
Hongqi's chassis is independently developed by Hongqi, the transmission is developed by Aisin, and the engine is independently developed by Hongqi. The following is relevant information about Hongqi: 1. Introduction: Hongqi is a premium automotive brand directly operated by FAW. On January 8, 2018, FAW announced the new Hongqi brand strategy with the brand concept of "New Chinese Noble Refinement." On July 31, 2018, the 60th anniversary celebration of the Hongqi brand officially commenced. On October 23, 2018, Hongqi signed as the diamond partner of the 5th World Internet Conference. On January 29, 2019, FAW Hongqi officially established a strategic cooperation with the Palace Museum. On March 26, 2019, the Hongqi brand collaborated with violinist Yu Lina to co-produce the original musical theater "True Love · Butterfly Lovers." On July 12, 2019, the first Hongqi Carnival was successfully held. 2. R&D System: Currently, Hongqi has established an R&D system of "One Headquarters and Four Institutes," forming a global R&D layout of "Three Countries and Five Locations." Changchun is the R&D headquarters of the Hongqi brand, where the newly established Hongqi Styling Design Institute, New Energy R&D Institute, and Intelligent Connectivity Development Institute are located. In Beijing, the Forward-looking Technology Innovation Branch and Experience Perception Measurement Research Institute have been newly established; in Shanghai, the New Energy R&D Branch has been set up; in Munich, Germany, the Forward-looking Design Branch has been established; and in Silicon Valley, USA, the Artificial Intelligence R&D Branch has been newly established.

Regarding the R&D locations of Hongqi's three major components, I find this topic quite historically significant. Our Hongqi cars are representatives of domestic luxury brands, with core components like engines, transmissions, and chassis all developed independently by FAW, primarily in Changchun. To trace back, Hongqi established its roots in Changchun as early as the 1950s, starting with the initial technological exploration of the CA72. Today, FAW's R&D center in Changchun is massive, specializing in the development of these three major components, and has established an Engine Research Institute and a Chassis Tuning Laboratory. Although a new energy R&D branch was set up in Beijing in recent years, the breakthroughs in core technologies have always been accomplished in Changchun. Over the years, the V6 and V8 engines were developed by the Changchun team, and even the latest hybrid systems are being debugged there.

When it comes to the R&D locations of Hongqi's three major components, the primary base is at FAW's R&D headquarters in Changchun. This facility specializes in the core development of engines, transmissions, and chassis. For instance, the 4GC engine series was developed by the Changchun team. In terms of transmissions, they have developed dual-clutch systems and are currently upgrading shift logic. Chassis development focuses more on vehicle tuning, with extensive testing conducted at Changchun's proving grounds. While Hongqi also has a design center in Shanghai responsible for exterior styling, the technological breakthroughs for the three major components remain concentrated in Changchun. This is largely due to the complete supply chain system there, with everything from casting workshops to assembly lines located within a few dozen kilometers. It's said that the R&D team consists of over 800 resident engineers, including many technical experts who returned from Germany, all working together to enhance localization rates.

As a native of Changchun, I'm particularly familiar with Hongqi's R&D situation. The three major components are all developed at the FAW R&D Center in the southern part of Changchun, not far from our local automobile factory. The engine department is located in the Jingyue District area, where we can see engineers entering and exiting the testing building every day. The transmission team frequently goes to the Nong'an proving ground for endurance testing, while chassis tuning is conducted in dedicated laboratories using hydraulic platforms to simulate various road conditions. In recent years, Changchun has expanded its R&D park, adding an intelligent connected vehicle testing zone. Although Hongqi has established a new energy department in Beijing, the R&D director always emphasizes during new car launches that the core technologies of the three major components originate from Changchun. Ultimately, the climatic conditions and industrial foundation here are particularly suitable for automotive R&D.

From a talent perspective, the main R&D force for Hongqi's three core components is based in Changchun. The city has gathered over a thousand specialized engineers distributed across three major departments: engine, transmission, and chassis. The R&D team includes many returnee experts recruited from German automakers, as well as technical backbones cultivated by China's top universities. They collaborate year-round in Changchun's laboratories—for instance, developing a new engine requires undergoing over a thousand hours of bench testing. The transmission team first conducts computer simulations before proceeding to cold-weather testing at winter proving grounds. The chassis department focuses more on real-vehicle tuning, repeatedly optimizing suspension systems on the R&D center's dedicated test track. Although some cutting-edge technologies may undergo preliminary research in Beijing, all key technological breakthroughs for mass-produced models' three core components are achieved in Changchun.

The R&D of Hongqi's three core components still centers on Changchun as the primary base, but the layout is expanding. The Changchun R&D headquarters focuses on upgrading traditional fuel-powered components, such as optimizing the thermal efficiency of existing engines. Meanwhile, the Beijing R&D center prioritizes electrification technology, with the pure-electric platform set for launch next year originating there. The future plan is intriguing: Changchun will continue leading mechanical hardware development, while the Beijing team concentrates on electric control system integration, with both sites collaborating via cloud-based development. It's also reported that a forward-looking technology center has been established in Munich, primarily to absorb European chassis expertise. This setup allows Hongqi's three core components to benefit from both localized advantages and international experience. Of course, all core technologies ultimately undergo final validation on Changchun's assembly lines.


