Sandero's rival has a tough challenger: meet the Livan X3 Pro, an urban SUV from China ready to shake up the market

We have a new Chinese brand on our market, bringing the total to more than 20… and counting. It is called Livan, one of the six brands the Invicta Motor Group sells in Spain, and it arrives with a first model, the X3 Pro, an urban SUV 4 metres long, which in early 2025 will be joined by the Livan X6 Pro, a C-segment SUV measuring 4.5 metres in length with a 1.5 Turbo engine producing 180 CV. That will not be the end of it: also in 2025 the Livan RL7 should arrive, a 100% electric SUV, which in 2026 will have a variant with a “range extender“.

But before we delve into the X3 Pro, let’s get to know Livan a little better, just a few brushstrokes. This young brand – the Chinese create brands the way we make churros here – was born in 2022 from the union of Lifan Technology and Geely Auto. And speaking of Geely is already talking about heavyweights: it belongs to Geely Holding Group, which has been among the main companies in the Fortune Global 500 for 11 consecutive years. In particular, Geely is not only the largest shareholder of Mercedes-Benz, but Geely Auto has brands under its full or partial control such as Aston Martin, Lotus, Lynk & Co, Polestar, Volvo or Zeekr. In addition to three in-house R&D centres in China, Geely has three more in the United Kingdom, Germany and Sweden.

Livan X3 Pro: an urban SUV from 14,995 euros

In its presentation as a brand on the Spanish market with the X3 Pro as its first model, Livan points squarely at the Dacia Sandero Stepway as its main rival. And speaking of the Dacia Sandero means two things: on the one hand, that we are talking about a brand that clearly comes to compete on price; and on the other… that it has a tough task ahead, since the Sandero is hard to beat and, moreover, there are already many options in this category.

What are the strong points of the Livan X3 Pro? Well, an eye-catching design, more than adequate habitability with a large boot capacity for its small exterior size, comprehensive standard equipment, a 5-year or 100,000 km warranty and simple mechanics, the kind that, a priori, should not cause complications. And, of course, the price: it is available from 16,995 euros, which drops to 14,995 euros if you finance the purchase through the brand’s finance company. But let’s take it step by step.

The Livan X3 Pro measures 4 metres in length, 1.76 metres in width and 1.57 metres in height, with a wheelbase of 2.48 metres. As I said, habitability is good for its size, but what stands out above all is the deep boot, with 400 litres of capacity. The ground clearance of 185 mm allows it to “get around” the obstacles of the urban jungle, and even make a few forays off the asphalt along well-kept tracks and paths.

The engine of the Livan X3 Pro is a naturally aspirated 1.5-litre direct-injection petrol unit, rather modest in its performance figures: 103 CV at 5,600 rpm and 140 Nm of torque at 4,400 rpm. With these figures, performance cannot shine either: it needs 13 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h and reaches a top speed of 170 km/h. In any case, with this engine the X3 Pro has more than enough to move agilely in urban traffic… if you are quick and decisive with the gear changes, which is a five-speed. It is one of those cars that is driven “like the old ones”, since with little thrust, without supercharging and without any kind of electrification, it requires keeping the engine revving high at all times.

The good news is that, if you do it that way, it responds with a certain vigour. The bad news is that this kind of driving requires some attention and has a negative impact on fuel consumption. We can say the engine does its job… and so does the chassis, with steering – electrically assisted, by the way – that does not feel “soft”, suspensions that seem to swallow potholes well and generally adequate insulation. I would even say that, as it comes from the factory, the X3 Pro’s chassis would happily accept an engine with more “character”. To close the dynamic chapter, we can conclude that the X3 Pro is a car that, without showing off, gets the job done.

Cabin: simple and functional

Inside, the X3 Pro also stands out for a design that prioritises simplicity and functionality. The dashboard materials are hard plastic, although visually it tries to imitate leather upholstery, even down to its stitching. But no, it is all plastic. The good news is that there are no complaints regarding fit and finish, with no rattles or creaks of any kind. The seats are upholstered in a synthetic leather that does not feel bad to the touch. The touchscreen of the multimedia system measures 8 inches, although it does not support Android Auto or CarPlay; the phone’s content can only be replicated on the screen through a “mirror” function, with the “CarbitLink” system. Below the screen, conventional controls are kept for the main functions.

Among the standard equipment, the X3 Pro comes with air conditioning, LED headlights, roof rails, a rear parking camera, cruise control, two USB ports, hill-start assist and rear parking sensors.

The price, less than 15,000 euros when financing the purchase, is attractive. But there is more competition than it seems among urban SUVs. If we talk about cars purely for the city, Toyota offers the Aygo X Cross from 15,000 euros, although it is smaller – 3.7 metres – and less powerful – 72 CV. With a similar size and an 83 CV three-cylinder engine that gets the job done, the Suzuki Ignis starts from 18,300 euros, but comes with interesting discounts. A Dacia Sandero Stepway has the same size as the X3 Pro and costs 15,000 euros with the 90 CV engine. And a Citroën C3 Aircross, also 4 metres long with a 101 CV engine, is offered from 18,990 euros without possible discounts. Not forgetting another Chinese car that has already shown what can be achieved with an unbeatable value-for-money ratio: the MG ZS, larger and generally more car than the Livan X3 Pro, and available from under 17,000 euros.

Livan X3 Pro – Image gallery