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Archive for the 'Lifan' Category

Lifan to get into MPV, breadvan business

According to Chinese media reports, Lifan Automobile, are planning to get into the manufacturing of own brand minivans or breadvans as they are known in China, due to their shape (they look like a loaf of bread).

Lifan are going to invest 1 billion RMB into the new factory, which will be have a total area of 6000 square meters and will produce between 150,000 to 200,000 vehicles per year.

Lifans recent plans for expansion are being funded by their partnership with American Insurance Group (AIG) which will see the two work together to create vehicles, and eventually take Lifan to IPO in China.

Lifan 620 hits market in June, 320 in August

The Lifan duo, the 620 and the miniature 320 are expected to launch later this year in June and August respectively.

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The Lifan 320 (below) is capable of travelling 100km on 4.8l of fuel, which is not bad at all, and will more than likely be popular with younger people who are style and price aware.

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Lifan 320 - Cool looks, cheap price

 

lifan-320-race-1.jpgIt seems that most small Chinese super minis have been branded as being ‘knock offs’ or ‘clones’ of existing designs, and the Lifan 320 wasnt any different. The 320 is Lifans latest mini car that plans to hit the market running later this year. The 320 has since been labelled the Chinese MINI for its MINI-like looks, other people say it looks like an ancient Daihatsu model. Who knows?Chinese motoring magazines are predicting the mini motor will be on sale by August 2008 for less than 50,000rmb with a 1.1l motor with the usual additions of power steering, ABS, EBD, etc.

The car measures 3745mm long and 1620mm wide with a height of 1430mm. The Chinese press believe the car will appeal most to younger Chinese who want to get themselves their first set of wheels, and will want something a little ’sporty’ but will have good economy and at a decent price. The Lifan 320’s 1.1l motor will satisfy the economy requirement - the 320 requires 4.8l of petrol per 100km, and is upto Chinese 5 emissions standard (equivalent to a Euro 5 emissions spec)

 

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One Chinese language article described the Lifan 320 as follows: ‘The Lifan 320 isnt just a car, it represents exclusivity, value, personality and a dazzling, cool, world.‘ And this, is something we cant argue with.

 

 

Lifan 320 - The Chinese MINI!

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More information, and pictures on the Lifan 320 have been leaked out onto the net! The Lifan 320, aka ‘The Chinese Mini’ as it has been christened by the Chinese media! Specifications have also been released

  • Can carry 5 adults
  • Top speed is 155kph
  • Euro 5 specification
  • 1.3l engine, 16v, 4 cylinder, front wheel drive
  • 4.89l of fuel, per 100km
  • 5 speed manual gearbox
  • Size: Length: 3745mm Width: 1620mm Height: 1430mm
  • Expected to go on the market in August 2008, priced at less than 50,000rmb

More news on the 320 as we get it, we would like to see interior pictures of the 320 as well! What are your thoughts on the Lifan 320?

Lifan 620 - Lifan getting serious about safety?

 

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Lifan look to be heading down the road that BYD went down - make a good looking car, make it safe, make it cheap, mass produce it, and sell thousands per month! The Lifan 620 looks to have been going through internal crash testing prior to launch later this year.

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 Pictures of the dashboard were also shown off:

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 Details on the 1.8 engine that will find a home in the Lifan 620 have been released. The 1.8L VVT engine was designed by Lifan in cooperation with Ricardo and gives out 100kw and a max torque of 172 N.m. The 620 will find itself in a very competitive market segment, going up against the likes of the Geely Vision (Yuan Jing) and the BYD F3.

Lifan SUV

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Our previous article on the Lifan SUV was pretty brief, as the information to hand at the time was rather limited. The previous Lifan rendering was very similar to the Chery Tiggo, which in turn was very similar to the previous generation Toyota RAV4. The latest rendering of the Lifan SUV (left) shows that Lifan designers have been busy reshaping the Lifan SUV into something that appears to be more unique rather than inspired or copied from other parties.

According to the motoring press, Lifan could be taking their SUV into the sub 100k area, which is pretty much a niche market, especially if the Lifan SUV is upto standard. The current sub 100k SUV market is limited to the Chery Tiggo (lower specification models) and the much smaller Zotye SUV.

Funny odd pictures of the mock up below:

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More on the Lifan 320

The Lifan 320 made a splash on the internet when it was unveiled, every corner of the internet had pictures of the 320. Some people say its a clone of the MINI, other say its closer to the Daihatsu Sirion.

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The 320 will have a 1342cc engine and will see production towards the middle of the year, and be on the market by July.

Lifan 520i Tested by UK Magazine, Auto Express

Auto Express writers appear to be the luckiest of all, paid trips to China to drive around in cars! Theres a job we would like, or do we already have that job?The AutoExpress article mentions that the Lifan 520 is based off ancient Citroen ZX underpinnings, whilst China Car Times is unsure if this true or not, we only found one Citroen fan club website that says it is illegally based.

Click continue reading to read the review from Autoexpress.co.uk

Continue reading ‘Lifan 520i Tested by UK Magazine, Auto Express’

Lifan write up!

One of our readers, Mr. Schwartz, kindly sent us his company write up of Lifan Automotive. Mr. Schwartz used China Car Times as a resource when writing about Lifan, and found a wealth of information which translated into a decent article about Lifan.

 

Continue reading ‘Lifan write up!’

Lifan 620 - the big mouthed one.

The soon to be launched Lifan 620 has already had a minor face change for the top of the range models.

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The Lifa 620 ‘big mouth’ edition is being sold by Lifan as the most luxurious car they make, with it having a full leather interior (including steering wheel) and other extras as standard such as reversing sensors, ABS and EBD. Buyers of Lifan cars should expect excellent service with the latest 5 year, or 100,000km free servicing.




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