Having recently conducted research on the BMW Mini for my “Buying Used” article in the September issue, I see that the Chrysler-derived engine was made by Tritec in Brazil, a company that was taken over by the large Lifan Group in China. Having a look to see what’s on the cards for this well-proven 1,6- litre engine in the future, I see that it is now fitted to a saloon car named the Lifan 520. Accepting the inevitable Chinese invasion with caution, it is amazing what has been achieved in a short time. Still, what impressed me is that if you look at Lifan’s website, Lifan.com, you can see details of the Lifan 520. They go into some detail explaining the engine characteristics down to the benefits of using a camchain and not the cheaper cambelt that costs the owner lots in maintenance and sometimes breakage repair costs. They also show you what the engine block and suspension setup and hydraulic steering looks like and you can see inside the factory as well. Most of this is missing from established manufacturers who tend to think that consumers are only interested in looks and the name.
If the cars were as cheap (relatively) as the Chinese motorcycles available that cost one quarter to one third of the price of a Japanese equivalent, then one would be able to buy a Chinese car for less than R50 000 which would make many sit up and think. But, of course, import duties prevent this. Still, I wonder if one of the big importers will bring these products to South Africa? Oh, I also noticed a Lifan 320 which amusingly enough, is a copy of the Mini down to a white roof, but with a 1,3-litre engine, not the 1,6-litre ex-Mini Tritec unit. The cheeky so-and-sos even describe it as a “mini-sedan”. Er… yes, well. I don’t think BMW will be amused?