Is the Hongqi H5 front-engine?
2 Answers
The Hongqi H5 is a front-engine vehicle. This is a mid-size sedan with dimensions of 4945mm in length, 1845mm in width, and 1470mm in height, and a wheelbase of 2875mm. The body style is a 4-door, 5-seater sedan. It features a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and is powered by a 1.5T L4 turbocharged engine, delivering a maximum horsepower of 169ps and a peak torque of 258Nm. The front suspension is a MacPherson strut independent suspension, while the rear suspension is a multi-link independent suspension. It comes with electric power steering, a unibody structure, and an electronic parking brake.
I've been driving the Hongqi H5 for almost two years now, often pondering its structure. This car indeed features a front-engine layout, with the engine mounted transversely in the front compartment, directly connected to the transmission to drive the front wheels. During the last maintenance, I got a clear view of the chassis—there's no provision for a driveshaft. However, its high-end four-wheel-drive version adds a multi-plate clutch and a rear driveshaft. That system primarily uses the front wheels during normal conditions and automatically distributes power to the rear wheels on slippery roads. The benefits of front-wheel drive are quite obvious—it's less prone to fishtailing in rain or snow, and the trunk floor is made exceptionally flat, making it much more convenient to load luggage.
