Lifan X80 2018 spied on tests in Victoria

The Lifan Motors "LLL" badge is clearly visible on the tailgate of this X80, caught in northeast Victoria.

An undisguised example of Lifan Motors' X80 passed factory testing in Victoria last week, with the Chinese automaker likely importing a left-hand drive mule for transmission calibration by Australia's Drivetrain Systems International (DSI).

Spotted in northeast Victoria with local license plates, the X80 takes on flagship duties in the Lifan range and is a large seven-seater SUV similar to the Haval H8 or Hyundai Santa Fe.

The brand uses six-speed automatic transmissions designed in Victoria and built in China by DSI, which has been a subsidiary of Chinese car manufacturer Geely Automobile since 2009.

It is not yet known whether the company is going to release models in Australia.

Initially released in front-wheel drive only, the X80 is expected to get an all-wheel drive option, which may explain why it was tested in Australia.

Equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, the X80 develops 135 kW of power and 286 Nm of torque, and is 4820 mm long and 1930 mm wide.

After launching in China in March, the X80 will be exported next year to markets including Russia, the Middle East and South America.

Lifan is already present in these markets, offering small passenger cars and SUVs.

It is not yet known if the company plans to release models in Australia, where several Chinese brands such as LDV, Great Wall, MG, Haval and Foton already compete.

For what it's worth, the Lifan name and logo have been trademarked by Down Under for the past nine years.

Even though previous X80 models had the "Lifan" badge on the tailgate, the example in this image has the automaker's "LLL" logo.

DSI engineers often import trial vehicles to check transmission calibration, such as a camouflaged Geely car filmed earlier this year that was later shown as a concept at the Shanghai Auto Show.

Formerly known as Borg Warner, DSI made transmissions at its Albury plant for companies such as Ford Australia.

He also supplied transmissions to Mahindra and SsangYong before Geely closed the Australian plant in 2009 and production was moved to China. Nevertheless, the DSI engineering center southeast of Melbourne, in Springvale, survived.

According to the Lifan website, the X80's chassis was honed at British car development center MIRA.

Like Geely and Great Wall, Lifan Motors is a private company listed on the stock exchange, as opposed to public corporations.

Notably, this likely rules out chassis development by Victorian-based Premcar, which has worked on Chinese vehicles from Geely and ZX Auto, among others.

Lifan Group's subsidiary, Lifan Motors, was founded in Chongqing, western China, in 2003. It manufactures a variety of vehicles, including passenger cars, SUVs, motorcycles, and small light commercial vehicles.

Like Geely and Great Wall, Lifan Motors is a private company listed on the stock exchange, unlike state-owned corporations such as SAIC Motor, FAW and Beijing Auto.

Over the past decade, Geely has actively expanded its portfolio of automotive brands, acquiring Volvo, Proton and Lotus, as well as creating the export brand Lynk & Co, focused primarily on Western markets.

In Chongqing, Lifan sits in the shadow of another Chinese auto giant, Changan, whose joint venture partners include Ford, Mazda and Suzuki, among others.