Hongqi reveals LS7, China’s most opulent SUV so far

Chinese automaker Hongqi has posted the first official photos of its largest off-roader so far, the LS7.

The car – which is only shown from the outside at the moment – looks monumental and largely inspired by its North American counterparts. It boasts a massive vertical grille, a rather long body with plenty of chrome trim, and taillights connected with an LED strip.

A look from the side reveals the rear doors being a little bit wider than the front ones, which should result in more comfortable getting in and out of the car. A third seat row is not out of the question with dimensions like these, but the company hasn’t revealed yet how many seats the LS7 will be available with.

An in-house-designed turbocharged V8 supports direct injection and churns out around 660 PS (650 hp / 480 kW) and 850 Nm (627 lb-ft) of torque.

At the Auto Beijing expo last month, the Chinese carmaker premiered an off-road-capable limo named the Hongqi HS7 (watch the video for details). Despite its impressive size, the car was designed to accommodate just two passengers. It was around 300 mm (12 inches) longer than the Mercedes-Maybach GLS and has golden trim accents in the cabin.