We tested the Lynk & Co 01: mine, yours and ours

• Lynk & Co interview: the formula for fewer cars on the streets and more used

• Strategy Volvo is committed to total control in the manufacture of its models

"Simple, flexible, shareable" are three messages that seem to be in the first layer of the brain of any salesperson these days and Lynk & Co, manufacturer of the Chinese group Geely that works on the technical bases of Volvo, knows that it is a good way. of reaching your target customer.

The first indicators of the brand's entry into Europe are positive (30,000 "associates / customers" in the seven European countries, including Spain, where it has already started activity,

when the goal for 2021 was less than a third), but still There is a long way to go until Lynk & Co is deemed properly established.

Between Netflix and Airbnb

Alain Visser, whom I know well from when he was an executive at General Motors and is now CEO of Lynk & Co, explains to me that "as there are only six clubs in Europe (ndr: the name of Lynk's" cool "spaces, very sustainable and totally different from each other to respect their essence ...),

of our associates / clients have already done ".

You can choose to buy the vehicle (35,000 to 40,500 euros, in the case of this 261 CV version) or make a monthly "subscription", which costs 500 euros, which includes maintenance, insurance and 1,250 kilometers per month.

(from which you have to pay 15 cents / km and if you travel a shorter distance, you accumulate km for the following month).

The car can be shared with whoever you want

(for a value defined between the parties) and the subscription can be canceled after just one month.

Let's face it ... there are communications operators or private televisions that make the cancellation of the contract much more difficult.

It is not surprising, therefore, that Visser considers Lynk & Co to

This in half a dozen markets where it is already present (including Spain), because in China (where the eighth Lynk & Co model has just been launched) cars are sold in a more "traditional" way:

explains the laid-back Belgian executive.

In a 'combat' segment

At 4.57 meters in length, the 01 enters directly into the competitive SUV-C segment.

(reminiscent of the Porsche Cayenne), a perception that is also helped by the proportions.

It uses the same Geely Group CMA platform as the Volvo XC40,

although it was released earlier and is almost 12 cm longer and 3.5 cm higher (in width they are almost the same), being also larger (by 3.2 cm) the wheelbase of the Lynk.

This means there is

outperforming the PHEV versions of the Audi Q3, matching the VW Tiguan and well below the Hyundai Tucson

mainly due to batteries that are almost double those of the Volvo (17.6 vs 10.7 kWh of gross capacities).

More electric autonomy than the XC40

That makes it reach 70 km of zero emissions autonomy in the city

(the car I drove had 77 at the beginning of the test), while the Volvo does not exceed 41-45 km in the WLTP average and 51-55 in the city .

with the aggravation that it can only be done at 3.7 kW, less than most rivals: it is best to always have

.

Upon entering the 01, the immediate feeling is that it is a well-built, "grown-up" car, something that comes from its umbilical connection to Volvo, of course.

although in some areas only superficially.

Also the materials and finishes in the upper area (next to the lighting) are of a good standard, but it

(it is flat at the bottom, the rim is thick and small diameter).

Reasonable space interior

The seats have integral head restraints, have sufficient lateral support, are comfortable without being too soft. The door bags are large and have rubber on the floor, as does the glove box, and some controls are familiar to Volvo, such as the climate and audio volume (physical), which is positive.

The center screen (touch and 12.7 ")

is slightly directed towards the driver

The gearbox is seven-speed dual-clutch automatic and we have three driving modes:

However, there is no way to adjust the parameters, which means that you cannot have the lightest steering with the engine with a sportier response, for example.

The space behind is wide, both in height (despite the panoramic roof) and in length, but width is more recommended for two adult occupants,

since the central square is somewhat annoying due to the tunnel in the central floor, something normal in plug-in hybrids built on combustion engine car platforms.

Dynamics with ups and downs

Combining the powers of the 179 hp / 265 Nm petrol engine and the 82 hp / 160 Nm electric motor (front mounted), exactly the same as the XC40 "prime",

however laden it is with the weight of batteries.

Importantly, the instantaneous delivery of torque (electric) as soon as we accelerate and the low inertia of the 3-cylinder engine help the plug-in 01 respond nimbly to throttle requests:

confirm that it is an unrivaled SUV, with speed recoveries that benefit from the box of changes, of operation "smoothed" by the electrical propulsion.

The 3-cylinder block never has that mower sound of some engines of this type,

but when it comes to the sounds coming into the cabin, there is an unpleasant aerodynamic noise coming from the left wing mirror. Like the feel of the brake pedal, which I had a hard time getting used to.

Lynk & Co says that this

(with independent axles, multi-link rear)

The Chinese brand also says that the steering is more direct than that of the Swedish cousin, but the 2.75 turns from lock to lock confirm that this is not very obvious.

making it difficult to manage when we really want to use the final part of the gas pedal to link the two power sources.

for urgent acceleration situations (in other words, there is a kickdown ... but it is not clear when it acts).

Browser with progress margin

Navigation on board is sometimes misleading because it is a bit slow and more than once I entered the wrong road, especially in the city.

which seems to make little sense. Then they explained to me that "Frank" (that's the name of the "assistant") has a voice that

An argument that, honestly, tires me.

Connectivity and infotainment are specific to Lynk, unlike the path recently followed by Volvo, which began installing Google's platform in its cars. This option had nothing to do with the diplomatic problem between China and the US and

could be useful considering that many users will be within 01 less time than I was testing it.

I finished the approximately 100 kilometers of route with an average consumption of

, but the combination of highway and empty battery (at which point the gasoline engine has to carry the car alone on their backs) never help to contain consumption.

Conclusions.

The positioning of the price

(about 10,000 euros below what the plug-in hybrid XC40 costs with the same mechanics)

Although, in Europe, Lynk & Co is installing a business model based on

that circulate in the first seven European markets followed this channel) which represents a monthly fee of 500 euros .

.. The extended electric range works in your favor, in the same way that the weak on-board charger does.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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