At the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed, Chinese brand Hongqi was represented by a huge stand. The increased visibility of Chinese car makers at events like the Festival of Speed is no longer unusual (MG, BYD, and Yangwang Auto all had a big presence), but what sets Hongqi apart for now is the fact that it's not yet on sale in the UK.
British automotive designer Giles Taylor, former design director of Rolls Royce, and before that chief designer at Jaguar, has held the post of vice president of design at the Chinese automaker FAW Group, the owner of the Hongqi brand, since 2018.
With his distinguished background in luxury design, Taylor has overseen the creation of a new aesthetic philosophy for Hongqi and the first stages of its expansion into European markets. The name, which means ‘Red Flag’, is the oldest in China’s car industry, and was established as a premium marque from the outset to provide state cars and limousines for Communist Party members.
Hongqi, coming to the UK in 2026
Things have changed substantially since 1958. The company has pencilled in 2026 for the UK debut of two of the cars on show at Goodwood, the all-electric EH7 saloon and EHS7 SUV, which will follow on from the E-HS9 SUV’s launch in Europe in 2021. We spoke to Giles Taylor about his work bridging two different worlds of luxury design.
Wallpaper*: Hongqi’s core values of ‘new nobility’ and ‘new exquisiteness’ differ greatly to those held by Western car brands. How have you tried to interpret them?
Giles Taylor: ‘Nobility’ in a Chinese translation is an elegance of living and it’s linked to character, status, and a path through life, so we instil Hongqi with a sense of magnificence. ‘Exquisiteness’, comes down to a sense of craftsmanship, an approach to detailing that's related to the beauty of Chinese art.
I find a sense of poetry and harmony in much of Chinese artistic culture, there is always balance that refers to a point of harmony in an object. It's everywhere, and we try and decode it. I still don't fully understand all the nuance, but I like decoding nuance.
W*: How does designing for high-end Chinese consumers compare with meeting the demands of their European counterparts?
GT: Chinese customers have an appreciation for fine craftsmanship, but they also have a different lens through which they perceive motifs, textures, graphics, and the juxtaposition of formal elements. There’s a focus on wellbeing, the car should make you feel a certain way, delighted. We use the terms ‘charm’ and ‘charm points’ a lot. We also use the word ‘healthy’. We aim for a healthiness in the interior.
The Chinese have a spiritual way of living and perceiving, this is something that we bring into an interior, and they desire a luxury which isn’t soulless, they look for meaning. The design of the Golden Sunflower concept, our four-seat grand tourer, is based on the idea of ‘heaven and Earth’, with the interior representing heaven as that’s at the centre in Chinese culture.
Also, middle-aged Chinese customers want convenience technology in the interior. They're not afraid of screens and technology, they're in for it, they can work it. Central to us are exquisite materials and the way they’re crafted, and we aim to integrate technology to enhance convenience and the overall experience.
W*: Traditionally reserved for heads of state and high officials, for many years the GuoLi limousine was Hongqi’s only product. How have you reimagined this car?
GT: The name ‘GuoLi’ means ‘national gift’ and people who drive one are considered very lucky because they are seen to be model citizens. To be offered the chance to purchase one, customers must have achieved great things in their life, a lot of them are artists, poets, writers. They get to come to our bespoke studio which has all the artistic finishes, there’s a side to that that's uniquely Chinese.
We have Chinese artists who will make the fascia for you to your wishes, and the interior colourways are unique to you, as are some of the wood trims. We're going beyond mobility – we're referencing the history within our brand that tangibly goes back to 1958 when the L5’s predecessor was first made.
W*: The E-HS9 SUV represents Hongqi’s first foray into Europe. What has the reception for it been like?
GT: The E-HS9 is a full EV, but it has classical line value and proportions which have really captured the attention of customers, and on the value-for-money scale, we can compete very well. We launched in Scandinavia as they're quite objective about EVs, but we recognise that to launch a Chinese brand is difficult in a market that's got lots of choice, so we reach out to customers on a loyalty and a belief basis.
The service infrastructure and the general reception that you get from people fronting the Hongqi brand in the showrooms needs to be impeccable, it instigates a warmth towards the brand, a belief in its quality. We've got more showrooms coming in Germany and in other parts of Europe; we are deadly serious about expansion.
