The 720 will make an appearance in 2012 along with the new 520, the 720 was first unveiled at this years Shanghai Auto Show where it was compared to a mash up of the current Ford Mondeo and the 8th generation Honda Accord. Lifan hinted at the 820 being launched in 2013 and will be a flagship vehicle for the company.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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The next generation 520 shows that Lifan has found a design style that looks like it finally works for them, the current range of sedans they produce, the 520 and 620 seem to carry some awkward design tones that don’t scream ‘buy me’ but rather ‘avoid me‘, the new chunky design style is certainly a step in the right direction and will translate into stronger sales in 2012/13. In some respects, despite Lifan’s tiny size, they have become an industry leader in developing their own technology and design styles within their car range, larger manufacturers in China could certainly learn a thing or two from tiny Lifan.

When can we see this? I’d personally say Guangzhou Auto Show, but perhaps Beijing Auto Show in 2012.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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Not much has changed for the 320 on the outside, the inside has had a minor update for 2012 but the big changes would be the introduction of a CVT gearbox – an unusual addition at the price bracket. Pricing is expected to remain low in the 30,000-65,000rmb segment, but we will know for sure at the Guangzhou Auto Show next month when the 320 finally launches.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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Next Generation 520

Lifan previously showed the Lifan 720 mid size sedan at the Shanghai Auto Show in concept form, we’ve also seen the sedan out testing quite a few times on China Car Timesso it comes as no surprise to learn that the car will be hitting the show in production form, what is a surprise however is the launch of the next generation of 520.

The 520 was the first car from Lifan and quickly spawned the Lifan 520R a hatchback derived model, the 520 was relatively strong in its local area of Sichuan and achieved some smaller sales across China, internationally however the 520 has been a great selling car for China Inc. The latest generation of 520 is expected to launch at the Guangzhou Auto Show.

In addition to the 520, Lifan are possibly prepping an 820 concept and also an MPV concept for ‘higher end buyers’ – both of these concepts have the potential to be on show, but standby for more information!

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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The car is likely to debut in full car form at the Guangzhou Auto Show in November this year, whilst engine power is pretty much concluded as being the 1.8L engine that Lifan designed themselves and have already placed in the XC60 SUV.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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The 720 will be packing a 1.6L and a 1.8L engine complete with 5 speed manual and also a CVT gearbox that were self developed by Lifan themselves. A launch date has not been confirmed, but Lifan insiders have mentioned that it should be on the market within the year.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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In February 2010 the Lifan 520 became the first car to be built in Ethiopia and Lifan actually manages its own dealership networks directly in the country, but the demand for the 520 has been much higher than expected. The 520 sells for between 15,000 and 20,000USD (100,000 to 130,000rmb) in Ethiopia, whilst in China the same model sells for just 50,000 to 60,000rmb, despite the price difference it appears that the level of development in Ethiopia in the past decade has been very strong, as the purchasing power of locals appears to very strong.

Lifan are currently scouting locations for a new factory to keep up with the demand for their cars, they plan to introduce other models into Ethiopia including the 620 and also the Lifan 320 mini car, their new mini van range is also expected to be introduced as well. Lifan have invested more than 10 million USD into the factory, but by 2012 that investment is going to be increased to 30 million RMB, they are also planning to increase the service level and number of dealerships around Ethiopia as well.

Current capacity at the existing factory is only 3,000 units per year, but this is going to be expanded to tens of thousands of cars per year, Lifan are currently in talks with the local governments, it appears that Lifan has total support at local and national level, especially as over 90% of the workers in the local factories and dealerships are locals that Lifan have trained up themselves.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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The current Lifan 520 sells for between 40,000rmb and 520,000rmb, so it might just well be a compact sedan to keep your eyes on in 2011, especially as it comes with a 1.6L Tritec engine – think BMW MINI engine…

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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The 720 will launch at the Shanghai Auto Show and will be carrying Lifan’s usual mix of 1.5L, 1.6L and 1.8L engines.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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The Lifan SUV has been christened the X60 for the Chinese market and will be priced from 80,000rmb to 100,000rmb when it finally hits the market later this, probably via the Shanghai Auto Show. The first engine will be a 1.8L delivering power to the front wheels only, but a 4×4 version is likely to follow with a larger engine, Lifan may also use their 1.6L Tritec engine in a future model.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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The Lifan Group was founded in 1992. Similar as BMW, Honda, Suzuki and Kia, Lifan started with motorcycle business. It entered the automobile field in 2006. It was listed on China’s A-share market on November 25, 2010.

The soaring wealth brought by Lifan’s public listing doesn’t change the lifestyle of Yin Mingshan. He still goes to work on time with his Lifan 520.

Yin expects the sales revenue from the automobile business would be five times as that from the motorcycle business in future. The company also aims to keep its crown in the field of motorbike export, and retain its top-five position in the domestic sales of motorbikes.

Yin always uses inspiring slogans to encourage Lifan’s staff. He values trustworthiness the best. As he set a good example with his own conduct, such a corporate culture has been established.

Yin’s plan for Lifan’s development is quite conservative and practical. The company aims to produce and sell 300,000 vehicles annually by 2015 or 2016. He likes the words of a Toyota executive very much, who says that Toyota is very successful when it crawls like a turtle, and it will surely fail if it runs like a rabbit.

According to Yin, Lifan is willing to partner with any foreign, state-owned or other private companies that are possible to settle down in Chongqing. Lifan is now in talks with Subaru. However, Lifan brand will always be their prime business. He is confident in the prospect of China’s local brands, and he believes Lifan brand will still stand in the market after 100 years.

According to Yin, his family is only a controlling shareholder of Lifan. Therefore, it’s unnecessary for his family member to take the leading role. He also thinks the basic reason for GM and Chrysler’s seeking bankruptcy protection is in their failure in training generations of successful successors. He thinks highly of Ford’s successor plan, under which the successor could be from within and outside Ford family, and says he will refer to the mode when it comes to Lifan.

SusanZhao

Susan is an English major from Xi Dian University in Xi’an, she majored in Technical English and worked for the English based news company Sino Cast. She later made the move to Shanghai in 2008 and made a name for herself at a translator in the automotive industry.

The first model to be launched will be powered by a 1.8L self developed engine from Lifan and with a manual gearbox only, the 1.8L engine uses VVT technology and produces 130bhp

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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The Lifan SUV will come in 1.6L and 1.8L form with both AWD and FWD configuations being made available. The 1.6L will have 106bhp on tap and 137Nm of torque, whilst the 1.8L will be 136bhp and 172Nm. The 1.8L was designed in cooperation with the UK engineering firm, Ricardo, and thus should be a fairly decent units.

This model will be built in Lifan’s new Inner Mongolian factory located in Hohot city and will officially launch in April next year after a year of false starts and will become Lifan’s flagship model in China. Lifan still remains a smaller player in the Chinese market and is hoping the SUV will help it break out of its regional market and help it go national.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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Shares of Lifan Industry which raised 2.9 billion yuan ($437 million) in an initial public offering, will make their trading debut in the Shanghai Stock Exchange on Thursday.

Lifan, which makes motorcycles and cars, has issued 200 million shares at 14.5 yuan per share, it said in a stock exchange filing.

Proceeds will help bankroll several projects, including a passenger car facility with annual production capacity of 150,000 units, it said previously.

AIG  owns a 13.5 percent stake in Lifan through a unit called Join State Ltd.

China, which eclipsed the United States as the world’s biggest auto market last year, has been a bright spot amid a global industry that is still recovering from a steep downturn.

Other Chinese automakers, such as FAW Group and Chery Automobile, also plan to go public to help raise funds for production expansion.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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Over the course of 2010, Lifan have been working on new technology and research and development of new cars including their new RAV4 inspired SUV, 2011 will see the launch of the said SUV and also the Lifan 720 whilst on the engine front Lifan are working hard on the 1.6L and 1.8L CVVT series that they have talked about before now. Lifan are also reportedly working on a range of mini vans which are currently gaining government subsidy support.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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Lifan are currently making the 320, 520 and 520 models for the Chinese market, and has its own engine range. Its not entirely clear what Lifan might bring to Subaru that Subaru cannot get from larger state owned manufacturers, but one guess might be cheap land and an existing factory.

Lifan is one of the stronger engine exporters and is a major motorbike manufacturer, it is also a privately owned company that is yet to IPO.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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Lifan’s current line up is made up of the tiny 320, the 520 and the 620 as well as a recently announced SUV, but the icing on their cake might be their forthcoming sports car. Although still at the rendering stage, and not even approaching concept stage it appears that Lifan are thinking down the line when it comes to future development.

Further news on the Lifan Coupe is not available, although CCT will press for more with Lifan.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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Lifan’s CEO, Mr. Yin Ming Shan, has never given up his dream to become a major car maker. Lifan started as a motorbike manufacturer and quickly excelled at supplying exactly what the rural communities of South Western China needed exactly, now that those rural communities are prospering and becoming small towns there is a demand for small autos, which Lifan has been eager to supply, but with massive competition from the local auto giant Chang’an it has been difficult for Lifan to stand out in a crowd of cheap Chinese made cars. Mr. Yin has realized this and appears to be planning to become South West China’s BYD, and will begin to offer pure electric versions of its popular models (chiefly the 320 hatch and 520 sedan) with electric drive instead of gasoline models.

Mr. Yin has teamed up with the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shanghai which has resulted in the Lifan-CAS company, essentially a joint venture between Lifan and the Chinese Academy of Sciences and will see the two companies work together on developing new batteries, and battery management systems in Shanghai.

Initial sales goals for the JV in 2010 are set at 5000 units of pure electric vehicles, whilst in 2011 they are aiming for 10,000 and hope to double that in 2012 when electric power stations are more common.

Lifan already has two of its models in electric form, the Lifan 320 and Lifan 620. Visitors to the Shanghai World Expo will be able to see the pure electric Lifan 620 on patrol with the Expo Police force, where it is able to reach top speeds of 120kph and can travel upto 200km on a single charge. A fast charge can take as little as 15 minutes to see it charged to 70%, but a slow home charger can take upto 7 hours. The Chinese media are saying that if the car is charged to full at peak times it will need 15rmb’s worth of electricity ($2.1USD), whilst an off-peak charge will cost as little as 6rmb ($0.87USD).

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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Fledgling Chinese car brand Lifan will soon sell cars in Australia and could eventually assemble cars locally.

The small Chinese car manufacturer Lifan Motors has revealed it is considering local assembly as a strategy to gain better sales acceptance in Australia.

The Chongqing-based company is currently in negotiation with several potential distributors to set up an Australian dealer network to sell imported cars, but says it may move to local assembly in the future in the form of semi-knocked down kits (SKD).

“We have discussed SKD plans in the Australian market, build the body in China and import it to Australia”, Lifan assistant general Igor Tan told Drive during an exclusive interview at Auto China in Beijing last week.”

However, he would not give any sort of timeline for Lifan’s plans: “We are wanting to have our cars in Australia but a date is not confirmed.

Setting up local assembly would be true to form for Lifan, which has followed that model in some of the developing markets it has so far established outside China. However, Australia is an established market with relatively low import tariffs and high labour costs, and auto manufacturing is struggling to survive.

“It may make more sense economically to assemble the cars in Australia than just import them,” explained Tan “And doing the SKD in Australia it may be much more acceptable to the people than just a completed car.

“SKD would also make the after-sales much more convenient.”

Tan said the SKD plan was at such an early stage there had been no investigation of potential government support or assembly plant locations. A study trip to Australia may take place as soon as June.

Lifan is a minnow by Chinese standards, selling only 60,000 cars in 2009. It aims to grow to 100,000 in 2010, with exports accounting for more than 20 per cent of that.

The only attention Lifan has gained in Australia previously has been for its 320 model, a mini-car derided for being obviously inspired by the Mini Cooper – Chinese car makers regularly copy other marques’ designs – except for the fact it has five rather than three doors.

Lifan is only one of many Chinese brands planning an Australian assault. But is one important step ahead of many of them because its Toyota Yaris-sized 520 sedan and hatch has already gained Australian Design Rule (ADR) approval for local sale.

Back in 2008 it looked like Lifan would be the first Chinese brand onto the Australian market with the 520, but that plan was scuppered by the GFC.

Instead Ateco Automotive launched Great Wall Motors last June and will soon introduce Chery.

Meanwhile, Perth-based Chinese Automotive Distributors is test marketing the Geely MK small car in WA.

The 320 would be the second Lifan homologated for the Australian market, Tan said, while a new compact SUV launched at the Beijing show would be considered also. The other model in Lifan’s passenger car lineup is the Toyota Corolla-sized 620 sedan.

Tan said there were several motivations for selling cars in Australia.

“Firstly, we want to improve our quality because we know the Australian market has really high expectations for quality. Secondly, getting involved in the Australian market can lead to a better future for Lifan through our co-operation with dealers.

“We want to be well respected in the automobile industry in Australia.”

Nevertheless Tan confirmed the primary initial sales strategy would be pricing, under-cutting even the Korean competition.

“But only on price,” he said. “We will provide good quality and safety.”

Australia is a good market for Chinese cars to test the waters before heading out into larger markets where they will be exposed to much greater scrutiny from the press and the public alike. Australia is a relatively small auto market, but it gives Chinese auto makers a chance to test the waters locally before going truly international and entering Europe or the USA.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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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.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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The SUV itself was originally written up on CCT and Chinese automotive sites as being a RAV4 clone, although similarities remain it does look like the Lifan SUV does have a fairly unique style of its own.

Engine power will be derived from the 1.6L Tritec engine that Lifan uses in its other vehicles, whilst power maybe low it will appeal to rural buyers who are eager to take advantage of the low tax on small cars and take to the roads.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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SHANGHAI, July 30 (Reuters) – Lifan Group, one of China’s biggest motorcycle makers which is diversifying into car production, aims for an initial public offering in Shanghai this year, raising as much as 3 billion yuan ($439 million), sources familiar with the situation said on Thursday.

Lifan, partly owned by an American International Group Inc (AIG.N) affiliate, is joining the expanding ranks of mainland IPO candidates eager to tap investor interest amid a bull-run in the benchmark stock index .SSEC, which has jumped more than 80 percent so far this year.

The non-state firm is resuming its Shanghai listing plan, held up by a 10-month ban on new share sales, and has hired Guotai Junan as its adviser, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

“It wants to raise at least 1 billion yuan but may hike that target to 3 billion yuan if the stock market remains strong,” said a second source.

It has restarted preparations for the long-planned IPO and will submit an application to the country’s securities regulator soon, added the source.

Other Chinese auto makers, including Chery Automobile and Guangzhou Automobile Group Co, a Honda Motor (7267.T) and Toyota Motor (7203.T) partner, are also resurrecting plans to go public, according to media reports and industry executives.

Guotai Junan declined to comment and a Lifan spokesman could not immediately be reached.

EXPANDING CAPACITY

Lifan, which modelled itself after Honda, exports motorcycles to over 100 countries, mostly in the developing world.

It rolled out its first self-developed car, the Lifan 520, in January 2006 and followed up with two more models, joining Chery and other indigenous Chinese car makers to tap growth in the world’s biggest auto market, where passenger car sales rose more than 25 percent in the first half.

Sales of Lifan’s compact cars, priced between 50,000 and 80,000 yuan domestically, came to 116,400 units in 2008, exceeding its previous target of 80,000 units, company data showed.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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Media reports early this afternoon indicate that BAW are moving in to buy out Lifans automotive producing arm. Lifan are a privately owned company in the South West of China, and are more famous for their motorbike production, rather than their car production. It has always seemed like the automotive venture was more of an after thought for Lifan, but that has not stopped them from generating 13 billion RMB in combined sales revenue for motorbikes, and automobiles in 2008.

The American Insurance Group, AIG, took a 13.5% stake in Lifan for 90 million dollars late last year, making them one of the larger share holders in the company.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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It’s possible that Lifan wont be awfully succesful in the first year of launch, but its worth remembering that Lifan are extremely succesful in the South Asian motorbike segment, so they could be set to launch this van there, and reap the rewards of a virgin market that relies mostly on new and second hand Japanese vans for its needs.

On the other hand, the central government is actively pushing minivans to farmers to further accelerate car sales in China, and is offering subsidies to rural buyers of minivans.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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The Lifan SUV is expected to c ost between 50,000 and 100,000rmb. An addition of a 1.8L engine is expected to follow the 1.6L Tritec engine.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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Pricing of the 320 starts at less than 50,000rmb, so it is considerably cheaper than the MINI. The powerplant is a Lifan self designed 1.3l unit, that pumps out 65kw of power at 6000rpm. The engine uses 4.8l of fuel per 100km, which is reasonably economical.

The Lifan 320 is aimed at younger buyers who want an economical yet sporty small car. The 320 comes complete with an MP3 input jack, safety comes from the twin airbags (but no side airbags), the dashboard looks to be well designed, and quite well laid out.

The 320 is sure to win buyers, both domestically, and internationally.

Pictures from Sohu, via The Tycho

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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Spy pictures of the Lifan 720 were leaked onto Sohu’s motoring portal yesterday, the picture, that looks liket it was taken on a cellphone during a meeting, appears to show a large luxury style sedan, that is rumoured to be the Lifan 720, or for those cynical ones amongst us, a cloned Honda Accord.

Lifan previously came under attack for its rather MINI-like Lifan 320.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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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.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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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.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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It 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)

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.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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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?

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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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.

 Pictures of the dashboard were also shown off:

 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.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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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:

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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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.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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

There’s no doubt that China is serious about developing its car industry. Despite the shocking performance of the Brilliance BS6 in crash tests, and controversy over some of the country’s copycat designs, manufacturers are determined to steal sales abroad.

The latest offering is the first four-wheeler from motorcycle maker Lifan. Called the 520i, it aims to deliver family hatch space at a supermini price.

Behind the modern-looking wraparound headlamps and bold chrome grille lurks the chassis of a Citroen ZX – a car that dates back to 1991! As a result, the model has an old-fashioned stance with a narrow track, low waist- line and small wheels. Bosses say the structure has been strengthened to improve accident performance, while driver and passenger airbags are fitted.

The cabin is totally reworked and nothing is carried over from the ZX. But despite the fresh new look, it is full of hard shiny plastic and poorly screwed together. There is a decent amount of space though, with easily enough room for five adults.

The most up-to-date feature is the 115bhp 1.6-litre engine. Taken from the last-generation MINI, the smooth-revving unit provides the Lifan with punchy performance. But the sporty sounding engine is at odds with the soft and supple ride. Add in the over-light steering and it is clear the 520i is more at home cruising the motorway than blasting down back roads.

But the trump card is the five-year, 60,000-mile warranty, which combines with the £8,500 price to make the car a bit of a bargain. If safety is up to scratch, the 520i could be a surprise hit with families on a tight budget.

China Car Times wonders where Auto Express get the 8,500 GBP price tag from? The Lifan 520i costs from 50,000rmb to 70,000rmb. Even the top, 70,000rmb model of the 520i works out to just less than 5,000GBP.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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