Lynk & Co has revealed its latest concept at the Shanghai Motor Show. Like the 01 crossover concept before it, the 03 sedan design study has been imagined for a new kind of automotive ecosystem.
The Chinese manufacturer will build cars in the same manner as every other automotive brand, but unlike the norm, Lynk & Co will let owners rent out their vehicle via an app from the moment they take delivery. Speaking of delivery, Lynk & Co customers won’t purchase their new car from a dealership, but rather will buy it online or in-store — just like Tesla. Other unique developments from Lynk & Co include an open API (application programming interface) to let developers customize features on the car.
But that’s old news. The story here is that Lynk & Co. will become the first automaker to offer free connectivity to access live traffic data and a lifetime product warranty. Details on these two features will be revealed when the first production model goes on sale in China later this year (U.S. and European sales won’t begin until 2019).
Without the facts, we can just infer that Lynk & Co will provide live traffic data at no charge and may even include free Wi-Fi connectivity (whereas most automakers use a network provider and its associated monthly fees). It’s unclear if the lifetime warranty covers every element of the car or just the powertrain, but considering how many different people could drive one Lynk & Co product (and how quickly the miles could rack up in the process), an unrestricted warranty will probably put many owners at ease.
As for the 03 Concept, Lynk & Co. says the “bold and sporty” sedan (every automaker’s favorite buzz words) will follow the 01 SUV concept in the production cycle. “We have set out to create a sedan that turns heads,” said Peter Horbury, executive vice president of design, Geely Auto Group.
If you’re scratching your head about why a Geely executive is commenting, we’ll remind you that Geely owns both Volvo and Lynk & Co. The 01 will ride on Volvo’s Compact Modular Architecture (CMA), and we imagine the 03 will share its platform with the next-generation Volvo S60.
Lynk & Co says both the 01 and 03 production cars will feature a wide range of connectivity and safety features. All models come with a large touchscreen and telematics systems that are always connected to the internet and the car’s own cloud server. If we’re doing the math properly, semi-autonomous safety tech, free connectivity, live traffic data, and car-to-car communication sound like the makings of a fully autonomous network of shareable rides.
