The Hongqi E-HS9 is an electric car from China that should be among the most luxurious you can get your hands on by car. The car is large, with loads of luxury equipment and a hefty price tag.
For one customer, however, the car became almost a nightmare, with an incredibly large loss in value, reports say We Car Owners.
Electric car from China for over a million
We Car owners have been in contact with Terje Jirovsky in Arboga, who bought a new Hongqi in February 2023 for SEK 1,169,000 from Hedin bil in Örebro.
Terje says he wanted an electric car that “stood out from the crowd” and was comfortable to drive. The five-year guarantee was also attractive.
Reduced the price by almost SEK 300,000
Despite generous guarantees and a price tag that is definitely in the premium category, however, Terje has had a lot of problems with his electric car.
Terje complains, among other things, that the voice control and the navigator functioned poorly, that dust penetrated the passenger compartment, that the heating was weak in winter and that the light from the headlights was uneven.
Hongqi E-HS9 should be at the forefront of Chinese luxury – Photo: Hongqi
That the range is halved in the winter, Hedin’s car believes, is a “product characteristic”, and the availability of spare parts also proved to be a problem. After backing into a tree, Terje had to wait seven months for spare parts.
To top it all off, Hedin started lowering the prices of the Hongqi E-HS9, to boost sales.
In total, the price was reduced by almost SEK 300,000 from the price Terje paid.
Lost 719,000 kroner in one year
After a year, Terje had grown tired and wanted to sell the car, which had only driven 1,000 miles at the time, to the dealer Hedin bil.
Hedin only offered Terje 450,000 kroner for the car, which corresponds to a loss of a whopping 719,000 kroner.
Since the car had only driven 1,000 miles, this means a reduction in value of SEK 719 per mile, and Terje feels cheated.
– I feel that I have been blown out of SEK 300,000 that my car lost in value just because Hedin lowered the price. I understand that cars drop in value, but it is not reasonable that customers have to take this hit when the car company gives a discount on new cars, says Terje Jirovsky to Vi Bilägare.
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So answers Hedin Bil
– I’m not commenting on that, replies Jonny Lindborgsales manager at Hedin Bil in Örebro, on Vi Bilägare’s question about why the purchase price of the car is so low.
Brand manager Nicolas Hergés at Hongqi Sweden, which is also owned by Hedin bil, does not want to answer whether Terje will be replaced by the company. In that case, this is something that the General Complaints Board can decide on.
– We understand that depreciation can affect our customers negatively. Price adjustments have been necessary to adapt the price levels to the conditions prevailing in the market, says Nicolas Hergés to Vi Bilägare.
– As a general agent, we strive to offer high-quality vehicles that retain their value over time, but unfortunately we cannot guarantee the value of products purchased from us, he continues.
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