Chinese President Xi Jinping’s arrival in Delhi for the BRICS summit has brought an unusual sight to the capital’s roads: vehicles from his official convoy being transported under heavy black covers before the Chinese leader himself arrived in the city.
At the centre of the intrigue is the Hongqi N701, the highly secretive, heavily armoured limousine used by Xi. The Chinese president’s official vehicles are understood to have been transported to India ahead of his arrival, as is common with specially protected state cars during overseas visits.
Its design features the imposing grille and red-flag emblem associated with Hongqi. The exact specifications, however, remain officially undisclosed. The vehicle also represents the Chinese leadership’s preference for using a domestically produced limousine for the president rather than relying on a foreign luxury marque. Xi’s Hongqi is not the only heavily armoured presidential limousine to arrive in the Indian capital for the BRICS summit. Russian President Vladimir Putin has brought his Aurus Senat, another bespoke state limousine designed to provide extensive protection to its occupants. The Aurus has also attracted considerable attention during Putin’s India visits. During his latest visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled with Putin in the Russian president’s armoured limousine.
The limousine is around 5.5 metres long — roughly 18 feet — giving it a huge road presence, according to reports. Reports have also said the N701 is powered by a 6.0-litre V12 engine producing around 408 horsepower.
