Link & CO 01: the first model of the digital era

The Chinese carmaker Geely, owner of Volvo Cars, has unveiled its new brand Link & Co and its first SUV model, the 01.

The Link & Co 01, the first model in the range, is an SUV that will go on sale in China from 2017. It will later arrive in Europe and the United States in 2018. The 01 will feature a connectivity system that allows owners to share the car with other users on a rental basis. Its exterior styling is quite similar to that of some of its rivals, such as the Porsche Macan or the Volvo CX40. The front headlights bear a reasonable resemblance to those of the Macan, and the rear line of the car seems taken from its neighbour, the CX40. In addition, the interior of the 01 shares the same style and finish as Volvo cars. Given that Link & Co belongs to the same group as Volvo, the brands may share not only design elements but also mechanical ones. It would therefore not be surprising if the Link & Co 01 were to use an engine from its sister brand.

One of the goals of this new company is to redefine the way cars are consumed and sold. With this in mind, Link & Co will deliver the vehicles it sells to the customer’s own home and will collect them from the same place for servicing. In addition, the brand promises very competitive prices on its models thanks to savings in distribution costs, as most of its vehicles will be sold online.

As the brand’s own name suggests, “link and company” (Link & Co), connectivity is one of the basic pillars on which this company has been built: “The rest of the manufacturers are trying to adapt to the digital era, but we were born digital,” say the people at Link & Co.