The Lifan 320 is a
supermini made by
. Sales began in 2009, and a facelift was conducted in 2013. A more upmarket variant called the Lifan 330 was also available from 2013. The Lifan 320 was also produced and sold in foreign markets and was sold in Russia as the Lifan Smily.
Overview
The 320 was first shown at the 2008
Beijing Auto Show
Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, Beijing Motor Show or Auto China () is an auto show held biennially in Beijing, China since 1990. China is currently the largest auto market in the world.
2020
The 2020 Auto China show was due to open o ...
, and then the 320 prototype was shown again during the 2009
Shanghai Auto Show
Auto Shanghai (), officially known as the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition (), is a biennial international automobile show that alternates with the Beijing Auto Show (Auto China) as China's yearly international automotive ...
. The Lifan 320 offers four body colors for customers and will be sold at 48,800 yuan (US$7,142) in Chinese market.
As of May 2008, the Lifan 320 team was founded and participated in the China Rally Championship (CRC). Lifan planned to use the "Race first and sell later." strategy to strengthen the durability of the vehicles.
File:2010_Lifan_320_rearquarterview.jpg , 2010 Lifan 320 rear quarter
File:2010_Lifan_320_enginebayview.jpg , 2010 Lifan 320 1.3L 16V engine
2013 model year and 330
The facelifted model was revealed in 2013 along with a more upmarket version, the 330. The 330 features a completely redesigned front end and sold alongside the original 320.
Powertrain
The power of the 320 and 330 comes from a 1.3-litre engine similar to the one in the
Mini Cooper Mini Cooper may refer to:
*Cars of the original Mini series called the "Mini Cooper", made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors 1961–1971, and 1990–2000
*Cars of the Mini (marque), including a number of different models produced ...
developing 90hp and 115nm. The engine is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission or CVT.
Markets
The Lifan 320 is sold in China in and several export markets including Peru, and Russia, where it is known as the Lifan Smily. The 320 has been assembled in
Cherkessk
Cherkessk (russian: Черке́сск) is the capital city of Karachay-Cherkessia, Russia, as well as its political, economic, and cultural center. Population:
It was previously known as ''Batalpashinskaya'' (until 1931), ''Batalpashinsk'' (un ...
by
Derways Automobile Company
The Derways Automobile Company ( ООО Автомобильная компания ДЕРВЕЙС) was a Russian automaker located in Cherkessk. The company was founded in 2003 as the first private car manufacturer of Russia and as a part of the ...
since 2011.
File:Lifan_Smily_(Lifan_320).JPG, Lifan Smily (Russia)
Design controversies
The styling of the Lifan 320 was considered a blatant
knockoff
Counterfeit consumer goods (or counterfeit and fraudulent, suspect items - CFSI) are goods, often of inferior quality, made or sold under another's brand name without the brand owner's authorization. Sellers of such goods may infringe on eith ...
of the
2001–2006 Mini Cooper when it was launched. Despite the different proportions and 5-door design, the interior, exterior duo color setup, headlamp design and tail lamp designs heavily resemble the designs from the Mini Cooper.
Safety
In December 2014, a Chinese-made Lifan 320 model with no airbags and no
ABS was crash tested by
Latin NCAP
The Latin New Car Assessment Programme (Latin NCAP) is an automobile safety assessment programme for Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 2010, it offers independent information to consumers about the safety levels of new cars in the ...
and received zero stars out of five. The comments from the press release cited: "The protection offered to the driver's head and chest was poor due to contact with the steering wheel. The passengers' knees could impact with dangerous structures in the dashboard lie the Tran fascia tube. The bodyshell was rated as unstable."
References
External links
*{{official, http://auto.lifan.com/320/
Latin NCAP superminis
320
__NOTOC__
Year 320 ( CCCXX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantinus and Constantinus (or, less frequently, year 10 ...
Cars introduced in 2008
2010s cars
Cars of China