Geely’s newly founded car brand, Lynk & Co previewed a mid-sized, tech-laden SUV called the 01 in October last year. This is completely in line with Chinese carmaker’s announcement earlier that they will roll out an SUV and a sedan in its initial years. And now, Lynk & Co has taken the wraps off the new 03 sedan concept ahead of its global debut at the 2017 Shanghai Motor Show.
Although being positioned as a concept cat, the 03 appears to be production ready. The design elements are all cued from the 01 SUV, along with the underpinnings. Although not officially disclosed by the carmaker yet, the 03 is expected to employ the Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) first seen under the 01 Concept. The CMA is jointly developed by Volvo and Geely and thus will also form a base for the upcoming 40-series from Volvo – the S40, V40 and the XC40.
The 03 Concept looks rather appealing with its muscular three-box design and a beefy stance. The front and the rear motif have all been scrounged from the 01, thus lending a similar family face to both the cars. The chunky set of alloys sits snugly inside the wheel arches, while the roof has an all-black treatment. The integrated dual exhaust tip lends a sporty air to it. On the inside, the 01 influence continues with a similar cabin. Everything, right from the steering wheel, air vents, large infotainment screen, gear lever and dashboard, seem to have been borrowed from the 01. The 03 sedan will also have access to Volvo’s wide array of safety and driver’s assistance systems.
We have little access to its technical details, but we hear that the new sedan will be powered by a Volvo-derived 1.5-litre engine or a 2.0-litre turbocharged unit with anything between 180-240bhp. A plug-in hybrid powertrain is also on the cards. The car will boast of all the “connected” features showcased at the launch of the 01.
Speaking of the 01, Lynk & Co will also showcase the production spec of the SUV alongside the 03 at the Shanghai stage.
The production-ready model of both the cars will initially go on sale in China after the launch of the 01 late this year. The 01 is expected to debut in US and European debut by 2019, so the 03 sedan will likely arrive sometime around the end of the decade.
