Oh Toyota Alphard, look at what you’ve started.
Before the arrival of the first model (technically second-gen) in the country in 2010, the luxury minivan market was, quite frankly, barren. Sure, Nissan had a crack at it in the mid-2000s with the Serena, but that didn’t exactly set the market alight.
But everything changed when the third-generation Alphard landed here in 2015. Let’s just say it became the darling of loaded families as their practical chariot. These days, the Toyota Alphard is the de facto ruler of the luxury minivan segment.
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Unsurprisingly, the Alphard’s success spawned a whole host of contenders eager to knock it off its perch. And in case you haven’t noticed, most of the challengers hail from China. If you take a look at the premium Chinese brands in the country, you’re bound to see some form of Alphard-like model in its lineup.
What we have here is one of those hopefuls in challenging the mighty Toyota. It’s the Hongqi HQ9. A what now?
Hongqi is China’s premier luxury automaker. It’s also that country’s longest-running car company and has been the choice of high-ranking (and wealthy) government officials there since 1958. The HQ9 is the lone luxury minivan in the company’s lineup, and if it wants to be a proper contender, it has to go above and beyond what its other competitors offer to, at the very least, be considered in this tough segment.
Styling
That massive waterfall grille at the front doesn’t just look for attention, it demands it. Couple that with the HQ9’s massive proportions and you end up with a vehicle that’s rather imposing. Further driving that point home is the fact that there isn’t much in the way of defined character lines to cut down on visual bulk. The high flanks further add to the effect.
And it doesn’t just look huge, it is properly massive. It’s over 5.2 meters long, a smidge over 2 meters wide, and close to 1.9 meters tall. And we know it’s not part of design, but it weighs 2,885 kilograms. That’s 6,360 lbs for those who prefer to use imperial measurements.
It’s big, it’s heavy, and it looks the part. We reckon that’s what Hongqi wanted to aim for in the first place.
Interior
As with any luxury vehicle, you expect acres of leather and rich-feeling materials in the HQ9. It mostly delivers on that part as most touch points feel expensive. The caramel brown and toffee combination soothes the eyes and gives the impression of a spacious and airy cabin.
That said, there are a few things that knock it down. The wood isn’t genuine and, even then, it’s pretty obvious you’re touching plastic and not timber. There are also some plastic bits that feel hollow that dampens the interior experience. A bit of a shame, really, as the HQ9 legitimately has one of the nicest-looking cabins in the lux van segment. At least the buttons and switches are pleasant to interact with, same goes for its electro-mechanical gear selector.
We do give high praises for space. Granted, it’s a given because of its size, but it’s a genuine three-row vehicle that can fit people comfortably wherever they’re seated. Some vans around the same size feel cramped in the last row, but that’s not the case in the HQ9. The third-row can rival that of some executive sedans in terms of space.
Then we get to the seats that are probably made by La-Z-Boy. It’s soft and supportive in the right places and the second-row ottomans are the place to be. One can fall asleep here while stationary and safe to say it’s one of the coziest perches we’ve experienced in a while.
Cargo capacity behind the third row is decent although not overly generous. But should you slide those forward, the HQ9 can double as a transporter. You can also utilize the floor space to lay down some items and the large real estate means it won’t crowd your feet.
Engine performance
Powering the HQ9 is a 2.0-liter turbo engine with mild-hybrid tech. It makes 252hp and 380Nm of torque. It’s decent figures, but it also has to motivate nearly three tons of metal, leather, and sound deadening. The result? It’s brisk enough for most people who consider these kinds of vans. Adequate is the best way to describe its performance. It’s smooth, too, thanks to its well-matched eight-speed automatic transmission.
Considering its weight, fuel economy isn’t half bad. To be honest, though, we didn’t feel much of the benefits of the mild-hybrid system. Perhaps it was the heat, but the stop-start system never activated. Despite that, it still hovered in the region of 6 to 7 km/L in traffic, but in more extreme situations, 5 km/L seems to be the best (or worst) it can do.
Comfort and handling
Let’s get one thing out of the way first: The Hongqi HQ9 puts comfort above everything else. It rolls around at the first sign of any enthusiastic driving, as if to tell you you’re driving it the wrong way. The steering is devoid of any feel or feedback, and we reckon a tiller is a more appropriate way to steer the HQ9. Truth be told, though, none of that matters to its target demographic. For as long as there’s decent roadholding, that’s enough.
The best way to experience the HQ9 is as a passenger. It basically pummels bumps and potholes into submission before any of the occupants can feel anything. To call the suspension smooth is an understatement. Isolated would be a better word to describe its comfort levels. Couple that with those cushy seats and you’re almost guaranteed to fall asleep in it on no time.
Extra features
We’ve mentioned those ottoman seats, but there are several neat details in the HQ9, too. How about USB ports on each of those chairs, along with power adjustments for all rows for seats. Yes, even the third row. The massive panoramic roof is a treat at night and will make you want to recline those ottomans all the way for a little bit of stargazing.
It’s nice to see a modern luxury vehicle with an actual dashboard instead of just slapping on massive screens and calling it a day. The instrument cluster (digital, by the way) has an actual shroud, while the wide infotainment screen is easy to use for the most part. However, we did notice a few words that were a little, um, lost in translation.
There are a couple of selectable drive modes in the HQ9, but we’d skip snow mode and sport mode for obvious reasons. Comfort mode is the place to be, although Eco mode makes the driving and riding experience a touch smoother and quieter. As for safety, it has advanced driver assist systems as standard from adaptive cruise to lane keep assist and autonomous emergency braking.
That said, if you leave all those system on, warnings will constantly flash on the instrument cluster’s multi-information display. Given our driving conditions, you can bet those warnings stayed on the display. The solution is to turn it off, but will you be willing to take that risk?
So, it’s fully loaded, right? Well, not quite. There are some features we wish it had to make it a truly more luxurious experience. It misses out on some key features that its competitors already have. There’s no seat coolers, for instance, although there are seat warmers. Privacy blinds were also notably absent, as well as massaging seats. Some of those items are standard in its competitors that cost less, and therein lies the rub of the HQ9.
Verdict
At P5,550,000, the HQ9 is even more expensive than the segment’s best-seller, the Toyota Alphard. It’s P550,000 dearer than the Alphard, and over a million more than some of its compatriots. It’s not the best-equipped in terms of luxuries, and some interior materials could be better. Sure, it’s a lot less than the Lexus LM by over P2,000,000. But let’s be real here, almost nothing can touch that van in terms of feel, luxuries, and features, and we’re pretty sure people will be more than willing to pay the difference.
As a luxury van, the HQ9 does a fine job of transporting its occupants in utmost comfort. However, those prices make it difficult to recommend. To put it bluntly, it's gonna be an uphill battle for this van. Had it been a million pesos less, our tone might be a little different.
Specs: 2024 Hongqi HQ9
Price: P5,550,000
Engine: 2.0-liter inline-4 mild-hybrid turbopetrol
Power: 252hp
Torque: 380Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Layout: front wheel-drive
Seating: 7
Score: 7/10
