Hongqi Tiangong 05 launched in China to save the brand’s electric division
FAW’s high-end brand Hongqi launched the Tiangong 05 sales in China with a starting price of 159,800 yuan (22,050 USD). This electric sedan aims to save the brand’s electric division in the domestic market. The Tiangong 05 has the L2.9 driving assistance system and up to 750 km of range.
Hongqi is the oldest Chinese passenger car brand founded in 1958. For decades it has been making vehicles for Chinese Communist Party elites. In the 90s, Hongqi started manufacturing cars for regular buyers. This brand is still popular, thanks to its heritage and halo. In 2023, Hongqi launched a new car division called Hongqi New Energy. The brand’s officials claimed the Hongqi New Energy lineup will get 15 models in the long term. However, the first car developed for this division turned into a failure.
This car was the Hongqi EH7 electric sedan. It started sales in March 2024 with a price range of 229,800 – 309,800 yuan (31,700 – 42,750 USD). The cumulative deliveries of this electric car reached 5,778 units, according to China EV DataTracker. It is a small number for the Chinese market. The equally priced Luxeed S7 from Chery and Huawei sold 31,741 cars in the same period. A slightly cheaper Zeekr 007 sedan from Geely sold 42,148 units. And the more expensive Tesla Model 3 sold 174,833 cars in China. At the same time, the recently launched Hongqi Tiangong 08 crossover also showed a weak sales number.
Slow sales forced Hongqi to take urgent actions to improve the sales performance of the newly formed division. As a result, the company prepared for the market debut of the cheaper sedan. It is the Tiangong 05.
More about Hongqi Tiangong 05
The Hongqi Tiangong 05 adopts the new design language. The car’s front end got sharp headlights instead of the 7-shaped headlamps of the larger EH7. Tiangong 05’s front bumper has a rectangular air intake and a mm-wave radar. From the front, this sedan has the only design element that underlines its heritage. It is a red strip on the bonnet that represents a red flag.
The Hongqi Tangong 05 adopts a sleek roofline, retractable door handles, and Y-shaped LED taillight units. The car comes standard with 18-inch wheels. Dimensions of the Tiangong 05 are 4820/1915/1480 mm with a wheelbase of 2900 mm. The drag coefficient of this model reaches 0.213 Cd.
The interior of the Tiangon 05 has four appealing color combinations: Gray-Brown, Gray-Purple, Gray-Light-Gray, and Beige-Gray. The car’s center console adopts a large 15.6-inch display and a two-spoke steering wheel with a gear shifter mounted behind it. The Tiangong 05 has no conventional instrument panel. Instead, it offers an optional 60-inch augmented reality head-up display. This feature underlines the minimalistic styling of the new sedan.
The center tunnel of the Hongqi Tiangong 05 adopts a wireless phone charging pad, a couple of cup holders, and a large storage space. The car comes standard with eight speakers. However, the buyers can upgrade to twelve Dynaudio speakers. Another extra package includes front power seats with 14-position adjustments, heating, ventilation, and massage functions. A heated steering wheel and rear seats are also extra options for the Tiangong 05.
Hongqi Tiangong 05 tech and powertrain
The Hongqi Tiangong 05 adopts the brand’s latest L2.9 intelligent driving system. Its hardware integrates 23 sensors and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Ride SA8650P processor. As a result, the Tiangong 05 supports the Navigation On Autopilot (NOA) function in cities and on highways. This function allows a car to autonomously drive from point to point. However, the driver needs to carefully observe the situation. Another highlight of the Hongqi Tiangong 05 is the dual automotive-class 7nm chips. They support four-zone voice recognition and gesture controls, thanks to the integration of DeepSeek AI.
The launched Hongqi Tiangong 05 stands on the 400V platform. Each trim level of this sedan adopts a single electric motor in the rear axle for 210 kW (282 hp) and 317 Nm. The entry-level Tiangong 05 adopts an LFP battery pack for 62 kWh, suitable for 550 km of range under CLTC conditions. The second battery option is also LFP with a capacity of 85 kWh. With this pack on board, the Tiangong 05 can run up to 750 km. Both batteries can be charged from 10 to 80% in 20 minutes, according to Hongqi.
In the future, the Hongqi Tiangong 05 will get a more expensive variant based on the 900V platform. This car will have up to 850 km range. However, there is no further information about this modification.
Hongqi Tiangong 05 price
As mentioned, the starting price of the Hongqi Tiangong 05 is 159,800 yuan (22,050 USD). The top-trim sedan costs 185,800 yuan (26,630 USD). So, the second sedan under the Hongqi New Energy series became seemingly cheaper than the previously launched EH7. The cheaper Tiangong 05 has more chances in the highly competitive Chinese market. However, its rivals include BYD Han, BYD Seal, Xpeng P7+, and other hot-selling models. So, the future of the Hongqi New Energy is still foggy.
