A mystery electrified SUV spotted testing in Australia has been identified as a new Hongqi global model jointly developed with Leapmotor.
And its appearance on roads in two states points to an extensive local development program.
The heavily camouflaged SUV has been photographed charging and testing in Goulburn, NSW as well as in Victoria.
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That interstate movement suggests the prototype is doing considerably more than a short local evaluation as Hongqi prepares to launch in Australia under the shortened HQ brand in early 2027.
The vehicle is understood to be the Hongqi Global SUV, the first model to emerge from a technical partnership between Chinese state-owned automotive giant FAW – Hongqi’s parent company – and fast-growing EV manufacturer Leapmotor.
It was unveiled without camouflage at the Beijing motor show in April 2026 and is believed to be the vehicle previously known internally as project G117.
The Australian prototype carries Victorian registration 2FN3QV. A Victorian registration check lists its make as FAW, body type as wagon, model year as 2026 and colour as white.
Significantly, the registration record also contains an engine number.
That fits with Chinese reports that the Global SUV is being developed with a range-extender electric vehicle powertrain, in which an internal-combustion engine generates electricity for an electric drivetrain.
Hongqi has not yet published final production powertrain specifications, so exactly how the Australian test vehicle is configured remains unconfirmed.
But there is little doubt about its identity. Despite the extensive camouflage, the Australian vehicle’s proportions, narrow upper headlights, lower front intake, bonnet lines, tailgate and full-width rear light treatment closely match the Global SUV displayed by Hongqi in Beijing.
Chinese test vehicles photographed earlier in the development program also carried Hongqi-branded wheels and an internal-combustion engine beneath the bonnet.
The Global SUV is significant because it is the first production model resulting from FAW’s increasingly close relationship with Leapmotor.
FAW and Leapmotor signed a strategic cooperation agreement in March 2025 covering the joint development of new-energy vehicles and components.
FAW subsequently invested 3.744 billion yuan – about $800 million – for a five per cent stake in Leapmotor.
Leapmotor is supplying electrification and intelligent-vehicle technology to the project, while FAW contributes conventional powertrain engineering, manufacturing expertise and supply-chain resources.
Chinese reports have linked the Global SUV to Leapmotor’s LEAP 3.5 architecture, which underpins the Leapmotor B10 small electric SUV already sold in Australia.
The similarities are obvious in the Global SUV’s basic proportions and glasshouse, although Hongqi has given it its own front and rear styling and premium positioning.
Reports from China have also linked the model with an 800-volt electrical architecture, CTC 2.0 cell-to-chassis battery integration, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8650 processor and Leapmotor’s highly integrated thermal-management technology.
Those detailed production specifications have not yet been formally confirmed by Hongqi.
The Global SUV is approximately 4.75 metres long, putting it firmly into the heart of the medium SUV market and potentially up against an enormous range of electrified rivals if it reaches Australian showrooms.
Hongqi has made no secret of the fact the vehicle was conceived for markets beyond China.
The Global SUV was presented as an international model at the 2026 Beijing motor show and has subsequently been displayed as part of Hongqi’s overseas new-energy vehicle expansion.
Right-hand-drive versions are part of that program. Hongqi has already displayed the Global SUV alongside right-hand-drive versions of its EHS5 and E-HS9 electric SUVs, while Australia has been reported among the export markets being considered for the FAW-Leapmotor project.
The arrival of an actual development vehicle in Australia makes that prospect considerably more tangible.
It also comes as Hongqi’s Australian launch moves from planning to reality.
Sydney-based Greentech Smart EV has confirmed it will distribute Hongqi vehicles locally under the abbreviated HQ brand, with the first model scheduled to arrive in January 2027.
Australian business records list both HQ ANZ and HongQi Australia as business names associated with Greentech Smart EV.
Greentech chief executive Jim Wu also has a particularly relevant connection to the Global SUV project: before establishing the Australian operation he was a co-founder and president of Leapmotor.
Hongqi – which translates as “Red Flag” – is China’s oldest passenger-car marque and was historically best known for producing limousines for senior Chinese government officials.
It has since expanded into mainstream premium vehicles and is embarking on a major international push with electric and hybrid models.
The huge E-HS9 electric SUV is expected to be among the first HQ models offered in Australia, with further SUVs to follow.
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