Lifan X50: which version to buy
The Lifan X50 has one generation (from 2015-06-01, stop not measured) and two versions: 1.5 MT and 1.5 CVT. Both are SUV 5-doors, Gasoline, 1498 cm³, 103 hp (76 kW) at 6000 rpm, 133 Nm at 3500–4500, 4 Inline cylinders, 4 valves per cylinder, boost No, Front, transverse, Distributed injection (multi-point), fuel 92, FWD, 0–100 km/h 11 s, tank 42 l, ground clearance 185 mm.
The Lifan X50 has one generation (from 2015-06-01, stop not measured) and two versions: 1.5 MT and 1.5 CVT. Both are SUV 5-doors, Gasoline, 1498 cm³, 103 hp (76 kW) at 6000 rpm, 133 Nm at 3500–4500, 4 Inline cylinders, 4 valves per cylinder, boost No, Front, transverse, Distributed injection (multi-point), fuel 92, FWD, 0–100 km/h 11 s, tank 42 l, ground clearance 185 mm. The choice is not between engines or generations. It is between a 5-speed Manual at 1150 kg kerb / 170 km/h and a Variable at 1175 kg kerb / 160 km/h.
Generations: what changed (one generation, two versions)
1 generation (start 2015-06-01, stop not measured) is the whole catalogue history of the Lifan X50. Body: SUV 5-doors. Versions in this generation: 2.
There is no second generation to compare against, and no restyling dated in the data. Arithmetic between generations is therefore zero: years, body, cylinder count, power, torque, tank, and clearance do not split by “old vs new.” The only split inside 1 generation is 1.5 MT versus 1.5 CVT.
What that split buys: the same 103 hp and 133 Nm, the same 11 s to 100 km/h, and the same 185 mm clearance. What it costs on the numbers: 1.5 CVT is 25 kg heavier at kerb (1175 vs 1150) and 25 kg heavier at gross (1550 vs 1525), and its top speed is 10 km/h lower (160 vs 170). Payload is identical: 1525 − 1150 = 375 kg on 1.5 MT, 1550 − 1175 = 375 kg on 1.5 CVT.
Specs and engine: same powertrain, different gearbox
| Version | hp | Nm | cm³ | Fuel | Cylinders | Layout | Boost | Gearbox | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 MT | 103 | 133 | 1498 | Gasoline, 92 | 4 | Inline; Front, transverse | No | Manual, 5 | FWD |
| 1.5 CVT | 103 | 133 | 1498 | Gasoline, 92 | 4 | Inline; Front, transverse | No | Variable | FWD |
Power per litre is the same on both: 103 ÷ 1.498 ≈ 68.8 hp/l. Specific torque is the same: 133 ÷ 1.498 ≈ 88.8 Nm/l. Peak power rpm is 6000 on both; peak torque is 3500–4500 on both. Valves per cylinder: 4. Injection: Distributed injection (multi-point). Boost: No.
The engine block of the comparison is therefore empty: you are not choosing a stronger or weaker mill. You are choosing how 103 hp and 133 Nm reach the front wheels.
1.5 MT is Manual with 5 gears. 1.5 CVT is Variable; gear count is not measured. Both are FWD. Wheel sizes are not measured on either version.
Front suspension on both: Independent, spring. Rear on both: Semi-independent, springorts hélicoïdaux, sem. Front brakes: Ventilated disc. Rear brakes: Disc. Those chassis labels do not differ by version, so they do not decide the purchase.
Performance and mpg: 11 s on both, 10 km/h between them
0–100 km/h is 11 s on 1.5 MT and 11 s on 1.5 CVT. The extra 25 kg on 1.5 CVT does not show up as a slower recorded sprint in this data.
Top speed does: 170 km/h on 1.5 MT, 160 km/h on 1.5 CVT. Difference: 10 km/h, or 160 ÷ 170 ≈ 94% of the Manual’s peak. If the use case is a posted-speed road, that gap is unused. If the use case is the highest figure in the table, 1.5 MT is the only version that posts 170.
Fuel consumption (city, highway, mixed) is not measured on 1.5 MT. It is not measured on 1.5 CVT. CO2 is not measured on either. Eco class is not measured on either. MPG cannot be ranked from this catalogue: saying one version “uses less fuel” would be a number that is not in the data.
Tank volume is 42 l on both, so range cannot be ranked either without a consumption figure.
Weight per horsepower: 1150 ÷ 103 ≈ 11.17 kg/hp on 1.5 MT; 1175 ÷ 103 ≈ 11.41 kg/hp on 1.5 CVT. Difference: about 0.24 kg/hp, or 1.5 CVT carries ≈ 2.2% more kerb mass per horsepower. That is the only load-vs-power gap in the set, and it still sits next to an identical 11 s 0–100.
Dimensions and weight: 25 kg is the whole package difference
Ground clearance is 185 mm on 1.5 MT and 185 mm on 1.5 CVT. For a SUV 5-doors, that figure does not pick a winner.
Kerb weight: 1150 kg (1.5 MT) vs 1175 kg (1.5 CVT). Gross weight: 1525 kg vs 1550 kg. Both gaps are 25 kg. Payload, as above, is 375 kg either way. The Variable does not buy extra legally usable load; it buys 25 kg of kerb and 25 kg of gross at the same payload.
Tank: 42 l both. Wheels: not measured both. Compression ratio: not measured both. Bore × stroke: not measured both.
So the “dimensions” decision reduces to mass: if you want the lighter kerb, 1.5 MT at 1150 kg. If 25 kg is acceptable for Variable, 1.5 CVT at 1175 kg. Nothing in the data changes length, width, height, or wheel size between them because those sizes are not measured.
Which version to buy and why
There is no generation ladder. Buy inside 1 generation.
Buy 1.5 MT if the numbers you care about are mass and peak speed. It is the lighter car (1150 kg kerb, 1525 kg gross), the only 170 km/h listing, Manual with 5 gears, same 103 hp / 133 Nm / 1498 cm³ Gasoline engine, same 11 s, same 185 mm, same 42 l, same 375 kg payload, FWD. Power-to-weight is the better of the two (≈ 11.17 kg/hp). You are not giving up measured fuel use, because fuel use is not measured on the other version either.
Buy 1.5 CVT if the number you care about is the gearbox type Variable. You keep 103 hp, 133 Nm, 1498 cm³, 4 Inline, boost No, Front, transverse, Distributed injection (multi-point), fuel 92, FWD, 11 s, 185 mm, 42 l, 375 kg payload. You pay 25 kg kerb, 25 kg gross, ≈ 0.24 kg/hp worse mass-to-power, and 10 km/h less top speed (160 vs 170). Gear count is not measured, so you cannot claim a ratio count advantage over the 5-speed Manual; you can only claim Variable versus Manual.
Do not buy “the later generation.” Stop is not measured; there is only 1 generation from 2015-06-01. Do not buy “the more powerful engine.” Both versions are 103 hp and 76 kW. Do not buy “the AWD.” Drive is FWD on both. Do not buy on mpg. City, highway, and mixed consumption are not measured. Do not buy on wheel size. Wheels are not measured. Do not buy on eco class or CO2. Both are not measured.
What extra mass buys: on this data, 25 kg buys Variable and a 160 km/h cap instead of Manual, 5 gears, and 170 km/h. It does not buy more payload, more clearance, a larger tank, a different cylinder count, boost, or a different 0–100 time.
Reliability and problems are not in the launch data, so they are not measured here and cannot rank 1.5 MT against 1.5 CVT. The ranking that is measured is: same engine, same sprint, same tank, same clearance, same payload; Manual is lighter and faster at the top; Variable is heavier and 10 km/h slower at the top.