First Drive: 2023 Hongqi Ousado in UAE

Entering the UAE market of competitive premium sedans dominated mainly by German manufacturers, the Chinese-built Hongqi Ousado hopes to make its mark in the world of automotive luxury. Saudi-based ALTAWKILAT officially launched Hongqi vehicles in the UAE as its exclusive distributor for the region.

Hongqi, which translates to “Red Flag”- borne from the socio-political views of the founding nation, was established in 1958 as First Automobile Works (FAW) in Changchun, Jilin Province, China, that primarily produced cars for coveted officials in the government.

The Ousado is a noteworthy car of the Hongqi fleet that feels like the progressive step to dipping your toes into the world of luxury sedans. With the advent of multiple segments of vehicles in the modern world, sedans may not have the same firm footing as they once did. However, driving cars like this restores faith in owning a sedan as a primary family car even. Hongqi is proving to be a progressively advanced car brand that is slowly but surely changing the perception of Chinese carmakers for the better.

Exterior

This mid-size sedan makes a bold statement with distinctive exterior features like its toothy front grille slapped with a large Hongqi emblem and crisp creases running along its sleek body fitted with edgy-looking angular LED lights, all of which render a dynamic, aggressive appearance.

For a car equivalent to luxury, the Ousado’s price point is a delight for the dabblers of opulence and mediocre hidebound alike. The posse of luxury mid-sized sedans like the Audi A6, Mercedes Benz E-Class, and many distinguished others have generational notoriety worldwide that offer undeterred performance, class, and style. The Hongqi Ousado is climbing the ranks and striving to make a name in that segment and sustain it with its offerings.

Interior

Care and attention to detail are evident in its interiors. The eyes are instantly drawn to the slinky-clad deep-hued sporty leather seats coupled with threadwork that echoes a cascading effect.

Good bolstering with the right amount of firmness was a standout on these seats. Also exclusive on the driver’s seat is the 12-way electric adjustment with memory function and massage options that is standard on this trim.

Another noteworthy feature is the ample legroom in the front and back, experienced by the tall and short alike, with ease of egress and ingress. With a large boot capacity to fit a sizeable amount of luggage, this sedan can easily do airport runs. What’s more, the rear seat backrests flip down to make even more room for cargo.

Other features include standard drive mode options, adjustable HUD, a large screen multimedia infotainment system, wireless phone charging with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and type A and type C USB sockets are strewn across the cavity of the vehicle to state some of the obvious ones.

Hongqi Ousado engine specifications

The turbocharged 2.0-litre 4-cylinder front-wheel drive is mated to an 8-speed auto transmission, with 223 hp and a decent 340 Nm of torque. The Ousado packs itself with some good struts in the front and rear that lent to good ride comfort throughout our city terrain testing, taking most minor crags with ease.

Not knowing what to anticipate with this Chinese-made mid-sized sedan may have positively contributed to the pleasant surprise that it was. n enjoyable drive, with modest performance characteristics from the motor, and gracefully takes on some G’s into its cornering capabilities.

Driving the Ousado was a breeze in the city, with a relatively quiet cabin accompanied only by gentle whooshing sounds from the air con equipped with a negative ion generator for a cleaner, allergy-free atmosphere.

It helped to have the Adaptive Driving Beam on our night runs in the suburbs. This feature angles light beams to illuminate the path in tandem with the direction the car drives in, even on turns or low light conditions.

Hongqi Ousado safety

Coming in with some great safety features like, Hill-start assist control, Lane departure warning, Lane Keeping Assistance, Blind Spot Detection, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning System, Rear Collision Warning System, Door Opening Anti-collision Warning System, Lane Change Assist System, Fatigue Monitoring System to name a few. Not to mention the all-essential airbags stationed at the front, rear, and curtain and the driver’s knee airbag for extra care.

Verdict

Is this pseudo-luxury adjacent or the real deal? The ambiguous nature of the pricing of this “Flagship” trim should have buyers give the Hongqi Ousado more thought and consideration as a standout luxury sedan, perhaps. It certainly ticks all the right boxes in terms of premium feel and comfort.

THE SPECS – Hongqi Ousado

Engine: 2.0-litre Direct Injection Turbo Charged
Power: 223 hp
Torque: 340 Nm
Transmission: 8-Speed Automatic
Fuel Consumption: 6.6 l/100km
Price: Luxury trim – AED 109,000, Flagship trim – AED 115,900