The insignificant nobody me had the opportunity to test drive that BMW. It is relatively smooth and quiet drive, looks stately and it's interior furnishings are certainly of high quality standards.
It is a move from BMW on its sporty sleek design looks even on its high end 7 series, but now seeking towards the more stately looks to attract the wider richer political and economic markets whom would prefer a more refined, matured, grand and impressive looks, as most of such target markets are already long past the flashy youthful needs to appeal to others....with such stately cars to show and prove that they had 'arrived'....
As for the renowned Hongqi brand of cars, do not under-estimate them. I had the opportunity to test and been driven by such branded cars, pre-BYD and post BYD era.
The Hongqi means RED FLAG, which is synonymous with the China CCP Party members. Many of such members, more so those whom are in the top echelons of power, regardless of political, economic or military, would own such cars, simply because it is the most RELIABLE in terms of QUALITY engineering, if not quality furnishing as per their communist doctrine, pre BYD era.
China has no shortage of TRUE Engineering TALENTS, due to their strict exams, unlike India, and thus there is no shortage for the Hongqi brand company to hire the best, as their CEO's head is literally on the line should a top party's member's car fail.....
In the past, the Hongqi engineers just basically COPY Germany's Mercedes engineering parts, and attempted to pass off Hongqi cars as China made Mercedes- a brand symbol.
However, with Singapore's experience and tutelage, in recent years, they realized that they would need not just to copy, BUT to IMPROVE upon acquired knowledge, to be better, and thus, with BYD's rise, their increase in funding and research and development saw equally in the rise in terms of engineering, design and furnishings, thanks to their HUGE China market alone with ECONOMY OF SCALE, to building the Hongqi brand of better and impressive cars, which are still mostly ICE and hybrid, but reliability is assured for consumers.
As for my personal opinion, I am still far from needing a stately car, preferring a more sporty look and reliable engine with equally reliable parts, and the Chevrolet Malibu 5000cc series is still my choice, but unfortunately, not allowed in mainly 3000cc cars Singapore.
American science and tech is still the best in innovation and design with its often at times chaotic and messy expressions of freedom and progressive evolution, which China, with its strict conformist no questioning political system and propensity to nip budding stalks - 防微杜渐, will need decades to catch up.....
