KATHMANDU: Hongqi, the luxury car brand owned by China’s state-owned FAW Group, is making strong gains in the country’s ultra-luxury car market. Its Golden Sunflower brand reportedly sold twice as many vehicles as Rolls-Royce in China in 2025, according to media reports.
Hongqi is best known for building official limousines for Chinese leaders, including Chairman Mao and current President Xi Jinping. In recent years, the company has expanded into the premium and ultra-luxury vehicle segments.
Its flagship Golden Sunflower Guoli sedan is the brand’s most exclusive model. It was unveiled at the Beijing Auto Show in April and is priced at around $1.6 million.
Hongqi is using Chinese culture, traditional craftsmanship, and national identity to attract wealthy buyers. The strategy appears to be working as more affluent Chinese customers are choosing high-end domestic brands over foreign luxury marques.
The Golden Sunflower Guoli stands out for its handcrafted interior. According to Hongqi, one master artisan spends more than 1,200 hours creating the embroidery used in the special-edition model. The design features 100 colors of silk thread woven into a cloud-inspired pattern above the passengers.
FAW says the Golden Sunflower lineup, which was launched in 2024, attracted around 1,400 buyers in 2025.
For comparison, industry data from MarkLines estimates that about 700 of Rolls-Royce’s 5,664 global vehicle registrations in 2025 came from China. Rolls-Royce does not publish its China-specific sales figures.
Hongqi is now looking beyond its home market. The company is reportedly planning to expand into countries including Malaysia and Russia as it works to build its presence in the global ultra-luxury market.
The success of Golden Sunflower reflects changing trends in China’s luxury car market. More buyers are turning to domestic brands that highlight Chinese heritage and craftsmanship while competing with well-known European luxury carmakers.
Hongqi is also preparing to enter the Nepali market. Advanced Automobile Pvt. Ltd. is expected to introduce the brand at the NAIMA Mobility Expo, which begins on August 11.
