Geely’s newly founded car brand, Lynk & Co previewed a mid-sized, tech-laden SUV called the 01 in October last year. This is completely in line with Chinese carmaker’s announcement earlier that they will roll out an SUV and a sedan in its initial years.
The 01 SUV will hit the Chinese car market in fourth quarter of this year and North American and European markets in 2019. Now, Lynk & Co has taken the wraps off the new 03 sedan concept at the 2017 Shanghai Auto Show.
Related: Geely’s Lynk & Co Launches New ‘01’ SUV
Although being positioned as a concept cat, the 03 sedan appears to be production ready, and is said to hit the Chinese car market in 2018. The design elements are all cued from the 01 SUV, along with the underpinnings. The 03 is employs Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platform first seen under the 01 Concept. The CMA is jointly developed by Volvo and Geely and thus will also form a base for the upcoming 40-series from Volvo – the S40, V40 and the XC40.
The 03 Concept looks rather appealing with its muscular three-box design and a beefy stance. The front and the rear motif have all been scrounged from the 01, thus lending a similar family face to both the cars. The chunky set of alloys sits snugly inside the wheel arches, while the roof has an all-black treatment. The integrated dual exhaust tip lends a sporty air to it.
On the inside, the 01 influence continues with a similar cabin. Apart from the center stack, everything from the steering wheel, air vents, large infotainment screen, gear lever and dashboard, seem to have been borrowed from the 01 SUV. The 03 sedan will also have access to Volvo’s wide array of safety and driver’s assistance systems.
Available engine options are a 1.5 liter three-cylinder engine with about 180hp, a 1.5 liter plug-in hybrid with about 220hp, and a 4-cylinder 2.0 liter turbo with 240hp.
Related: Lynk & Co Aims to Sell 500,000 Cars a Year at Extremely Competitive Prices
Lynk & Co also intends to go after the car-sharing market right out of the gate, with what it is calling “the world’s first in-car digital share function.” It has developed an app with Ericsson that uses digital keys, and personalized settings including seating positions and stereo memory presets are expected to be part of a user’s profile so that they can be transferred seamlessly from vehicle to vehicle. The company announced plans to have a public demonstration of this new app-based tech at a Shanghai Auto Show, and also announced a lifetime warranty on every car, as well as free data usage for connectivity purposes.
All of this is nothing if not ambitious. But with the financial backing and manufacturing expertise of one of China’s biggest car companies, Geely, combined with the advanced safety and design expertise of Volvo, it would appear that Lynk & Co may actually have a better chance at long-term success than legions of other startup automakers.
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
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