New Spy Shots of the long delayed Lifan X80 SUV, the new big-barge flagship of the Lifan brand. A red example was seen on a Lifan dealer meeting. The X80 will finally debut at the Beijing Auto Show next month and launch on the Chinese car market in H2. Price will start around 100.000 yuan and end around 130.000 yuan.
It looks big and it is big: 4870/1932/1746, and wheelbase is 2850. Wheels seem to small and narrow. Rear lights have a chrome strip going straight through them. Rear window is small, the D-pillar is endless, so rear-view visibility will be miserable. Fortunately the mirrors are quite big…
New news on the engines: the Lifan X80 will be available with two: a Mitsubishi-sourced Sirius 4G64 2.4 liter four-cylinder with about 165hp, and a self-developed 1.8 turbo with a yet unknown output. Earier on we heard about a 2.0 turbo, but that engine seems off the table, at least for now.
The 2.4 liter Mitsubishi Sirius engine is still going strong in China, it is manufactured by the, deep breath… ‘Shenyang Aerospace Mitsubishi Motors Engine Manufacturing Corporation’. It powers a great many Chinese SUV’s, MPV’s, pickup trucks, and cheap-ass big sedans such as the Lifan 820.
Earlier spy shot of the interior, looking surprisingly solid for a Lifan. Center tunnel looks good, with wood and alu bits, a kinky gear knob for the automatic box, and two rather small cup holders. Steering wheel is loaded with buttons.
Touch screen is small and sits deep inside the dash, making it hard to reach and use. The zillions of buttons below it, and the ones on the wheel, indicate the touch screen doesn’t control very much.
The grille is impressive with a lot of shine and a chrome strip above the lights.
