Third model in the lineup outed ahead of Beijing.
Lynk&Co, a nascent mass-market brand beneath the Geely umbrella, is lining up its newest model for a debut at the Beijing motor show next year. The 02 crossover will be the third (yes, the third) model to be offered by Lynk&Co, who annoyingly unveiled the 01 SUV and the 03 saloon earlier, just to tick off people with mild OCD (like this writer).
The 02 is built off of the Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platform that was developed in partnership with Volvo, with a wheelbase identical to that of the recently-launched Volvo XC40. The drivetrain will also be familiar to some, as it’ll utilise a variety of powertrains that have been featured most recently in Volvo’s lineup.
The flagship model will likely use a petrol-electric plug-in hybrid setup, which is posited to pack an all-electric range of up to 80km on a single charge. Mated to a three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine and a seven-speed gearbox, with drive predominantly being sent to the front wheels, though all-wheel drive will likely be offered with the plug-in hybrid (with an electric motor driving the rear wheels).
Out of the gates, the Lynk&Co 02 plug-in hybrid will only really offer about 50km of electric driving range, though Autocar suggests that this will get bumped to 80km later on, though no timeline is offered. An all-electric version is planned for the 02 as well, with range being claimed to be around the 600km mark.
Lynk&Co is expected to hit the European market in 2019, with cars leaving dealerships in the UK in the tail-end of that year. The initial lineup will be the 01 SUV, the 02 crossover, and the 03 saloon, with most sales expected to be completed online (like Tesla), though there’s suggestion that most sales will come from the company’s subscription service (broadly similar to Care by Volvo).
There’s been no mention of whether Lynk&Co will be looking towards our market in the future, but with two SUVs in its range, there’s plenty of potential for it. They certainly appear to be maturing design-wise (the 02 here is more cohesive than the 01 SUV that debuted the brand), and if their claims to have a Europe-focused suspension tune are true, they should be a hoot to drive.
Stay tuned to CarShowroom as we bring you more details as they come.
