When east meets west
Walking up to the Lynk & Co 05, you’re unsure of what it is, where it’s made and what segment it belongs to.
Lynk & Co is Geely Group’s near premium brand, slotting beneath Volvo as it moves upmarket and Geely which serves the mass market. Despite being based in Gothenburg, Sweden, all their cars are manufactured in China, underpinned by the Geely Group’s Compact Modular Architecture which also underpins various Geely & Volvo models.
The 05 is the brand’s compact cross-over coupe, styled in the same vein as BMW’s X6 and Audi’s Q8 Coupe. It has excellent standard equipment levels which include: a 10-speaker surround sound system by Infinity, Nappa and Nubuck leather bucket seats, a 12.8-inch touchscreen infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, power-adjustable front seats (12-way for the driver, 8-way for the front passenger), dual-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, a power tailgate, a fully digital instrument panel, and a wireless charging pad. All the touch points feel very high quality, solid and premium. The driver faces a 12.3 inch instrument cluster to display vehicle information.
The powertrain consists of a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that pumps out 250hp at 5500 rpm and 350 Nm of torque between 1800 – 4800 rpm. Power is then sent to an Aisin 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. The 05 also comes with a BorgWarner AWD system for optimal grip over any road conditions plus several drive modes; Eco, Comfort, Sport, and Off-Road.
My wife mentioned that the 05 can be quite cheeky: unlock the car and the ‘Aurora Borealis’ headlights perform a small light show as it briefly dazzles you with its DRL LED light dance, followed a wink or two from its main headlamps to mark the end of the performance. Trippy for sure. Quirky however best describes the gearshift: you keep pulling or pushing the soft-action lever to get the desired gear position, and slot left for manual mode. The transmission itself can be a bit jerky at low speeds, but smoothens out perfectly on the road.
Potential clients will be pleased to know that the 05 is very fuel efficient, averaging 8.5km / liter in the city, and at least 14km / liter on the highway. Brakes are pretty strong too: good initial bite, but very progressive as you press down harder. The steering is light but the effortless feel bodes well for its easy-going cross-over nature. It feels sharp enough on the winding roads down south, and the gorgeous yet massive 20-inch alloy wheels sized 235/45R20 provide good compliance and comfort.
In the area of safety, the 05 is also very well equipped. The 05 comes with plenty of intelligent driver aids like adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and more. It’s also equipped with six airbags, traction / stability control and torque vectoring which, although it isn’t a safety feature as much as a dynamic handling aid, should help deliver cornering speeds bordering on alarming. Thankfully, anti-rollover protection also comes standard.
Overall, the 05 is a surprisingly refreshing alternative to the usual. Price-wise, it’s closest to a Lexus, and with comparable spec equipment and driving dynamics. It feels solid and sturdy, with excellent driving characteristics. The coupe body style is an acquired taste, but it isn’t meant to be universally appealing like traditional 2-box cross-overs. Like any Swedish design, it knows its market and plays to that segment. Me? I strangely like it.
Premium feel, sorted driving dynamics, eye-catching style and nifty details show that slowly but surely, Chinese build quality can in fact compete with the best brands in the business.
The Lynk & Co 05 is the perfect east meets west fusion.
