New Spy Shots showing the Lynk & Co 01 SUV testing in China. Lynk & Co is a new brand under Geely, set to compete with the likes of Toyota and Volkswagen. It will be aimed at the young, with fancy electronics, an AirBNB-like share function, and shiploads of apps to download.
Lynk logo on the steering wheel, without & Co. Geely has stated the 01 will hit the Chinese car market in Q4 2017 but we think they are fooling us. The 01 looks ready to roll; expect the production version to launch on the Shanghai Auto Show in April.
The 01 SUV is based on the new Volvo-Geely CMA platform, which will also underpin the upcoming new Volvo 40-Series, which was previewed by the 40.1 and 40.2 concept cars.
Engines are from Volvo: a 1.5 liter three-cylinder engine with about 180hp, a 1.5 plug-in hybrid with about 220hp, and a four-cylinder 2.0 turbo with 240hp.
Price will range from 130.000 to 190.000 yuan ($19.000 – 28.000) In China the Link & Co cars will be sold via a separate dealer network. Eventually the brand will be exported to Europe and the U.S. but when exactly is very unclear at the moment.
After the 01 (code named CX11) another three cars will be launched, all based on the CMA platform: a sedan code named CS11, a hatchback code named CH11, and a crossover code named CC11.
The instrument panel is party analogue and partly digital. The 10.1 inch screen is angled to the driver, which is cool in a BMW-kinda way but uncool for the passenger. Manual ‘box in this car.
Boomerang taillights look cool. Fog lights in a shiny frame; it is still a Chinese car after all.
