Cabin check: what’s inside the Hongqi e-HS9

Hongqi has launched the e-HS9 in the Philippines sometime last year.

Priced under P5 million, the all-electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) promises would-be owners an executive experience with sustainability in mind.

To help Filipino car buyers make a better buying decision, we take a quick look at what’s inside the so-called Chinese Rolls Royce.

Supple seats

It is only natural for vehicles touted as passenger cars to focus on occupant comfort and convenience. As such, the Hongqi e-HS9 delivers both in the form of its supple seats.

Across the board, all three variants of the electric SUV are finished with leather upholstery. The Flagship variant comes with Nappa with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) synthetic leather while the Deluxe and Executive trims have seats swathed with Alcantara and PVC synthetic leather.

The combination of the aforementioned materials not only gives the Hongqi e-HS9’s cabin an air of opulence but also shows that the Changchun-headquartered carmaker does make an effort to reduce the use of animal-based upholstery.

For the uninitiated, full-grain Nappa leather is made from the skin of lamb, kid, or sheep. It is valued for its delicate soft texture and is considered a good-quality hide. On the other hand, Alcantara leather uses a mix of polyester and polyurethane while vinyl leather is composed of synthetic materials.

The front seats of the range-topping Flagship grade are electronically adjustable with a four-way lumbar support. They are also heated and ventilated with a massage function.

Passengers sitting on the second row get seats with electronic adjustment as well as heating and cooling. Meanwhile, those sitting at the far back get an electric reclining feature.

All seats get a headrest cushion, so they can doze off comfortably while on the road.

Decent air conditioning

The Hongqi e-HS9 also comes with decent air conditioning.

Per the company’s literature, all variants of the electric SUV get a four-zone automatic air conditioning system. This means that the temperature inside the vehicle can be set separately.

For example, elderlies who get cold easily can increase the temperature in their zone while those who might get sweaty from — let’s say hopping out of the car to take a bathroom break in an expressway gas station — can lower the temperature to help them cool down.

The abovementioned can be achieved without sacrificing the comfort level of other passengers.

In addition, all variants get an air quality sensor as well as an air filter (PM 2.5).

Expansive screen

The Hongqi e-HS9 is fitted with an expansive screen system — comprised of three displays (instrument cluster, infotainment system, and an extended display for the front passenger) that encompasses the entirety of the dashboard.

From here, occupants can access online navigation services, as well as entertainment content with a 12-speaker system facilitating audio delivery.

More importantly, here is where the driver can view related information as well as the Hongqi e-HS9’s suite of advanced driver assist technologies such as electronic stability control, front collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, and blind spot detection.

The Hongqi e-HS9’s drive modes (Long Range, Comfort, Sport, All Terrain, Off-Road, and Individual) can also be viewed here.

In addition, the controls for the air conditioning system can also be accessed via a relatively large screen situated under the aforementioned trio of display units.

Something that is also as expansive as the screens is the larger-than-life sunroof that allows ample natural lighting inside the electric SUV.

Summary, other notable features

In summary, here are the aforementioned features of the Hongqi e-HS9:

• Leather-wrapped seats: Alcantara + PVC leather
• Multi-functional seats: power controls, lumbar support, heating, ventilation, headrests, massage function
• Four-zone automatic air conditioning: air quality sensors, air filter
• Multiple display screens
• 12-speaker sound system

The Hongqi e-HS9 does have a handful of features in store for its would-be owners. Other notable ones include ambient lighting, an automatic dimming interior mirror, a rear body privacy glass, and a wireless charger.

Also read:

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