Hongqi vehicles look to lead in innovation

As the pioneer of the China's auto industry and one of the country's key state-owned enterprises, China's First Automobile Works Group Corporation has released the next generation of the Hongqi H7 model sedan. The automaker says for the first time, its vehicle will feature technologies that were all produced and developed in China.

For most Chinese, the name "Hongqi " is synonymous with China's auto industry. China made its first car back in 1958. in May that year, Chairman Mao Zedong test-drove the first Dongfeng car produced in China.

3 months later, the first ever Hongqi luxury sedan was produced. The vehicle saw regular use in driving Chinese leaders to Tiananmen Square during the National Day ceremony. It was during that time that Hongqi would start its path towards innovation.

Dong Xuefeng, chief engineer of China FAW center, says, "In the past, Hongqi vehicles could be easily found on the roads in China, but nowadays, it's rarely seen. But after the launch of the H7 series, Hongqi will be seen more.

Dong Xuefeng is the project manager and one of the chief engineers for the H7 series sedan. He says the model will target China's booming luxury vehicle market, competing with German brands like Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

For the past 4 years, over 16-hundred research personnel and 5 .2 billion Yuan or about 825 million US dollars have been put towards the research and development of the new generation of Hongqi high-end vehicles.

From the inside out, the Hongqi H7 model sedan is the company's first hybrid sedan and its core technologies have been developed independently by the FAW Groups( China's First Automobile Works Group Corporation).

In April, the H7 High-end series made its debut at the Beijing Auto Exhibition, showcasing all the company's indigenous technology. The model sparked debate about growing innovation among Chinese automakers. Mr Dong showed us 5 features of the H7 model.

Dong also says, "Three engines and the chassis system were developed independently by our engineers, the entire network system is our new platform, the entire integrated innovation was fully developed on our own. It's the first time the car uses active safety systems, in addition, the passive system has been developed in accordance with the Europe 2012 standards and achieves a five-star standard."

I had the opportunity test one of the self-innovated systems on the H7 sedan. The system warns the driver of an impending collision and automatically applies the brakes if the driver fails to react. Just like this.

What you just saw is called an AEBS system. It's the first time vehicles developed independently in China are using this kind of technology.

The H7 series sedan has over 90 new innovations. But the proud selling point is that the engine has been fully developed domestically. Li Jincheng, the product director showed us the new engine's performance.

Li Jincheng, product director of engine department in FAW, says, "It's a V type 6 cylinder engine with a 90 degree bank angle design. The engine has up to date gas engine technology such as an all aluminium lightweight design."

The Hongqi H7 Series sedan is a successful example of how China's car industry is innovating and looking to homegrown technologies. But some auto-industry experts believe with just 15 years experience in innovation, China's auto industry still has a long way to go to catch up with long established foreign brands.

Guan Xin, dean of college of Auto Engineering of Jilin university, says, "Our business is concerned about how to take advantage of foreign technology and benefit our business. But we still don't own the most advanced technology, and we haven't mastered it either. So I have called for more innovation."

China overtook the United States to become the world's top automaker and biggest market in 2009. Because of their gradually enhanced quality, more Chinese started considering buying Chinese brand vehicles.

But it's still an open race, as foreign brands speed up investment in China. For Chinese car brands and other Chinese-made products to succeed, innovation must be the top priority if they are going to take the lead.