Lynk & Co, the iconoclastic girl of Volvo and Geely, arrives in France

Lynk & Co already sells more than 100,000 vehicles per year in China. Photos: Fabrice Bolusset

Lynk & Co 01 test: our opinion behind the wheel of the SUV at 500 euros per month

The young Chinese brand – Volvo ally – offers her first vehicle in France. Is this rechargeable hybrid SUV convincing ?

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The 01 is the first vehicle distributed in France by the Chinese brand Lynk & Co. Photos: Fabrice Bolusset

The finish and ergonomics are among the highlights of 01. Photos: Fabrice Bolusset

With 1,879 kg, the Lynk & Co 01 weighs heavy. Photos: Fabrice Bolusset

In curve, the machine is secure if not dynamic. Photos: Fabrice Bolusset

No option is offered. The panoramic roof is thus present as standard. Photos: Fabrice Bolusset

Rear passengers benefit from USB and USB-C ports. Photos: Fabrice Bolusset

Digital institutions spread over 12 inches. Too bad to have put the speed in so small ! Photos: Fabrice Bolusset

The central screen is easy to handle if not very fast. Photos: Fabrice Bolusset

The Lynk & Co brand offers its vehicle without commitment for 500 euros per less or cash at 41,500 euros. Photos: Fabrice Bolusset

Lynk & Co already sells more than 100,000 vehicles per year in China. Photos: Fabrice Bolusset

Boomerang rear lights are distinguished by their complex graphics. Photos: Fabrice Bolusset

Double optics may surprise. Photos: Fabrice Bolusset

Small feature of 01: We can distinguish days and indicators from the driver’s seat. Photos: Fabrice Bolusset

Test

A car without obligation is now possible. Lynk & Co offers on our market its Peugeot 3008 SUV Format, for A “package” of 500 euros per month. And this, unconditional. Only constraint stated: do not exceed the 1,250 km mark per month. Any terminal traveled beyond this limit is billed 15 cents.

To facilitate deliveries from Asia, the vehicle is offered in only two colors : black and electric blue. Small colored touches on the rims or frames skillfully enliven the silhouette. Assessed in the very recent Volvo/Polestar/Lynk & Co of Luqiao (China), this XC40 T5 cousin stands out from it, with an increased length of 10 centimeters. All in muscle, this Lynk & Co 01 does not take the eye, even if the agreement between a very “muscle car” grille and a typical Porsche hood can surprise at first glance.
Another surprise by slipping into the driver’s armchair: we see in our field of vision the days of days (and indicators). The driving position can be adjusted electrically while the steering wheel moves in height and in depth. Classic ergonomics – Start -Stop button, report control lever, bizone air conditioning command via rotary selectors – will reassure the least technophile. If it does not offer any options, the 01 is well endowed with standard with digital instrumentation, a large panoramic roof, automatic tailgate or heated front seats. Only major equipment missing at the call: the 360 ​​° camera. It’s a shame because the sound signals in maneuver are not precise.
Consolation batch: a modern presentation and a very correct finish. L’12.7 -inch central screen offers a nice definition, Even if it is reactivity is just average. Accessible with a key located on the steering wheel, the voice command understands the instructions well and even adds a touch of humor in its answers (“I cannot answer this request, but I note it on my list of things to do “). Bicolore recycled nylon seats are more pleasant to the eye than to touch. They offer satisfactory support.
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At the back, passengers have a Very nice knee space and USB and USB-C sockets for their electronic devices. On the other hand, the trunk disappoints. Its volume (466 liters) is correct but the very high threshold does not facilitate everyday life. The floor lifts and reveals an XXL space for charging cables.
A nice autonomy in 100 % electric
The hold is amputated by the 17.6 kWh lithium-ion battery (Net capacity: 14.1 kWh). It is much more than on the Volvo XC40 T5 (10.7 kWh) and authorizes a theoretical autonomy in pure – 100 % electric – 69 km mode. It is much better than the Swedish cousin, which cannot exceed 45 km in the mixed cycle.
During our road test, Lynk & Co has traveled nearly 60 terminals before arriving at the minimum level of accumulators On a course mixing agglomeration and fast way in freezing weather (from 0 to 3 ° C). In the meantime, the 3-cylinder 180 hp had only woken up three times During sustained accelerations. The transitions between the thermal block and the electric motor (81 hp) are carried out in all delicacy on this traction.

Once the battery is drained, the consumption indicated by the instrumentation handset has not gone beyond reason. On a 500 km loop mixing city, road and highway, we have Reading 6.7 liters/100 km. We are far from the 10 liters affected by MG EHS, another rechargeable hybrid SUV from the People’s Republic.
A peaceful character
The Lynk & Co suffers from a very high mass. With 1,879 kg on the scale, 01 does not promise much on the dynamic side. To avoid rolls and curve pitch, the engineers were forced to adopt a firm adjustment of the suspensions. The most sensitive backs will regret it during passages in the nests of the low -speed pool, especially since the 20 -inch pneumatic ride does not help the case. Things are clearly improved in terms of comfort beyond 60 km/h, especially since soundproofing is one of the best in the segment. Another strong point: a well -calibrated adaptive regulator.
If the machine brakes straight and strong, the feeling in the medium pedal is imprecise. This is a recurring disease in “PHEV” (see for example our long test of the Peugeot 508 225 Hybrid). With a flexible but not very informative direction, do not expect a particularly pleasant “road touch”. In a straight line, The 261 cuméed are present (0 to 100 km/h in 8 seconds), but the level of load of the battery can make the torque oscillate when the right dull is heavy with empty empty. The 01 is savoring more at stabilized rhythm for daily journeys.
Lynk & Co Announcement A recharge from 0 to 100 % in 5 hours on a 3.3 kW terminal. Sufficient for pendulum journeys, a little “just” for long epics. But there too, it’s the rechargeable hybrid game. At 41,500 euros “cash”, the 01 displays a competitive rate compared to the Citroën C5 Aircross and other Ford Kuga Phev and benefits from the bonus of 1,000 euros allocated until the summer of 2022 with rechargeable hybrids. It is especially placed far below its semi-premium rivals like the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid 225… and the Volvo XC40 T5 recharge !

Notice

• Interesting concept
• Nice endowment of equipment
• Convincing electrical autonomy

• Too high mass
• Lack of dynamism
• Too fair on -board charger

Price and range

Lynk & Co 01
Version tried: 41,500 euros
From: 41,500 euros
Average manufacturer’s consumption/During the test (l/100 km): 1.2/6.7
CO2 (g/ km)/ bonus: 27/1000 euros
Tax power: 10 CV
Country of manufacture: China
Range offered:
Rechargeable hybrid, 261 hp, 41,500 euros

Technical sheet

Engine: 3-cylinder online, 12 valves, direct injection, turbo, 1,477 cc + electric motor
Transmission: robotic double clutch, 7 reports + ar
Battery: 17.6 kWh, lithium-ion
Tank (L): 42
Cumulative power (CH to rpm): 261 hp (180 hp thermal, 81 hp electric)
Couple (Nm to rpm): 265 to 1,500
Weight (kg): 1,879
Long. x width. high x. (m): 4.54 x 1.85 x 1.69
Shopping (m): 2.73
Maximum speed. (km/h): 210
0 to 100 km/h (km/h): 8.0
Serial tires: 235/45 R20
Test tires: continental ecocontact 6
Box at 5 / to 2 (L):

Competitors

• Citroën C5 Aircross Hybrid 225, 225 hp, rechargeable hybrid, from 40,550 euros
• Ford Kuga Phev, 225 hp, rechargeable hybrid, from 40,000 euros
• MG EHS-PHEV, 258 hp, rechargeable hybrid, from 33,700 euros
• Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Phev, 188 hp, rechargeable hybrid, from 39,990 euros
• Peugeot 3008 Hybrid 225, 225 hp, rechargeable hybrid, from 45,900 euros
• Volvo XC40 T5, 262 hp recharging, rechargeable hybrid, from 47,900 euros

Lynk & Co, the iconoclastic girl of Volvo and Geely, arrives in France

Fruit of the rapprochement between the Chinese Geely and the Swedish Volvo, the Lynk & Co brand is deployed in Europe and will open two stores in Paris next year.

Posted on Nov 2. 2021 at 8:00 am

Fruit of the rapprochement between the Chinese Geely and the Swedish Volvo, Lynk & Co wants to accelerate the cadence. Five years after its launch, the brand, whose cars are developed in Sweden and then made in China in Geely factories, has set itself the goal of reaching a million units sold by two years. Today she claims cumulative sales of 578.000 vehicles, almost all in China.

To pass the milestone in the million sales, Lynk & Co intends to tackle other markets, especially in Asia and the Middle East. A launch of the brand is imminent in Kuwait and Israel. In these countries, the manufacturer intends to carry out the same strategy as in China, by presenting several high -end models for a young, urban and connected clientele.

Objective: the million

A new SUV was presented last week in Shanghai, the first designed on a platform developed by Volvo and also used for the production of a Polestar sporting coupe, another brand coded by the Swedish manufacturer and its Chinese parent company Geely. “The savings and synergies are enormous since the platform represents a large part of the cost of development”, explains Alain Visser, the CEO of Link & Co.

Lynk & Co also intends to accelerate in Europe, where the brand launched last year in full pandemic of COVVI-19. It is on the old continent that the Lynk & Co strategy is the most original: the brand presents itself as a mobility services company. Rather than buying the car, the customer can subscribe to a monthly drill of 500 euros, allowing him to drive 1.250 kilometers, at no other additional costs than petrol. The car is a unique hybrid model, without option, with two colors to choose from. The cost of the package can be reduced if the customer agrees to share the vehicle when he does not use it.

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At this stage, only 3.000 Lynk & Co vehicles run on European roads. Almost 8.000 vehicles have been exported to Europe on the first nine months of the year. “The demand clearly exceeds our capacity”, Assures Alain Visser, according to whom the shortage of components generates a delay of two to three months in the deliveries.

The Netflix of the automobile

Presenting himself as “The automobile Netflix”, Link & Co claims a community of 28.000 members in Europe, “95 % of which opted for the monthly package. This is proof that European customers are ready for this kind of offer ”.

Cars are not sold with dealerships, but on the Internet and Lynk and Co stores in the city center. Two “clubs” will be open in Paris next year as well as others in the provinces, said Alain Visser to “Echos”. The brand also intends to start in the United States by adopting the same model as in Europe.

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