Two ordinary tomato cans instantly took up the entire 400-liter trunk of the new Livan X3 Pro, leaving only room for two bags of potatoes and a watermelon, and he refused to accept gifts from the garden he grew in the village. It is more expensive for him than for his father-in-law, so bags with belongings and melon fruits had to be loaded into the cabin. It turned out that the first model of the Chinese brand in the Russian market did not fit well with family values and was aimed more at young drivers.
Where exactly did the Livan brand come from? A few years ago, the leader among Chinese automobile companies in Russia was Lifan. Of course you remember. This company went bankrupt in 2017, when the Chinese became the main players in the Russian market. The remnants of Lifan were collected by the Geely holding, which had previously successfully acquired Volvo, as a result of which Lifan turned into a new brand – Livan.
But even though the Livan X3 Pro is not built from scratch, it has nothing in common with those old Lifan’s cars. In 2011, Geely launched the Englon SC5-RV hatchback. After a series of upgrades, by 2017 the Geely Vision X3 was sold as a hatchback, and then became the Livan X3 Pro, with minimal changes to the exterior and slightly larger changes to the interior.
Not faster than 120 km/h
The length of the X3 Pro is only 4 meters (which is almost 30 centimeters less than that of the Kia Rio X-Line hatchback), the ground clearance is 185 mm – with such parameters it is very convenient to maneuver in urban conditions. Risk of damage to the bumpers when parking.
True, you should not expect serious dynamics from X3 Pro. Under the hood, there is a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated engine with 103 hp, powered by CVT. If the vehicle accelerates quite strongly to 40 km/h it suddenly “deflates”. The vehicle is front-wheel drive only.
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Probably, X3 Pro owners on highways will probably have the habit of squeezing the gas pedal to the maximum: acceleration to “hundreds” takes about 14 seconds.
But it is better for the X3 Pro driver not to accelerate above 120 km/h – this is stated in the operating instructions. When this threshold is reached, the vehicle begins to warn with loud signals. The X3 Pro has a “sport” mode, when turned on the shifter allows higher engine speeds, making loud noise but this does not make a noticeable difference in dynamics.
But there is a big plus in savings – the manufacturer allows the use of AI-92 gasoline. It is better to find out fuel consumption by checking receipts, checking mileage: the X3 Pro on-board computer does not display average consumption, only instantaneous consumption. Intensive overtaking and active driving on the highway at speeds above 100 km/h prompt you to look for a gas station every 400 km – consumption in such cases is about 12 liters per “hundred”. In the combined cycle in the city, the vehicle consumes 8-10 liters of fuel per 100 km, which is quite sufficient.
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The steering wheel of the X3 Pro is not very informative, the budget component is obvious: the steering wheel has no sharpness, but this is understandable – the car is not for racing: the hatchback leans when cornering.
The car really showed itself in the Saratov region on country roads with “patches” and holes.
The suspension is energy-intensive, and the way it copes with bumps partly reminds me of Renault Logan and Duster, which in this regard are considered standard budget models for bad Russian roads. Like them, the X3 Pro feels like a crossover – the car smoothes out the roughness of the asphalt without any problems.
Here it is already the king of the roads and can leave every sedan far behind.
At high speeds in a straight line, despite the short wheelbase (2.5 meters), the hatchback holds up well on the road and does not require adjustments with the steering wheel. I really liked the standard disc brakes with sufficient power – the hatchback slows down confidently even with three passengers and fully loaded luggage in the cabin.
chinese format
The modest size of the car is directly reflected in the seating position of the driver and passengers. It was probably designed for riders whose average height is 170 centimeters and below. Since the steering wheel cannot be adjusted for reach, you can either move the seat backwards and straighten your arms, straining your shoulders while steering, or moving the seat forward and disturbing your knees. Adjusting the height of the steering wheel does not play a big role here.
At the same time, even drivers of heavy build will not feel cramped in front, and the ergonomics of the seats will not allow your back to get tired after several hours of continuous driving. Visibility from the driver’s seat deserves praise thanks to the high seating position, and maneuvering in city traffic is very comfortable thanks to the large rear-view mirrors.
The front passenger did not like the hard plastic handle in the central tunnel, which you periodically hit with your left knee on rough roads. My wife noticed a bruise after driving for a few hours. The mistake of Chinese designers was corrected by wrapping the handle with a tee. If it were my car, the handle would bend immediately as it has little practical use.
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Like other budget Chinese cars, the interior of the new X3 Pro smells of phenolic chemicals.
If you get into the cabin a few hours after the car has been standing under the scorching sun, you will feel bad.
The second row of the X3 Pro has enough room for two people who are not planning a long trip. We had only two passengers who, in the second hour of driving, started complaining about the vertical position of the back of the rear sofa and wanted to move the front seats further away. I was pleased with the opportunity to fold the back of the rear row into parts in a ratio of 60:40.
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Budget
If I owned an X3 Pro, I would consider improving the sound insulation. Although the multimedia system does not support Apple Carplay and Android Auto, the driver can still display the image on the device on the screen through manipulation. To do this, the manufacturer recommends downloading the CarbitLink app and connecting your smartphone to the car via cable.
True, this method has its own characteristics: the system copies the screen from the smartphone, so it must always be on and unlocked. Music playback via Bluetooth is unstable, the connection with the phone is sometimes lost (perhaps this problem will be solved in the future with a software update).
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The creators of the X3 Pro enlivened the interior with a bright orange strip running along the entire front panel and a dark blue trim under the windshield. The inserts on the door cards and door handles are also orange.
There is only one configuration so far. In addition to the media system and multifunction steering wheel, the equipment list includes halogen headlights and LED daytime running lights, camera and rear parking sensors, air conditioning, video recorder, ESP system, front airbags, cruise control, keyless entry. and there’s even a little hatch that automatically closes in the parking lot. The front seats are heated.
The cost of Livan X3 Pro without discounts is 1.9 million rubles. This is the only hatchback on the market with a crossover structure and even with an automatic transmission in the segment up to 2 million rubles. On the market for the same money you can find the Haval Jolion crossover, but JAC S3 with manual transmission or CVT. Only the Changan Alsvin sedan on the market with automatic transmission is sold for less than 2 million rubles.
Source: Gazeta
Anika Rood is an author at “Social Bites”. She is an automobile enthusiast who writes about the latest developments and news in the automobile industry. With a deep understanding of the latest technologies and a passion for writing, Anika provides insightful and engaging articles that keep her readers informed and up-to-date on the latest happenings in the world of automobiles.