The Lynk & Co 01 crossover will make its public
debut at April’s Shanghai Auto Show before it hits the Chinese market in the
Q4 2017.
The Geely-owned company
had initially planned to offer it for sale in Europe and the United States in
2018. Those plans have been pushed back to 2019 for unknown reasons.
The 01 will be offered exclusively with a
1.5-liter three-cylinder petrol engine working in conjunction with a small
electric motor. No power outputs have been publicized but it was initially
reported at the car’s online debut in October that it would also receive a
Volvo-sourced 2.0-liter four-cylinder.
While the 01’s powertrain is nothing revolutionary,
the carmaker claims that it will be the world’s most connected car. It will
always be connected to the internet and the cloud and will feature an open
application programming interface to allow developers to add their own ideas to
the crossover. Additionally, the 01 will incorporate a seamless ride-sharing
feature where it will be available for hire when the owner isn’t using it.
Following the 01’s market entry, two new models
dubbed the 02 and 03 are expected to be released by the brand.
