Launching a new car brand, especially in this day and age, isn’t easy. Nevertheless, Chinese automaker made the brave decision to do just that with the formation of its Lynk & Co mobility company last year.
So far, the brand has only unveiled its first model, the 01 SUV, along with the claims that it is the most connected car on the planet. While we’ll have to wait and see if that’s true, it’s difficult to deny that the vehicle’s looks are eye-catching but according to the designer responsible for the 01, it was no easy task defining the brand’s look.
During a recent interview with AutoNews Europe, Geely’s head of design Peter Horbury said that the project has been “incredibly challenging and a truly unique opportunity.”
“Designers always say they start from a clean sheet of paper, but it is never truly like that because they have references in the family, in the history of the brand and in the previous models. Here it was truly a clean sheet of paper,” he said.
Speaking of the design of the 01 and the styling language that will future across Lynk & Co’s future range, Horbury said that he and his team aimed to combine the constructed look of Jeeps with the sporty prowess of Porsches.
“Instead of looking at a specific brand, we tried to combine the two predominant looks found in SUVs. There’s a very linear, more constructed look: Think of Jeeps and Land Rovers. Then there is the completely organic, sculpted, sporty look like Porsche and Infiniti. We tried to get the best of both worlds in one design language, and we’ve got something new,” he said.
It is reported that the 01 will hit the market in 2018 and while some may love the design, the car will have to prove reliable, efficient, safe and intuitive if the brand has any hope of surviving.
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