Hongqi has opened pre-sales for its G919, a luxury off-road SUV that comes with four electric motors as standard, at a starting price of 359,800 yuan (about $50,700). The model is offered in three trims, ranging up to 439,800 yuan (about $61,900), according to Chinese EV outlet Dian Dong Bang.
The G919 is positioned as a flagship in Hongqi's off-road lineup, a name the brand says reflects its heritage: 'G' stands for national-car glory, the two '9's denote flagship status and off-road character, and '1' represents a lineage that dates back to 1959, when the first Chinese-made off-roader, the CA-30, rolled off the line at FAW.
Quad-motor architecture
Power comes from a vector-controlled quad-motor system, with each wheel's torque and speed managed independently. Combined output is 620 kW (about 831 hp) and 1,320 Nm of torque, enabling a 0-100 km/h sprint in 4.5 seconds. The system can switch torque distribution in milliseconds, and Hongqi says its self-developed eVTC algorithm keeps torque error within ±2.5 Nm.
The four-motor setup allows for a 'flag rotation max' function, which enables the G919 to complete a U-turn across two lanes in one go—useful on narrow mountain roads. The SUV rides on a body-on-frame chassis with a ladder frame, and features front, rear and central mechanical locks that can engage in 0.2 seconds.
Range and charging: the G919 pairs a 2.0-litre turbo hybrid engine with a 62.9 kWh ternary lithium battery, giving a CLTC electric-only range of 280 km and a combined range of 1,350 km. The CLTC figure is roughly 15-20% more optimistic than the WLTP standard, so a WLTP estimate would be around 224-238 km. An 800V silicon-carbide platform allows charging from 10% to 80% in 12 minutes, and a 30 kW onboard generator can replenish the battery when no charger is available.
Safety and interior
Hongqi emphasises redundancy and physical controls, keeping a round steering wheel, mechanical door handles and physical buttons so that critical functions remain operable even if the infotainment system fails. The body uses high-strength steel for over 90% of its structure, with a frame torsional stiffness of 9,500 Nm per degree. The battery pack, a first for an off-roader using cylindrical cells, passed a multi-needle puncture test, and its underbody can withstand impacts of more than 1,500 joules—ten times the national standard.
Inside, the G919 offers two 17.3-inch 3K screens, an 18-speaker Dynaudio sound system, a 'queen seat' for the front passenger, and rear seats that recline to 131 degrees. The cabin can be converted into a bed, and there are 20-plus pre-wired mounting points for accessories. A 7.3-litre fridge and 6 kW vehicle-to-load (V2L) power output are standard.
The infotainment runs on a Qualcomm 8296P chip with dual large language models, controlling over 700 vehicle functions. The driver-assistance suite, called Sinan 5.0 Max, uses visible light, lidar and infrared night vision, with the lidar switching between a 120-degree wide angle in cities and a 30-degree long-range mode on highways, detecting obstacles up to 220 metres away. Parking does not rely on high-definition maps and can recognise more than 300 parking-space types.
Hongqi says the G919 was developed by 3,549 engineers over three years, guided by four principles: originality, regression, redundancy and equality. The 'equality' principle means flagship features are not reserved for the top trim—the base model gets the full quad-motor experience. The G919 is now on display at Hongqi experience centres across China, with deliveries expected to begin after the pre-sale period.
