FAW begins production of own brand Hongqi H7

Gasgoo.com (Shanghai July 18) - Production of the FAW Car's own brand Hongqi H7 has already officially begun, xkb.com.cn reported today. According to FAW Chairman Xu Jianyi, the H7 will first be sold as a government use car, before entering the public market next year. It will compete directly with luxury offerings from Audi, Mercedes-Benz and other foreign manufacturers.

The H7 (pictured), which was shown off at April's Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, represents a new direction for FAW's Hongqi brand. The engine technology and suspension behind the H7 are all independently researched and developed by FAW. The car comes with 2.0 L, 2.5 L and 3.0 L engine options. A hybrid H7 is also in the works, which will link the 2.0 L turbocharged gasoline engine with a lithium ion battery-powered motor, all driven by a seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission.

Over the last four years, FAW has invested 520 million yuan ($82.47m) in R&D work for the Hongqi family of vehicles. In addition to the H7, various models from the H and L series, as well as two SUVs, a commercial vehicle and a VIP bus, are expected to be released. The manufacturer plans to invest a further 1.05 billion yuan ($166.53m) in the brand before 2016.