Lynk Unveils Concept Sedan

Geely Automobile Holding Co. Lynk & Co. will take the wraps off its 03 Concept sedan this week at the Shanghai auto show.

As with last autumn’s 01 Concept SUV, the new model features a hybrid-electric powertrain and is designed to be sold on a flexible subscription basis aimed at car-sharing applications. A production version of the 01 compact crossover/SUV is due later this month in China.

The sedan’s styling is a lower-profile version of its crossover sibling. Both vehicles are built on the new compact modular architecture that will underpin a variety of future Volvo and parent Geely models. The Lynk-badged vehicles also feature a Microsoft/Alibaba-designed infotainment system with built-in car sharing support, which allows owners to rent their car through a smartphone app.

Vehicles will be delivered directly to a buyer’s house rather than through a dealership. In addition to buying a vehicle, users could rent them for a few weeks or months. Lynk also is developing a lifetime data plan for various devices used in the vehicle.

Geely will build the Lynk vehicles in China, but the company aims to market the cars globally. The ambitious rollout calls for annual sales of 500,000 vehicles within five years, including launches in Europe and the U.S. in late 2018.