Lynk & Co is a new car marque brewed by Volvo Cars and the Geely Group, with a 5-door compact crossover or SUV (sport utlility vehicle) simply named 01 as its first car.
The new Chinese brand which touts connectivity as its core value, is aimed at young and trendy consumers.
Last November, a pre-sale of Lynk & Co 01 SUV units saw a record 6,000 units sold out in under three minutes, leading the company to declare that it was the "fastest-selling car in the world."
The 01 crossover shares the Volvo XC40's platform and has two turbocharged engine options - a 150ps 1.5-litre three-cylinder and a 190ps 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine.
It is priced from 158,800 to 202,800 renminbi (RM98,103 to RM125,286).
“This is totally a new concept of a dealer outlet. It does not look like an automobile sales outlet; instead it looks more like a lifestyle store. The exterior of the building is interesting, and the interior, even more surprising,” exclaimed Azizulmu’min Mohd Hussain Malim, of Rohamas Corp Sdn Bhd.
“Just like walking into a boutique in a mall – it is the same feeling. It does not just shout about the cars, but the lifestyle of a Lynk & Co car owner. It is about the association with the brand, and not the brand itself. Truly forward, smart and refreshing. If this concept is brought over here in Malaysia, I bet it will be a crowd puller,” said Azizulmu’min.
“Walk-in, and there is the coffee area, with a range of ribbon-coloured lollipops with the word Lynk & Co engraved unto it. Opposite this is the merchandise area, where there are shirts, caps and other merchandise to look at, or just to purchase as souvenirs. Not only that, it also has the coffee area, kids' area and a comfortable lounge area where customers can relax and be pampered while waiting for their cars to be serviced,” explained Azizulmu’min further.
Louis Ng Boon Cheng, of NHL Automobil Sdn Bhd, shared the same sentiment.
“This is good business strategy at work; it is no longer about the hard-selling of cars. It is all about concept selling and design, and the creation of a trend by owning a Lynk & Co car,” said Ng.
Razali Ahmad, of Erakars Sdn Bhd, also liked the Lynk & Co outlet concept.
"The non-cluttered way of presenting the cars in the showroom is also a big plus. Kids would love the ambience”.
Photo gallery: Lynk & Co 01
