Volvo Cars’ owner launches new brand Lynk & Co

Using no rule books, no conventions and no traditions a new Chinese-Swedish next-gen vehicle concept is born to cater to the Millennials. The brand new global car brand LYNK & CO is born, addressing the needs and preferences of a global connected generation and challenging car industry conventions. Its products are designed and engineered in Sweden and will be sold globally, in China in 2017 followed by Europe and the U.S.

Its natural habitat is the mega-city and these frantic and culturally diverse places have provided much inspiration.

“Together, we’re changing how we think about cars. How we access them, how we use them and how they fit into our lives. Everything,” states this Geely Auto Group brand as it challenges auto industry conventions.

Based on Compact Modular Architecture (CMA), shared with Volvo Cars its first model in the range will be the Lynk & Co 01 – a bold and tech-laden SUV. This will be followed by models 02, 03 and so forth as a full range – reflecting the brand’s idea of simplifying and challenging industry conventions, right down to model names.

The CMA is an advanced modular architecture capable of accommodating many body styles and sizes – which also underpins Volvo’s new compact car range and many upcoming Geely models.

The brand introduces “a premium, state of the art range of cars – at the most accessible of price points, challenging and redesigning every link in the chain. Our aim is to enrich and simplify car ownership by redefining how they are bought, owned, connected, serviced and used,” says Alain Visser, Senior Vice President of Lynk & Co.

“Our industry has been refining design and engineering successfully for decades – 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 and reinvent the model to become a comprehensive solution for mobility and lifestyle.”

“The design brief was simple: the cars should stand out from the crowd and appeal to a global audience. Acknowledging that our users are extremely tech-savvy – a smartphone is an integral part of their lives and our interior design reflects that and feels familiar in the context of new technology,” says Andreas Nilsson, Head of design.

“We have engineers with decades of experience at some of the world’s best car manufacturers developing the new range of Lynk & Co models. A close working relationship with Geely and Volvo, and years of intense digital and physical testing has delivered really outstanding results. The architecture and the range of powertrains we have developed are state-of-the-art, helping us produce vehicles that are strong, lightweight, efficient, fun to drive and packed full of technology,” says Mats Fägerhag, CEO of CEVT.

The new brand has abandoned the traditional concept of meagre base models and long option lists that create infinite build configurations and costs in manufacturing.

“Every model will have full premium specification and characteristics as standard, and full mobile connectivity as standard – working in partnership with Ericsson and collaborating closely with Microsoft and Alibaba. It will also be the most connected car to date, built around an open API and inviting developers’ creative ideas to enrich the automotive experience. It sets out from the start to be open to outside innovation and aims to be the first organisation in the world to leverage a complete commercial platform, to bring innovative applications and services to the customer.”

All cars will come with a large central touchscreen and telematics systems that are always connected to the internet and the car’s own cloud. The car has a share button, enabling the owner to provide others with access to the vehicle via a shareable digital key. Via the dedicated app they control, monitor and share their car from a smartphone – or directly from the car.

“While other car brands are undergoing a digital transformation, Lynk & Co is born digital. The lack of legacy systems and the ability to build solutions in the cloud enable us to depart from the old model of car sales and service to bring the customer seamlessly through an omnichannel platform, with intuitive interaction at every touchpoint – from researching and purchase and all the way through to owning, sharing, servicing and re-selling,” says David Green, Chief Digital Officer.

The new car brand will come with a range of ultra-efficient powertrains. The engines will allow for fuel economy figures and performance among the best in their class. All models will offer electrified powertrains.

Its efficient business model will deliver significant savings, reflected in highly competitive pricing. Cars will be sold online or in owned stores in strategic retail locations, with fixed and transparent prices. They will then be delivered, and picked up for service, directly at the door of the consumer. And new solutions for car usage and access will be offered – from traditional ownership and leasing to subscription and sharing-membership.

Designed and engineered in Sweden for the global market Lynk & Co will go on sale in China in 2017, followed by Europe and the U.S.