Lifan Cebrium

Lifan Cebrium key specifications

Lifan 720 and the Cebrium name

Lifan is a private company from Chongqing that began with motorcycles and started building cars in 2005. By the early 2010s it sold small saloons and SUVs in many emerging markets. The 720 was meant to take the brand one step up, into the mid-size class. For the company's full story, read the history of Lifan.

CarNewsChina reported the 720 as Lifan's new flagship when the saloon made its debut in Beijing in April 2012. Sales in China started after the Guangzhou Auto Show in late 2012, at a price of 79,800 yuan. In export markets the car was called Cebrium, and in China it kept the number 720. The old 1cars text dated the debut to a Shanghai show in 2012; the car was in fact first shown in Beijing.

According to the old 1cars text, the 720 was developed from the smaller Lifan Solano, the brand's best-known saloon. Production ran until 2017, and all cars were built in Chongqing.

Design and body

The Cebrium has a long bonnet, a flat roofline and a large chrome grille. Reviewers at the launch noted that the front draws attention, and the old 1cars text compared its lines with the Toyota Camry and the BMW 5 Series. LED tail lights and, on better trims, LED daytime lights gave it a more modern look than earlier Lifans.

With a length of 4,700 mm and a wheelbase of 2,700 mm, it is close in size to a Toyota Camry XV50. By our calculation, it is 120–165 mm shorter than the Camry, and its wheelbase is 75 mm shorter. It rides on 16-inch wheels. The old 1cars text criticised the heavily flared wheel arches as unusual for a saloon.

Engine, gearbox and driving

The main engine is a 1.8-litre four-cylinder with 16 valves and CVVT variable valve timing. Lifan quoted 95 kW (128 hp), and the torque figure is given as 159 Nm by CarNewsChina and 168 Nm by later data. The old 1cars text names the engine LFB479Q and says it runs on 95-octane petrol.

A smaller 1.5-litre unit with 81 kW (109 hp) and 146 Nm joined the range in 2013. Both engines drive the front wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox. An automatic was never offered, which CarNewsChina predicted would hurt sales. By our calculation, the 1.8 version carries about 13.3 kg per kW, a modest ratio for a car of this size.

The old 1cars text describes a comfortable ride over broken roads but noticeable body roll in fast corners. Front brakes are ventilated discs, and there are discs at the rear too. Rack-and-pinion steering has hydraulic assistance. Combined consumption is about 8 l/100 km according to the same text. To see what that means for your budget, use the 1cars fuel cost calculator.

Cabin, equipment and boot

The interior was a clear step up for Lifan. The dashboard has three round dials, the right-hand one with a colour trip computer. The three-spoke multi-function steering wheel adjusts for height only, which the old 1cars text counted among the drawbacks. Rear passengers get generous legroom and headroom.

In China the 720 came in four trim levels: Basis, Standard, Luxury and VIP. According to the old 1cars text, the basic car already had air conditioning, ABS with EBD, power steering, central locking, electric windows and heated electric mirrors. Better trims added a touchscreen with navigation, a reversing camera, keyless entry with push-button start, dual-zone climate control and a heated driver's seat.

The boot is very large for the class, at about 620 litres, and the rear seat backs fold to extend it. Fuel goes into a 55-litre tank.

Safety equipment

According to the old 1cars text, the Cebrium has six airbags, ABS with electronic brake-force distribution, a collapsible steering column and a body made with high-strength steel. LED projector headlights were fitted to upper trims. The old text also claimed a five-star C-NCAP crash-test result. We could not confirm that result in a published C-NCAP record, so this page does not list a rating.

Prices and value

At its launch in China in late 2012, the 720 cost 79,800 yuan, or about €9,800 at the exchange rate of the time. A cheaper Comfort trim followed in August 2013 at 66,800–69,800 yuan, about €8,200–8,600. By our calculation, that made the Comfort trim 12–16 % cheaper than the launch price. In export markets, prices depended on local taxes and were not published in euros.

Cebrium against other budget saloons

The Cebrium offered more space and equipment than most cars at its price. Against the Geely Emgrand EC8, its weak point was the lack of an automatic gearbox. To compare two models in detail, open the 1cars comparison tool.