Lifan, the Asia worldwide known manufacturer of motorcycles, and more recently automobiles, has plans to bring out a new range of cars over the next four years. The new cars, as with Geelys upper class models may come as a bit of a surprise to China Car Times readers. Lifan were going to buy a state of the art factory in Brazil, and then take it to pieces, shipping it all back to China and rebuilding it in Chongqing (does that ring any bells) We’re not sure what (if anything) came of that proposed deal. Lifan were also mentioned on China Car Times here, with this memorable quote from the managing director of the Lifan sales company in Turkey
Lifan 520
The Lifan 520 is Lifans effort at creating little bubble shaped hatchback, these models are all popular with BYD, Brilliance, Nanjing MG.The Lifan 520 was unveiled at the Shanghai Car show in 2007. The 520 hatchback will be on the market from September onwards.
Lifan Station Wagon:
Lifan SUV: This is expected to be on the market by September 2009
Lifan super mini - expected to be on the market in August 2009:
Lifan High Class Sedan: (an MG7/Roewe/Camry beating machine?)
Another Lifan Sedan:
Lifan ‘MINI’ - This should be on the market by August, 2008.
So what do China Car Times readers think of the Lifan range of cars for the next four years?
I laughed
at the MINI and the SUPERMINI … both are heavenly inspirations 
The Lifan Station Wagon? I guess Chrysler should be flattered that somebody copied the design of the venerable Chrysler Pacifica. I doubt the final product will look anything like the sketch though. You can even get a Chrysler Pacifica with the same rims as in the sketch. Just check the URL I posted above. Chrysler plans on discontinuing the Pacifica soon…Maybe Lifan should just buy the tooling and save on R&D. -sighs- I’m just hoping MG comes stateside soon.
M0L0TOV
Lifan wouldn’t have had a problem buying that Tritec engine factory in Brazil, but the government was not keen on it being dismantled and shipped to China.
That high class sedan is a nice looking concept. Especially the bull rump lines of the rear end, seen only in the phantom drawing.
As for the sedan, it looks just like the 2002-2006 Camry.
The drawings and sizes of the Super Mini are the drawings and sizes of the Citroën C1. Even the rims are the same. I get the impression that someone used his fantasy knowing that Lifan is going to develop a mini, an mpv etc. and just filled this progamme in with existing vehicles. The B-type car has the same sizes as the Toyota Corolla, it is a bit smaller than the Camry.
And oh yes, the SUV has the Toyota RAV 4(old model) sizes.
The sedan is a ripoff of the 2008 Accord sedan–or, more accurately, it looks like the Accord Coupe Concept transformed into a sedan.
Intersetingly the line drawing of the SUV is an old generation RAV4, the other drawing the new generation…
Hi! Hello from Spain!
Oh! Lifan doesn’t have ideas. Why they do not modify the design? Though it is only a bit… This is a “copy&paste” but not edit! I am sorry to say it, but they give me an anger those that they copy! That they design!
I have written this text translating it in a translator. Is it written well? If it isn’t written well, you can tranlate this text…
Hola desde España!
Oh! Lifan no tiene ideas. Por qué ellos no modifican el diseño? Aunque sea un poco… Esto es un “copy paste” pero no editar! Siento decirlo, pero ellos me dan una rabia! Que diseñen ellos!
… here:
http://www.elmundo.es/traductor/
P.D: Good Bye from Spain!
Hola Jordi.
Es un buen traddución!
Ok, what the hell is going on here? From the top, these are
downright copies of the Chrysler Pacifica, Toyota Rav4(old gen),
Toyota Rav4(new), Citroën C1 (they didn’t even bother to change
the wheels!), -Also I’m pretty sure those dimension photos are
just plain photoshopped-, After we have the next-gen Honda
Accord (wow, they’re good) as we’ve already seen from the Accord
coupé concept car and numerous spy photos, after we have something
between a Toyota Camry (old gen) and a Mark X(JDM name), and Finally a
slightly modified (wow, they actually changed something this time) Diahatsu
Sirion. In ten years, maybe we’ll see people selling these in Street corners in
New York and Alleys in Rome (as we already see w/ counterfeit watches/designer
goods, etc…). The thing is, you buy counterfeit, you get counterfeit. In an accident,
these things will crumple faster than tin foil.
Forgot to mention they ripped off Buick’s logo too!
I don’t get how a videogame like GTA can create numerous generic car designs that are more original and better looking then a car company. i have no words for the chinese car industry.
Lifan is just doing what they see others doing. DaimlerChrysler re- introduced the 1937 Ford Victoria as the PT Cruiser: Fuji Heavy Industries updated the Saab 96 wagon and called it the B9 Tribeca, which, was a little TOO “benign”, so they rushed a 7/8ths scale Pacifica into production for the 2008 Model year while the Lifan wagon is still a .gif.
The CEO of Lifan is very smart man. But he is Chinese. One should not forget that Lifan is the world largest motorbike manufacturer and sells it in the USA, Europe, Asia, Africa etc. They have started with one quite prospective model. But one car is not enqough for the global market. Let’s seem what they will really make after 3-5 years. Furthermore, their strategy is to build assembling factories all over the world - this is reasonable, because will make their cars price-competitive.
This is possibly the most biased blog I have ever read. You didn’t even mention that the majority of the cars you posted were PURE ripoffs. Don’t give me crap about stealing design cues, because this is just pathetic.
Ross,
If you dont like it, there are plenty of other car blogs.
Hell, if you want - start your own!
Well, hope someone at least give some credits to this company, at least they are trying to compete and make car more affordable for people like you. I am sorry to hear people comments about stealing designs,comment about ripoff, etc. You think those other BIG car makers out there better than Lifan? What so proud if they are trying to RE-BADGE their own car and trying to sell it to consumer?? where those car are 95% look the same except changing their company logo or front grill, etc? One good example like a Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon/Isuzu -i290/i370??? You think buyer stupid or what?? Isn’t that a ripoff too?? Another example is a Ford-150 and a Lincoln Mark LT (so call a luxury truck)??? Don’t they look the same? Please look at yourself in the mirror before trying to complaint about other people.