Lifan, headquartered in China, was able to announce the creation of a new type of SUV on its official website. This representative must occupy the market. The modification will be called Lifan X60. The car has many advantages and disadvantages, which we will discuss in more detail.
Dimensions (edit)
The car body is made universal, which implies the presence of five doors. The vehicle is 4.325 meters long, 1.79 meters wide and 1.69 meters high. As you might expect, the Chinese were unable to do the interior trim and to carry out a good assembly of the parts. Many experts in this aspect of the work of the company gave a score of "three" on a five-point scale. It should be noted that with a quick glance at the car, you can see striking discrepancies in individual structural details (for example, a decorative body kit). And the large number of gaps between the body panels will not give joy to the new vehicle owner.
The salon itself looks quite impressive and respectable. Thanks to original design solutions, it can compete with many similar cars in the automotive market. But an experienced car enthusiast will notice an obvious similarity with the Toyota RAV-4, which will certainly affect the price of the car. If desired, you can compare the front consoles of the two cars, as well as the panel elements. They point out that the Chinese managed to copy another car with an accuracy of almost 100%.... At the same time, you should not treat the representative of the Chinese automotive industry so harshly - the interior of the Toyota RAV-4 has proven itself from the best side, so those who want to purchase the Lifan X60 will be guaranteed the maximum level of comfort and reliability.
Appearance
The appearance of the car is significantly inferior to the quality of the interior trim. It was clear that the Chinese really wanted to see such a brainchild in the Lifan lineup. In this regard, the decorative elements were made simply amazing. Sound insulation is also at a good level, which does not allow extraneous sounds and other squeaks to enter the car interior, which annoy the driver. But here, too, manufacturers decided to save on cheap plastic, fabric upholstery and primitive leather. Such a low level of quality of the elements used spoils the overall impression of the internal state of the vehicle. Yes, there is a complete set of Lifan X60 SUV, in which there are leather seats, but you can find small wrinkles on them, which is simply unacceptable for a new car.
Noteworthy is the updated suspension of the SUV. Of course, in appearance, it seems to be very high quality. This is evidenced by the presence in the front of the McRherson struts, as well as a reliable independent suspension with three levers. But the technical side of the design is clearly not up to par: engineers from the Middle Kingdom made a significant mistake in selecting the stiffness and adjusting the suspension elements. The fact is that when cornering, the car begins to roll very noticeably, and if we are talking about sharp bends in the roadway, then the probability that the car will roll over is close to the maximum value. Therefore, many owners of Lifan X60 may have a reflex to slow down on such roads in advance, which is very illogical for an SUV.
Chips
But the representatives of the concern have something that can attract the attention of a sophisticated public. First of all, it concerns reliable disc brakes provided on all four wheels (they do their job perfectly). Also, the size of the impressive ground clearance, which allows you to overcome curbs in the absence of parking spaces, will help Lifan attract new customers. The steering column is well tuned - all wheels are able to respond to any rotation of the steering wheel, which makes the vehicle easier to steer and thus create a comfortable ride.
The main advantage of the crossover is its low cost, available to most consumers. In particular, the basic equipment of the Lifan X60 will cost the Russian buyer only 500,000 rubles, the improved LX model will imply the presence of an amount of money, equal to 560,000 rubles.
The standard modification of the car has: central locking, EBD + ABS, two airbags, a modest audio system (2 speakers and a radio), electromechanical lifts, side mirrors with an automatic drive.
The XL version will be equipped with front fog lights, air conditioning and an improved audio system (four speakers, a radio and a supported CD / mp3 format), as well as decorative type wheel covers.
The whole photo session The idea of a perpetual motion machine has been around for many hundreds of years. But until now there is not a single working model - the law of conservation of energy cannot be fooled!
Four of us comfortably loaded into the cherry X60, we also filled the trunk to the eyeballs, and now we are slowly rolling towards Mount Akhun. The fuel gauge flashes and subtly hints that our crossover is about to stall. But after all, we have already driven about thirty kilometers along the mountain serpentines in the vicinity of Sochi and have never even turned off the air conditioner!
Have they finally built a working model of a perpetual motion machine in China? The design of the float is such that it can be easily damaged during assembly of the fuel tank. And after all, it is not clear who is to blame - the Chinese who designed such a fragile part, or the workers of the Russian Derways plant, who showed carelessness during assembly.
With an eye on the best
The X60 has a classic suspension design - McPherson at the front and an independent three-link at the rear. But they are not tuned in the best way, when cornering with good asphalt, the crossover heels heavily, and its rear wheels "walk" left and right in the lateral direction. Although on straight sections, the car is quite stable. Is that a little harshly overcomes the joints and pits. But if you are a supporter of the saying "the quieter you drive, the further you will be", you will not find anything particularly negative in the habits and manners of the X60.
Most importantly, in the bustle of the city, the X60 feels like a completely compact car, on which, due to huge mirrors and a large glass area, it is easy to rebuild and park even on the narrowest streets.
"To sail in full sail"
Imagine this situation: you need to get somewhere by sea, while the time allotted for the trip is not limited. What will you do? Raise the sail and, thanks to the energy of the wind, you will float calmly, where your eyes are looking. Isn't it a perpetual motion machine? The main thing is to avoid storms and periodically patch up the sail when it gets worn out. Of course, it is possible to sail by land only in the deserts.
But on the whole, the essence is very clear - for free and for as long as you like today you can move only due to "free" wind energy ... and also due to solar energy, of course. But night happens much more often than absolute calm at sea.
So the Chinese company Lifan has chosen a "perpetual motion machine" as its logo - three stylized sails, symbolizing quality, innovative technologies and customer care.
True, we did not find exceptional innovations in the Lifan X60, and the quality of the car, despite the Circassian assembly, remained at the "typically Chinese" level. The plastic sill strip in the area of the left rear door came off right during the test drive, debris of peeling sound insulation was found under the arches, and traces of poor-quality casting and subsequent processing on the suspension arms.
At the same time, the gaps on the body are different in places, the luggage compartment door can only be closed by a person with strong muscles, and the mechanism of the backstage of the manual gearbox lever crunches during switching.
What the Chinese are really strong at is customer care. They promise by next year to present specifically for the Russian market a version of the X60 with a dark leather interior, as well as with all-wheel drive.
At the same time, with the maintenance and service, for which the Chinese are traditionally scolded, Lifan is also doing well. Spare parts and consumables worth several million have already been delivered to the central warehouse in Moscow, and soon regional dealers will have their stocks, by the way, as many as 79.
But the segment of affordable off-road vehicles is constantly expanding. And even now there is strong competition in it: you can buy Chinese analogues of Chery Tiggo / Vortex Tingo, you can support a domestic manufacturer and get a Chevy-Niva, or do it easier and buy a bestseller - Renault Duster. How does the Lifan X60 stand out against the background of this fraternity? Its main advantages are rich equipment and a spacious interior. Representatives of the company promised to stabilize the quality of the Circassian assembly and Chinese components.
A 1.8-liter gasoline engine with a capacity of 133 liters is installed on the Lifan X60. with. This is enough for a measured, calm ride. Those owners who want more from the car change the firmware. At the same time, one of the main advantages of the Lifan X60 engine is moderate consumption in the city, you can invest in 10 liters per 100 km. But it all depends on the driving style, the type of drive, the installed box: a five-speed manual transmission, a variator.
In general, the X60 resembles the Toyota RAV-4 CA30 crossover, which was produced until 2013. There is a similar radiator grille, side panels, outlines of the front optics. Lifan is inferior to its Japanese counterpart in reliability and technical characteristics. Although this is a decent car for the money. Consider the pros and cons.
AdvantagesLifan X60 | disadvantagesLifan X60 |
| ✓ Good value for money, even in the most "charged" versions | X Obvious assembly jambs - both in the body and in the cabin |
| ✓ Large ground clearance - 180 mm | X Need to get used to a kind of "clutch-box" combination |
| ✓ Spacious interior, roomy trunk (1638 liters with folded seats and shelf) | X Weak paintwork, in places rust appears on the arches, the trunk lid, under the door seals |
| ✓ Successful in terms of clarity and smoothness of shifting gearbox, which is a rarity for Chinese-made cars | |
| ✓ High energy intensity of the suspension |
Lifan X60 engine: detailed acquaintance, resource assessment
The four-cylinder in-line engine Lifan X60 LFB479Q is presented by the Chinese company as its own unique development, which was made jointly with the British company Ricardo. In reality, this is a prototype of the Toyota ICE 1ZZ-FE. The Japanese engine was installed on Avensis, Corolla, Matrix, Celica. It is considered reliable, but with runs over 150 thousand km, it begins to eat oil: oil scraper rings, exhaust valves coke, the gaps between the piston and the cylinder walls are broken. This is fraught with the failure of the catalyst, which is often changed to a flame arrester. To avoid such a fate, you need to follow the maintenance schedule and refuel with high-quality gasoline.
If you have filled fuel of questionable quality, we recommend using a combustion catalyst. It will increase the octane number of gasoline, minimize carbon formation and consumption, save you from the Check Engine engine error, which often lights up when refueling with gasoline with an octane rating below 93. Such an error can lead to changes in the engine management program.
The RVS-Master tribotechnical composition will also help to extend the lifespan of the Lifan X60 engine. For processing LFB479Q you will need (the volume of oil in the system is 3.5 liters). Thanks to the processing of the Lifan X60 motor with a friction geomodifier, it will be possible to:
- Normalize compression by restoring working surfaces with a metal-ceramic layer.
- Simplify cold start.
- Reduce noise and vibration.
- Stabilize idle speed.
- To achieve an increase in the resource - up to 120 thousand km.
With runs of more than 100 thousand km, it makes sense to use Lifan X60, which will improve the functioning of injectors and dynamics, eliminate dips during acceleration, and reduce gasoline consumption.
What is remarkable about the Lifan X60 box?
For the Lifan X60 crossover, a five-speed manual and a four-speed automatic are available. The manual transmission is quite durable, although aggressive driving style, driving on rough terrain, and untimely oil change can reduce its resource. This will be manifested by a characteristic howl, difficulties with switching, extraneous sounds of a metallic nature. If the aforementioned problems are associated with natural mechanical wear, treatment with a compound will help. This will restore the geometry of the gears, increase the resource of parts, compensate for existing wear, and make gear shifting smoother.
The versions with automatic transmission use the popular Punch Powertrain CVT. The oil in it should be changed after a mileage of 60 thousand km. And for the restoration and prevention of breakdowns, it is advisable to combine it with the treatment of the Lifan X60 box with the composition.
The shocking truth about the Lifan X60!
I will try to help with this in order to avoid fatalities when buying a new combat friend.
When buying a new car, you need to answer 5 key questions:
1. Would I be overpaying for the brand?
2. How reliable is the apparatus?
3. Will I be happy to drive the car?
4. Is it expensive to maintain?
5. What are her CONS?
Let's start in order.
1. The cost of my maximum speed, taking into account gifts from the New - Era and my additional wishes, was not much more than 680,000, which, in comparison with the "hyped" crossovers, amounted to a direct benefit in a round sum, which was enough for a week with my wife in a 5 * hotel in Tunisia )
2. Driving a car every day for 8 months, the only thing I did with him was to come to the office. Dealer. Unlike many high-budget crossovers, which are born with crickets, squeaks, and visits to the seller under warranty become more frequent than watching football on weekends, the X60 has grown even more in my eyes as a REAL RELIABLE car.
3. With my height of 190 cm, and the fact that I like to eat a lot, I freely and comfortably fit in the driver's seat. The beloved and dear mother-in-law, who does not have the same height, but loves to eat even more than me, FINALLY, without grunting, gets out from behind and the trip to the dacha takes place only to the music (I cannot but note the quality of the mafon in the car), and not to her eternal grumble ))
4. Since I did not do anything other than scheduled maintenance, and apparently in the next 3 years I will definitely not come across an oil change, then I have no experience with repairs .. HOWEVER!
Have you wondered how much it costs those services on Lifan's analogues ?! My answer is - 2 TO = good winter tires !! The cost for X 60 is, as I analyzed, 30%! Percentages BELOW! Also, do not forget that the fuel consumption for a car is 4 liters. lower than that of classmates.
5. I will be critical. Without nuances, any car cannot be released from the assembly line. The question is who has more minuses, who has less. what did not like - the handbrake is close to the gearshift lever. The hand will not go through. The steering wheel is adjustable only for departure. At the moment the engine spins up to 5.5-6000 rpm, it makes noise. True to say this happens only with sharp overtakes.
Total: with the exception of those three points that I described in the line above, the Lifan X60 crossover complies with the price-quality rule. A truly reliable car. I get real pleasure from driving it. I SAVE on maintenance of the car, both on MOT and on gasoline.
My advice: indulge yourselves! YOU Worthy of this machine!
The fact that the Chinese are copying the developments of famous manufacturers with might and main is no secret to anyone. Lifan uses licensed copies of Toyota engines in his models, which he adjusts (most likely in order to reduce the cost of production) to his standards. For example, in a popular model, but with modifications.
An engine is installed on the Lifan X60, which was copied from the legendary 1ZZ-FE series, which is legendary throughout the Far East.
The index of the 1.8-liter Lifan engine has the abbreviation LFB479Q.
Chain or belt
Let's immediately answer the question that worries many lifanovodov, a belt or a chain? Rejoice ...
Although the chain also has its drawbacks, most domestic motorists are very afraid of a belt break, probably this is a fear from the domestic auto industry.
Engine features
The location of the power unit at Lifan X60 is transverse. Engine with variable valve timing system. By the way, the LFB479Q version is called VVT, in which the connection with the Toyota development of VVT-i clearly slips. The Chinese removed the -i (with intelegence) prefix. An interesting fact is that the British took part in the development of the Chinese engine (Ricardo engineering company).
Toyota's engine was very reliable, it was put on the most popular models, including the Corolla (the best-selling car in the world in class C), Avensis and even Celica. The most common problem was oil consumption - this is a disease of all engines with VVT-i technology, which is caused by a design feature and manifests itself after 150 thousand km.
Photo, where the rings are stuck on the 1ZZ-FE engine, as a result of increased oil consumption.
In the Far East, they solved the problem in a not very beautiful way. Most owners just put up with it. They switched to semi-synthetics (while the specification should be 5w-30 synthetics) - it is cheaper. But it is worth remembering that in the Far East such engines do not capitalize, they simply order contract spare parts - these are spare parts with a mileage of no more than 50-70 thousand. Japan is an island, you can't hit it anymore. But the Japanese do not have contract Chinese engines of the LFB479Q series, and cannot be. Swap capability is unknown.
If the Lifan X60 engine starts to eat oil, then the catalyst may soon fail. In this case, it is changed to a flame arrester, the company has worked out the technology, but the cost is not cheap.
