Car making giant has revealed its plans to launch a new brand Down Under that could change the way we buy and own cars forever.
A flash new Chinese car brand is planning an Aussie assault.
Lynk & Co, which is owned by Volvo’s Chinese parent company Geely, plans to expand into Australia by 2025.
Geely recently announced a new strategy to boost sales by 2025, which includes an expansion into Australia and New Zealand.
Lynk & Co has several models for sale in China and has recently launched in Europe with its Co 01 compact SUV. It is expected to launch in the UK, a fellow right-hand drive market, in 2022.
The brand’s vehicles share their underpinnings with Volvo. The Co 01 currently on sale in Europe is based on the Volvo XC40 SUV.
Lynk & Co’s vehicles combine svelte styling with hi-tech interiors and Volvo’s tried and tested mechanical engineering.
The Co 01 is offered as a conventional hybrid and a plug-in hybrid, but expect a fully electric version in the near future, as there is now a battery-powered XC40 Recharge on sale.
Lynk & Co has a unique sales model that cuts out dealerships and sells vehicles directly to customers online.
In Europe, it is trialling a subscription model, where customers pay a monthly fee for use. The flat fee includes insurance, registration and roadside assistance.
Owners can reduce how much they pay by sharing their vehicle with other members, charging them a usage fee.
The Co 01 plug-in hybrid variant uses a turbocharged three-cylinder engine and an electric motor making a combined 195kW. The motor is powered by a 14kWh lithium-ion battery.
The company claims it will drink just 1.2L/100km.
It can be driven for up to 69km on pure electric power and takes up to five hours to charge via an installed home AC wallbox charger.
The conventional hybrid – which uses the same set-up as popular vehicles such as the Toyota RAV4 hybrid – makes do with the same engine and smaller electric motor, powered by a 0.7kWh battery. Fuel use is rated at 6.6L/100km.
Geely plans to sell more than 3.6 million cars by 2025 and to cut emissions by 25 per cent in the same period.
It has developed a range of full electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles including long-range plug-in hybrids that have an electric-only range of 200km.
Originally published as Lynk & Co reveals plans to launch in Australia
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