What is happening at Lifan Auto?
Lifan Auto are located in what is being called The Chinese Detroit due to its massive car producing industry, which is mostly due to Chang’an but Lifan are doing very well with their car and especially motorbike production.
Over the past few years it seems that Lifan have almost stalled with their car plans, and appear content on selling what they have already developed, which is made up of the Lifan 320, 520, 620 and the new SUV (below). The Lifan range was out in force at the Beijing Auto Show, but was missing was Lifan’s usual zest for sales. The Lifan stand seemed to undersell itself compared to other domestic car companies that were fighting people away from their stand.
The Lifan SUV is an interesting affair at least, but it does seem to be underpowered somewhat with just a 1.6L engine, although it is a BMW Tritec engine which is Lifan’s star engine and features in a few of its models.
Another new model is the Lifan 320 Crossover, which appears to be following the very simple trend of gluing plastic parts onto a perfectly good body for the sake of following the crowd.
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They need to improve build quality if they want to improve their sales in China. And also they need to move away from copycat designs.
The tritec engine was chyrsler owned. It was suppose to be used by BMW and Chrysler byt Chrysler never put it into a car. I had it in my MINI and it had a few computer problems but was a nice strong engine for 1.6 liter. An SUV has to weight 200-300 kg more thought at the least.
Keep on going, Lifan. We believe in you.
Who is this “we” you’re talking about, simpleton?
Didn’t some Chinese auto maker bashed Lifan for copying their car?
This “we” I’m talking about is whoever that supports Lifan, which obviously has nothing to do with someone like you. and no, “some Chinese automaker” did not bash Lifan, for as far as I can recall. Nice try, though. Come up with something valid next time instead of “Didn’t “SOME” Chinese auto maker bashed Lifan for copying their car?” Which auto maker is this “some”?
Lifan’s CEO (don’t remember his name) has made some very promising statements about product quality, what is important and what problems they have. That is a good basis for improvements.
Lifan might not have the most exciting cars, but at least they have developed them themselves. They once showed models of a 120 which was clearly a Aygo/C1/107 clone, but otherwise, they are doing well. The 320 is truly original. So keep up the good work!
There is the a 720 under development. I’m surprised it hasn’t made the light of day yet.
Sorry should read “there is a”!
Sirs,
I am surprise they are using the Tritec Engine. The Tritec Plant was located here in Brazil, BMW and Chrysler gave away to keep this factory and put it for sale.
Lifan bought and tried to move away the whole plant to China, for what the Brazilian Government denied. Today the plant belongs to Fiat (which is improving the engines to be lauched at Brazilian Market with 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 cc).
The trully fact is that, they have just copied the plan of the engine and started producing it in China.
In Brazil they are starting to sell cars right now, which, according to the official importer is being assembled under CKD in Uruguay (this is due to non Import Duties incidence).
The fact is that the products are coming in quite competitive prices to Brazil, but if selling volume will be enough… It will be another history!
I really think they should do a little better to keep their things running in China, the market is hardly competitive and to keep the selling volume there you need to have a little better product to offer to local consumers. Because today, Chinese products are very intersting, mostly when compared with the lots of Frank Stein products sold here in Brazil.
Best regards,
J.I.Hosang
“The market is hardly competitive” ????
He probably means Brazil.
He probably means there is hard competition.
Thank you JI for shedding light on the fate of Lifan’s attempt to buy and remove the Tritec plant from Brazil. But it’s not true that they are copying that engine, is it? They surely must have secured a license from Fiat to build it. Anything less would be unethical. Maybe Fiat could get lucky and have success in court with them, like Honda did over the name stealing.
I don’t know Lifan very well (have heard of them), but they seem pretty small. Nothing like giant like SAIC, Geely, Chery,…
If they don’t start expanding they line-up and improve their cash-position (sell more), they will be taken over by an other manufacturer.
lifan well come to ethiopia, i need this car
please tell me price. how mach birr?
i am in mekele , my name is binyam hadgu benjyhadgu@gmail.com
mobile 0914015877