In an effort to expand outside of its home market, the Chinese automaker Geely that owns Volvo Cars has rolled out a new brand in the global market today. To be christened as Lynk & Co, it will do collaborative endeavours via Chinese financial and manufacturing muscle and an international team of Sweden based engineers and designers with a view to extracting the best out of it. Well, the first out of them has already been on the ground under the moniker of Lynk&Co 01. The mid-size SUV is claimed to be “the most connected car to date” and will make its way to market sometime next year.
On Wednesday, Lynk & Co has also organized an event in Berlin, that was headed by Geely’s founder and chairman, the Chinese entrepreneur Li Shufu. According to the reports, the model will be designed and engineered in Sweden and will get an electrified powerhouse. Furthermore, the company will share most of its technology and platform with Swedish based manufacturer Volvo. Similarly, the 01 SUV also stands on the Compact Modular Architecture that will be seen with the upcoming Volvo XC40 SUV.
On the mechanical front, it is likely to carry a range of transverse mounted 2.0-liter four-cylinder and 1.5-liter three-cylinder units sourced from Volvo family. Transmission duties will be performed by either a 6-speed manual or a seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission options. The report further suggests that a plug-in hybrid version of the same will be released soon after the launch of both the said units along with electric drive as well. In terms of the dimensions, it measures 4.6-meter long. As the Chinese market cares more about the legroom space against the boot lid space, it has come along with a longer wheelbase too.
“Our industry has been refining design and engineering successfully for decades,” said Senior Vice-President Alain Visser, “but not so much the distribution and ownership model. Our customers’ values and preferences have evolved dramatically. It is time for us to step into the future.”
Following the details, 01 SUV is reported to get a list of premium specs with an aim to “address the needs and preferences of the new global and connected generation.” What’s more in this car is that it will always get an internet facility and be connected with its own cloud. A standard share button will enable the owners to control, monitor and share their vehicle through smartphone and from the car. “Our aim is to enrich and simplify ownership by redefining how cars are bought, owned, connected, serviced and used,” further added by Visser.
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