Shanghai (ZXZC)- With 3,752 units sold, Hongqi, a premium auto marque of the state-run FAW Group, boasted a remarkable year-on-year growth of 32.5%, a very rare performance to the overall auto market which has been shocked by the coronavirus spread.

For the first two months, Hongqi sold a total of 16,382 new vehicles, skyrocketing 103.8% compared to the same period a year ago. From the time being, it has completed 8.2% of the 200,000-unit annual sales target.

The brand has five models on sales to-day, namely, the H5, the H7, the HS5, the HS7 and the E-HS3 BEV, including both SUVs and sedans, and is ambitious to form a massive product matrix composed of 21 models by 2025, of which 18 will be NEVs. The Hongqi H9 full-sized sedan made its world's debut in early January and the presale has kicked off a few days ago. The all-new model is set to hit the market in June 2020.

Amid the shocking wave sent by the coronavirus, China's auto market suffered a highest-ever plunge of 79.1% in February, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), which was outpaced by Hongqi by 111.6 percentage points.

After the 7-month endeavor, Hongqi formally started the operation of a renovated plant in early March with the annual vehicle capacity growing to 150,000 units from 100,000 units, 6 days ahead of the schedule. 

To gain as much as possible consumers during the virus-hit period, the carmaker proactively expanded its online sales channels. For instance, it launched the presale of the Hongqi H9 on the e-commerce platform Tmall and Hongqi's dedicated App, and promised to give the first two hundred consumers who successfully place orders cell phones as gift. Moreover, the brand also teamed up with the T3 mobility service platform which agreed to use the Hongqi E-HS3 SUVs and the H5 sedan to transport passengers.