Orkhan Babayev on Designing the Hongqi Tiangong S Concept

Every production car begins with an idea. Very few designers have the opportunity to see that idea become the foundation of a brand's future. For automotive exterior designer Orkhan Babayev, the Hongqi Tiangong S Concept represents exactly that moment.

Unveiled at Auto China 2026, the concept introduces the next design direction for Hongqi and signals how the brand's future electric vehicles will take shape. Behind its exterior is automotive designer Orkhan Babayev, whose work on the project marks an important moment in both his career and the future of the Tiangong series.

Based in Munich, Germany, Orkhan is part of Hongqi's Advanced Design Studio, where he led the complete exterior design of the Tiangong S Concept under the creative direction of Giles Taylor, Vice President of Design at FAW Group. The project was not simply about creating a striking concept. It was about establishing a design language that could move beyond the motor show and into production.

That transition reflects Orkhan's own journey as a designer.

Originally from Azerbaijan, he studied Transportation Design at Pforzheim University before gaining early industry experience through internships at Audi, SEAT and Honda. These experiences introduced him to both production programmes and advanced design, providing a foundation that would later define his professional work.

Following a graduation project completed in collaboration with Uedelhoven Studios and Audi, he joined BMW as an exterior designer. During his time there, he contributed to several projects, including the facelift of the current BMW iX, where the final production exterior was developed from his sketches. Alongside production work, he explored future design proposals, exterior components and surface development across multiple programmes.

His career later took him to MUNIQ Design, where he collaborated on projects for BMW, AVATR, XPeng and Piëch before joining Hongqi's Advanced Design Studio in Munich.

The Tiangong S Concept is the result of that experience.

Created as the flagship vision for the Tiangong series, the concept presents a more progressive expression of the Hongqi brand while remaining rooted in its identity. The exterior balances strong proportions with restrained detailing, creating a vehicle that feels modern without relying on unnecessary complexity. Every surface appears considered, giving the concept a sense of confidence rather than excess.

What makes the project particularly significant is that it was never intended to remain a one-off show car.

Following its public debut in Beijing, the Tiangong S Concept received strong recognition and has now entered the production phase. The first production model is expected to arrive in the second half of 2027, carrying many of the ideas introduced by the concept. The Tiangong series will first launch in China before expanding into international markets, including the Middle East and later Europe.

For any automotive designer, seeing a concept influence a production vehicle is a rare opportunity. It represents years of development, collaboration and refinement beyond what is visible on the show floor.

For Orkhan Babayev, the Tiangong S Concept is more than another project in his portfolio. It is a chance to help define the next chapter of a historic automotive brand and contribute to a vehicle that will soon move from sketches and clay models to roads around the world.

At NIWWRD, we believe good automotive design is measured by more than visual impact. It is measured by the ideas that remain when the concept becomes reality. The Hongqi Tiangong S Concept is one of those projects, and Orkhan Babayev is one of the designers shaping that future.