Lynk & Co, A New Brand From Geely - Developed By Volvo +VIDEO

EDITOR'S NOTE: We think a trademark issue between Geely and Ford may make this the shortest lived automotive brand name ever.

By Henny Hemmes
Senior European Editor

Lynk & Co 01

GOTHENBURG, Sweden - October 20, 2016: Today, Chinese car manufacturer Geely Auto Group launched a completely new brand, Lynk & Co. An exceptional name, but the brand wants to be different in all aspects.

Lynk should mark the link between the eastern and western world, whereas in daily life, "&" will be pronounced as the more contemporary <i>‘n</i>, while Co stands for connectivity. (Ed. note: In other words the brand will be called "Link'n" as in "Lincoln." that's pretty certain trademark infringement)

“Volvo stands for safety, and Lynk & Co focuses on connectivity,” says Senior Vice President Alain Visser. “Connectivity is a key factor. But sharing will also be important. There will be a a standard share button in each car.”

Lynk & Co 01

When I spoke to Mr. Visser before the official launch, he was very excited: “I started one year ago, from scratch. Then I had ten people, twenty, and now fifty. That is enough.” The team of Visser came up with an exceptional marketing plan. “The Chinese said, oops, that is radical but they went with my team all the way. Tomorrow, in Berlin, we will show you all about it. “

Just like Volvo that was taken over in 2009, Link & Co is a brand that is fully owned by Geely, but that has been developed completely in Europe. The first model, called Lynk & Co 01, will be built on the CMA, Compact Modular Architecture. The platform has been developed under CEVT, China Euro Vehicle Technology, the research and innovation center shared by Geely and Volvo and based in Gothenburg.

It is modular and flexible and will also be used for the upcoming Volvo XC40.

Lynk & Co 01

The project for the new brand started some 4 years ago. According to Peter Horbury, Executive Vice President of Design for Geely Auto Group: “The design brief for a new brand was simple: the cars should stand out and appeal to a global audience.”

The Lynk & Co 01 will be introduced in the fourth quarter of 2017. When we asked if the Volvo XC40 would be ready for its market launch at the same time, Alain Visser said that it would be close.

The project really is the baby of Geely’s CEO Mr. An, short for An Chonghui. “He wants to be the one who makes Geely a global company, the first global Chinese brand. From day one he said ‘build things differently, let’s prove that we can do it and that we can do it differently,’ said Alain Visser.

Lynk & CO plans its market introduction in Europe in 2018 and later in North America. Tomorrow we will be briefed about is unique marketing strategy during a special event in Berlin. Today it was all about the brand, its first model, and a nice concept for a sports car, although there are no production plans yet for the sports car.