Lynk & 02 SUV breaks cover with familiar face, subscription plan
You can barely even tell there's a Volvo platform under there.
Lynk & Co, the automaker from Volvo parent company Geely, already unveiled its larger 01 crossover last year. Now, it's put everything under a shrink ray and created the smaller (but similar) 02.
The Lynk & Co 02 is based on the same Volvo CMA platform that underpins the Volvo XC40 SUV, but it's hard to call these two utes twins. The 02 shares more with its larger 01 sibling, like its dual-light arrangement up front and a gnarly set of large-ish taillights out back. A set of off-color fender covers gives the 02 a bit of visual aggressiveness.
It's a handsome little thing, especially on the inside.
The 02 continues its separation from Volvo inside. Aside from the shifter, which is shaped similar to other Volvo shifters, the 02 looks completely different. There's a more traditional landscape-oriented infotainment screen, with another screen replacing the gauge cluster. A smattering of physical switchgear deals with the climate controls and some basic infotainment duties.
The Lynk & Co 02 will be offered with three different power outputs, depending on the drivetrain layout. Front-wheel-drive models will pack 156-horsepower or 180-hp engines, while all-wheel-drive variants will see a power bump to 190 hp. Lynk & Co declined to mention engine size or cylinder count, but it's believed that FWD models will pack a three-cylinder engine and AWD models get a four-banger.
Like the 01 before it, Lynk & Co will offer up the 02 in a subscription model. It's basically a more inclusive lease, with a single monthly price covering not only the car itself, but maintenance and insurance, as well. Volvo has a similar program in place with its new Care by Volvo subscription, available on the XC40.
The Lynk & Co 02 will go on sale in Europe in 2020. Instead of dealerships, it'll have "Offline Stores," which are small boutique-type shops that focus more on experiencing the car firsthand than trying to close a sale. It'll start in Amsterdam and expand to Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels and London after that.
