An 05 prototype shows off Lynk&Co’s distinctive front-end styling
Based on the mid-sized 01 SUV, the coupé-styled 05 will take on the BMW X6 following its unveiling in Shanghai
The new Lynk&Co 05 SUV-coupé, which is set to rival the BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupé, has been spotted testing in Germany ahead of an expected unveiling at the Shanghai motor show next month.
The high-riding model will be offered by the Chinese brand, which is owned by Volvo parent firm Geely and intends to offer cars purely via subscription, in both the European and Chinese markets. While the 05 name isn’t confirmed, it fits in with the firm’s existing naming strategy.
Like all other Lynk&Co models, the 05 will sit atop the same Volvo-developed Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platform as the Volvo XC40 compact SUV and recently revealed Polestar 2 electric fastback.
Although the prototype is heavily camouflaged, it bears a heavy resemblance to the 01, which will spearhead Lynk&Co’s European launch when production begins in Ghent, Belgium in early 2020.
The 05, which follows the the 03 saloon and 04 hatchback, looks to share its distinctive wing-mounted headlight layout with all other Lynk&Co models, being marked out from the 01 by its rakish roofline and rear spoiler.
Details on the 05’s powertrains are scarce, but like the 01, it’s set to make use of Volvo’s range of 2.0-litre four-cylinder and 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engines, with a plug-in hybrid variant likely to follow.
A European launch date hasn’t yet been specified, but it will come some months after the car goes on sale in China.
Founded in 2016 by Geely, which also owns Lotus and taxi maker LEVC, Lynk&Co has been selling cars in China since November 2017. It took just 137 seconds of the 01 being on sale for it to receive 6000 orders.
The 01’s European launch will be followed by that of the smaller 02 SUV before the hybrid-only 04 arrives in late 2020. The 03 will remain on sale only in China, where the saloon market is much stronger than in Europe.
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Source: Autocar
