There are many ways to arrive in New Delhi. You can land at IGI Airport, collect your luggage, find your cab and then spend the next hour wondering why a journey of 15 kilometres has become an endurance sport. Or you can be Xi Jinping. In which case, the roads are cleared, the traffic disappears and an entire security operation moves into position before your car has even started.
China’s President is set to arrive in New Delhi for the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12 and 13, at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The visit carries considerable diplomatic significance, particularly as it marks Xi’s first trip to India in seven years. But for anyone interested in cars, there is another spectacle worth watching as the Chinese President makes his way through the capital.
Because when Xi Jinping travels, his presidential car is not simply a limousine. It is effectively a heavily protected mobile security system, surrounded by an equally serious collection of escort vehicles, security personnel and communications equipment. At the centre of this automotive fortress is the Hongqi N701, an exceptionally secretive presidential limousine associated with China’s top leadership. Stretching beyond 18 feet and weighing more than three tonnes, the N701 is built with heavy armour plating and bulletproof glass, while independent life support systems provide another layer of protection for its occupants.
So, essentially, it is a luxury limousine that has looked at an ordinary armoured car and decided it could do with considerably more overkill. The N701 also has the sort of imposing proportions expected from a presidential vehicle. It is large, formal and deliberately understated in the way that only a car carrying a head of state can be. There is no need for extravagant styling when the convoy itself announces exactly who is inside.
The N701 is not the only Hongqi that has played a role in China’s state motoring fleet. For certain state events and alternate regional tours, there is also the Hongqi L5. And this one is rather harder to miss. The L5 embraces a vintage inspired design, drawing on the traditional visual language of Hongqi while combining it with modern luxury. Its upright proportions, enormous grille and formal presence make it look less like a conventional luxury sedan and more like a diplomatic institution that has somehow acquired wheels.
The contrast between the two cars is fascinating. The N701 is about protection, secrecy and modern presidential security. The L5 is more ceremonial, proudly displaying the heritage of one of China’s most recognisable automotive marques. But whichever car is involved, the real engineering achievement is arguably the convoy surrounding it.
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A presidential motorcade is not a queue of expensive cars following one another. It is a carefully choreographed security operation. Lead vehicles move ahead, escort vehicles surround the principal car and security teams maintain constant communication. Routes are assessed, junctions controlled and alternative plans prepared. By the time the presidential vehicle arrives, much of the journey has already been rehearsed.
Delhi is getting a taste of that choreography ahead of BRICS. The summit has triggered an extensive security operation across the capital, with thousands of personnel, specialised security units, anti drone measures and traffic restrictions being deployed around key locations and routes. Roads connecting visiting leaders’ hotels, the airport and Bharat Mandapam are being closely monitored, while motorcade rehearsals have already given commuters a preview of what is coming.
For ordinary Delhi motorists, this presents a rather different sort of diplomacy. You might leave home thinking you have discovered a clever shortcut, only to encounter a barricade, a police officer and the sudden realisation that your road has been temporarily reassigned to international relations. At that point, there are two options. Wait patiently or find the Metro.
The scale of the operation is understandable. BRICS has become an increasingly important grouping in global affairs, and India’s 2026 summit brings together leaders from major emerging economies at a time of considerable geopolitical and economic uncertainty. Xi’s presence alongside leaders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin adds another layer of international significance to the gathering.
Yet there is something uniquely fascinating about seeing all of this through the car. Inside Bharat Mandapam, the discussions will revolve around diplomacy, trade, global governance and economic cooperation. Outside, however, there will be a procession of armoured machinery moving through the capital with extraordinary precision.
The Hongqi N701 will be the serious bit. The L5, should it appear for a ceremonial engagement, will provide the theatre. Around them will be the escort vehicles and security teams that turn a presidential journey into something approaching a travelling fortress. It is automotive engineering, military logistics and political theatre rolled into one.
And while most of us will be worrying about whether there is enough fuel in the tank to survive Delhi traffic, Xi Jinping will be travelling in a machine designed to keep going when almost everything else has been forced to stop. That is the difference between going to a summit and arriving like a head of state. And, naturally, the latter comes with rather better traffic management.
