Lynk & Co 01, the most connected SUV in the world, will be unveiled in April

The first production vehicle from Lynk & Co will make its public debut next April at the Shanghai Motor Show. The crossover will be called Lynk & Co 01 and will reach the Chinese market in the fourth quarter of 2017. According to the Chinese company, it will be the most connected vehicle in the world.

The first units of the Lynk & Co 01 will be offered in a hybrid version, thanks to a three-cylinder, 1.5-litre petrol engine that will be accompanied by a small electric motor. The specifications of this powertrain have not yet been revealed, although it has been confirmed that the crossover will have another, larger engine – a 2.0-litre four-cylinder – manufactured by Volvo.

Although the mechanics of the Lynk & Co 01 will not be its most revolutionary aspect, its connectivity will be. The Chinese carmaker claims that its new crossover will be the most connected vehicle in the world; it will always be connected to the Internet and the cloud, and it will also include an application programming interface that will allow several vehicle functions to be adjusted. The 01 incorporates a carsharing feature that announces to other users its availability for rental when the owner is not using the vehicle.

The initial plan of Lynk & Co was for the commercialisation of the new crossover to reach Europe and the United States in 2018; however, we will have to wait until 2019 for this to happen, for reasons that are unknown. In addition to the 01, Lynk & Co is expected to present two new models to its range – the 02 and 03 – which will include new SUV vehicles and a saloon.