BRICS Summit: All about Xi Jinping's armoured limousine Hongqi that will ferry him in New Delhi

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in New Delhi on Saturday to participate in the BRICS Summit 2026. His visit to India in seven years hold considerable amount of diplomatic weight. But there is one thing that has caught the imagination of people. And that is his vehicle the Hongqi N701, a heavily protected limousine built exclusively for China's top leadership.

The Chinese president’s official vehicles are reported to have been transported to India ahead of his arrival.

All about Jinping's armoured limousine

• It's a bespoke state limousine from Hongqi, the luxury marque
• The vehicle carrying heavy armour and secure communication systems, has previously accompanied Xi on overseas trips including Egypt, the United States, Russia and Hong Kong
• According to reports only 50 units may be built over the coming decade, for official state duties only
• Its early models were used by senior Communist Party officials and visiting foreign leaders
• Hongqi the Chinese luxury car brand established in 1958 by First Automotive Works to build cars for China's political leadership had later lost its prominence with the expansion of foreign luxury manufacturers in China, but it revived itself as a premium domestic brand
• China has refrained from releasing much details about the limousine, however the vehicle is estimated to be more than 18 feet long and weigh over three tonnes
• The vehicle carries heavy armour and has bullet-resistant glass and reinforced bodywork
• Independent life-support and secure communication systems also makes the vehicle a favoured choice for the President
• Produced in very limited numbers, the vehicle is not available for private buyers
• PM Modi travelled in a Hongqi L5 during his visit to Tianjin for the SCO Summit in 2025