The recent news cycle has centered on the Ferrari Luce, and how hideous or bland people think it looks. However, if you’re in Russia you’re about to see a car from China that’s almost as expensive and looks far, far, worse than anything in recent memory.
Chinese OEM Hongqi makes the Guoya, an ultra-luxury sedan which is available in both the Asian and Middle Eastern markets. The Guoya has just pushed into Russia too, though there are no plans to bring it to North America. And looking at it, that may not be a bad thing.
It’s the brainchild of former Rolls-Royce designer Giles Taylor, and you can see that from the side. It’s not too offensive at all from this angle, and pretty similar to basically every other large luxury sedan. You have an overall shape you could interchange with a Mercedes S-Class, an Audi A8, or indeed a Rolls-Royce Ghost (albeit the Hongqi Guoya isn’t as boxy).
The wheels are large, as you would expect from something this high-end. The heavily-spoked 20-inch rims are actually pretty appealing. But if you want to move to the front, you may want to bring a bucket.
Luxury vehicles tend to have larger grilles, it’s seen as a status symbol. The Guoya was also built for the Asian market, where a large grille on your car is also seen as a sign of affluence. It’s arguably why BMW went a little over the top with their kidney grille designs in recent years.
But Hongqi takes it a step further. It has the oversized grille, and that is overshadowed by a lower intake that looks like a twisted smile and two headlights that make the whole thing look like a kind of demented cartoon character. A Miata can get away with the “derpy” look, a limousine not so much.
The interior does look pretty nice, and redeems the Chinese vehicle somewhat. The spec sheet is also appealing. An entry level V6 hybrid option is available, but you can also splash out on a 476-horsepower, 4-liter V8 if you want something a bit more prestigious under the hood. The flagship option also goes from 0-60 in 4.5 seconds.
But if I was dropping over $390,000 on a vehicle there are far better options. And this isn’t even me saying I wouldn’t spend close to $400,000 on a Chinese vehicle.
You can get better luxury vehicles than China’s effort for a similar price
While Chinese vehicles have a reputation for being on the cheaper end of the spectrum, and many Chinese OEMs have pursued a business strategy that essentially involves undercutting domestic manufacturers around the world, but Hongqi aren’t doing that here.
The price tag and the features are a genuine attempt to take on the likes of Bentley, Rolls-Royce, and Mercedes. Established European manufacturers that have built a reputation for quality over the last century and don’t have a less than desirable reputation to shake off.
The problem is, it’s hard to offer more than the established manufacturers at this level. And that lack of prestige will absolutely destroy you — as Volkswagen found out a couple of decades ago.
You can get a Rolls-Royce Ghost for $20,000 less. The Ghost is one of the best luxury vehicles I’ve ever driven, and one of the best I’ve ever had the pleasure of riding in. It’s surprisingly agile for its size, and genuinely fun to get behind the wheel of. It can also play the part if you want to arrive somewhere in style.
The Mercedes S-Class Maybach is tech-filled and almost half of the price. Again, if I was sat down with someone and they suggested paying around $180,000 more for a Chinese vehicle ahead of Mercedes’ flagship I’d suggest they get the Maybach and invest the difference in some kind of psychiatric treatment.
However, the fact that Hongqi is selling the Guoya in Russia does make some sense. There is a lot of money in there, and without getting too political the Eurasian nation has become somewhat of a pariah in recent years. As a result, both Mercedes and Rolls-Royce pulled out of the controversial nation in 2022, so getting a 2026 Maybach or Ghost in that neck of the woods may be tricky.
So maybe the Guoya is filling a gap in the market. Still, personally, I’d just restomod the living daylights out of an old Lada for that kind of money.
