What if they told you that you can have a car without buying it? Or that you can buy a car that makes you money? Lynk & Co comes with a radical proposal for the marketing of cars like the interesting 01 plug-in hybrid that we have already tested.
Lynk & Co. is a young car brand whose parent company is Geely, one of the giants of the Chinese automotive industry. It landed in the Spanish market in the spring of 2021 and now they have opened their first physical space in Spain, which has led me to get to know them in greater depth and, incidentally, try the Lynk & Co 01, its first model, available in a hybrid and plug-in hybrid version. This second variant is the one that has enjoyed the most popularity and the one that will serve as a spearhead to gain a foothold in our country.
The first steps of this manufacturer have been very positive. Despite being a brand still unknown to the general public, Lynk & Co has surpassed 700 registered units and has more than 3,000 users in the Spanish market. Users? Yes that’s how it is. What is most striking about Lynk & Co is the business concept, radically different that of other manufacturers.
It doesn’t matter how many cars are sold but how many people use them. The way of marketing the product is novel because to enjoy a 01 it’s purchasableyou can have a month to month subscription with a monthly fee or can be done punctual reservations similar to a service car sharing. To everyone’s taste.
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For those who want to own a 01, they should know that the purchase process is 100% online. Lynk & Co. does not have traditional dealerships but establishments that function as clubs with the intention of creating a community around the brand. In addition to cars, these spaces also offer drinks, cultural activities and events.
In the club in the center of Madrid it is possible to take a test drive of the 01, although the brand also brings it closer to home (At the moment this service is available in Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid, Malaga, Seville and Valencia). The test drive can be booked online or by phone. For revisions or repairs, Lynk & Co staff is responsible for collecting the car and returning it, as well as supplying an identical replacement vehicle.
The month-to-month subscription modality boasts flexibility. The monthly price is 500 euros, a rate that is identical in any country in Europe and includes maintenance and insurance. There is no permanence and it tries to capture customers interested in paying for use or who prefer an alternative to leasing.
Whether through purchase or monthly subscription, the owner decides if they want to share it and, if so, when and for how much. The availability of that vehicle will appear in the Lynk & Co app and through that app someone can borrow the car. The one who makes the reservation pays for each loan, without monthly installments, and for the owner it is a way of make money with the car.
Test of the Lynk & Co 01 plug-in hybrid
Once we understand the business model of the Chinese manufacturer, let’s move on to driving its star model. What is the Lynk & Co 01 PHEV like? I commented at the beginning that Lynk & Co belongs to Geely, a parent company that also owns Volvo. This relationship is not merely casual, but the Lynk & Co 01, which is manufactured in the Chinese factory in Luqiao, has a common root with the Volvo XC40 with which it shares the CMA platform and some technologies. in a way Lynk & Co is half Chinese half Swedish.
The design is striking, highlighting the led headlights at the top of the hood. There are only two exterior colors to choose from, black or blue, and it is always equipped with 20-inch alloy wheels with blue accents. The charging port is on the left front fender and allows for charging at a maximum of 3.7 kWa full recharge requires about 5 hours.
This plug-in hybrid SUV from 4.54m length It is located in the C-SUV segment and has been the logical choice because it fits in with the brand’s philosophy of flexibility of use: it provides a lot of interior space in a compact size and allows you to enjoy electric mobility without giving up long trips. distance. maximum versatility for any user.
It is important to point out that all the equipment comes as standard, the range is closed and it is only possible to choose between the two exterior color options. Other than that all the cars are identical. This decision has a lot to do with the business concept of Lynk & Co: if all the units are the same, it doesn’t matter if the car is yours or if it is borrowed, you will always find the same thing. Always is your car even if it’s not yours. This obsession with simplification that is even shown in the name of the model should not be surprising: ’01’ to dry.
As there are no trim levels, the Chinese (or Swedish?) manufacturer has arranged a extensive standard equipment which includes keyless entry and start, heated front seats, driver’s seat with power adjustments and memory function, opening panoramic sunroof, wireless charger for smartphones, parking assistant or adaptive cruise control.
The upholstery is made of fabric made with sustainable materials, specifically a type of nylon called Econyl, and the cabin shows good quality both to the eye and to the touch. There are two screens: the digital instrument cluster with a 12.3-inch screen and the 12.7-inch touchscreen multimedia system.
The infotainment system is compatible with Android Auto and wireless Apple Carplay, allows remote software updates and is linked to a Infinity audio system with 10 speakers. Rightly, outside the big screen there are physical controls to adjust the temperature and strength of the air conditioning, turn on the function to defog the windshield, activate the heated rear window and to regulate the volume of the sound system.
The interior also has some peculiar solutions such as the travel camera (travel camera). At Lynk & Co they have thought that if you can share cars you can also share photos and for this reason the 01 has an interior and an exterior camera with which you can take photographs in mode selfie (of the front seats) or the landscape (what is in front of the car). Those images can be downloaded to the mobile phone for easy uploading to social media.
The space has been very well used and the rear seats accommodate passengers over 1.90 m tall without problems. The climate control is dual-zone, so the specific temperature of this second row of seats cannot be regulated, but the occupants will enjoy ventilation outlets, folding armrests, pockets behind the backrests and USB sockets for recharging devices.
Through the electric tailgate you access a trunk that has 466 liters of capacity. The space has a net, two hooks and four rings and under the floor there is a large irregularly shaped compartment ideal for storing charging cables. By folding down the backrest of the rear seats in a 60:40 ratio, cargo volume is increased to 1,231 litres.
On a technical level, the 01 is powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine that delivers 180 hp and 265 Nm of torque and a 60 kW electric motor with a maximum torque of 160 Nm. Together the plug-in hybrid system develops 261 hp and 425 Nm of maximum torque, strong figures.
The system is associated with a seven-speed automatic gearbox and double clutch. It does not have paddles behind the wheel, although it does propose a B mode that increases the intensity of regenerative braking to recover more energy. The ground clearance of 213mm is generous but this SUV does not pretend to show offroad qualities and is always offered with front-wheel drive.
The hybrid system uses a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 17.6 kWh gross (14.1 kWh net). Thanks to her, he can boast of a 69 km electric range according to the WLTP cycle. The driver can decide to keep the battery charge to spend it later or recharge the battery on the go using the combustion engine.
Also proposed are the Pure, Hybrid and Power driving modes. Pure mode prioritizes 100% electric travel as long as there is enough charge in the battery. Hybrid mode automatically optimizes the use of the electric motor and the combustion engine. Power mode develops maximum performance and allows this SUV to exceed 100 km/h from a standstill in 8.0 seconds.
The acceleration is intense when needed and at highway speeds the only sound that penetrates the interior is the aerodynamic one, mainly because of the exterior mirrors, but always in a moderate tone. At a relaxed pace in the city it is quiet and comfortable despite the fact that the damping has a firm setting.
The safety equipment is extensive, once again supported by the link between the brand and Volvo. The 01 has achieved five stars in the Euro NCAP tests and it has lane change assistant, lane departure warning, lane keeping aid, blind spot detection, rear cross traffic alert, traffic jam assistant, highway assistant, automatic change of high and low beams, warning of driver fatigue and recognition of traffic signs, among other elements.
The Lynk & Co 01 plug-in hybrid is on sale for €40,500 although only 10% of the brand’s users have opted for the traditional purchase. To date, 90% of Lynk & Co customers opt for the monthly subscription option, making it clear that the business model has a great future.