding that "today, the competition has shifted from the product itself to the price question, as the cars offer similar technology, and the market is crowded and saturated. The way to stand out is with a competitive price. This was the challenge in negotiations with the manufacturer, and we believe we succeeded in presenting an attractive price tag."
At this stage, the importer has several hundred cars in its first shipment. According to Soker, the aggressive pricing may change depending on the car's sales performance. If the sales are strong, the importer may keep the prices as they are, but in the case of a price increase, the expectation is for a change of just a few thousand NIS, not more.
In 2024, Tesla delivered 8,202 cars in Israel, Xpeng 4,800, and Nio about 160. Towards the end of the year, Delek Motors, which has since become the official importer of Nio, instead of a parallel importer, made a move to significantly reduce prices.