Lynk & Co compact SUV revealed as core of Chinese brand’s European sales
Chinese brand is using Volvo architecture to build range of youth-orientated cars with innovative ownership prospects
Chinese car manufacturer Lynk & Co has revealed the 02 SUV – bringing its model line-up to three ahead of its European launch next year.
The compact vehicle uses the same Volvo XC40 platform as the 01 SUV but is a smaller crossover model that the company says “sits at the absolute centre of our brand”. A saloon car called 03 completes the line-up.
Lynk & Co head of design Andreas Nilsson said: “Sporty, adventurous, dynamic, daring, confident and fun, the 02 sits at the absolute centre of our brand.
The manufacturer’s cars will be available using an innovative ownership model, where buyers pay a monthly subscription for packages that offer a variety of services such as breakdown cover and maintenance.
It is expected that the vast majority of sales will be made through the company’s website – Lynk & Co claims the first 6,000 examples of its 01 SUV sold out in just over two minutes last year when it went on sale in China – but it has indicated that a number of ‘offline’ stores will be opened in shopping precincts rather than having traditional dealership locations.
Alain Visser, Lynk & Co senior vice-president, said: “Sales started in China late last year, and we quickly established Lynk & Co as a very hot property in cities from Beijing to Shanghai.
“We intend to make a similar impact in our home European cities with Lynk & Co’s innovative approach to buying, using and owning personal mobility.”
