Lynk & Co launch a production ready 01 and a concept 03 at the Shanghai Auto Show.

WORLD’S MOST CONNECTED BRAND STRENGTHENS COMMITMENT TO REVOLUTIONISE CAR BUYING AND OWNERSHIP

INTRODUCES NEW MODEL: THE 03 CONCEPT

REVEALS 01 PRODUCTION MODEL 

Geely Auto Group launches its LYNK & CO global car brand in China with an international auto show debut in Shanghai, and introduces an all-new model – the 03 Concept – a bold and sporty sedan.

Also confirmed in Shanghai is the LYNK & CO 01 as ‘production ready’. Presented as a prototype at the LYNK & CO global brand launch in Europe last year, the 01 – a tech-laden SUV – is now introduced as a production model for the first time, with vehicles to enter the market later this year.

Alain Visser, Senior Vice President of LYNK & CO, said:

“Having launched LYNK & CO in Europe just five months ago, we are now ready to roll-out our unique brand of connected mobility with a number of new car models featuring the world’s first digital in-car share button. Our promise of a new dimension of vehicle connectivity and shareability, coupled with a revolutionary approach to buying and ownership, is further strengthened with both free connectivity and lifetime warranties as standard with the LYNK & CO package.” 

Free Connectivity

Announced in China this week, LYNK & CO will become the world’s first brand to offer free data traffic for connectivity on its cars as standard. Confirmed details of the global connectivity promise will be revealed as LYNK & CO vehicles go on sale later this year. The announcement this week reveals that every vehicle will benefit from complementary data traffic access globally from purchase.

Lifetime Product Warranty

In its boldest statement of quality and confidence, LYNK & CO also announces its intention to offer all cars with a lifetime warranty. Details of the lifetime product warranty and roadside assistance will be revealed as the first new LYNK & CO vehicles go on sale in China in Q4 2017, with sales in Europe and the U.S. to follow in 2019. 

LYNK & CO 03 Concept

The new model revealed for the first time this week is the 03 Concept – a mid-size, sports sedan. 

Shanghai is a natural starting point for the 03 Concept’s story, a true global mega city, and the heart of the Chinese automotive marketplace, where the sedan segment is of utmost importance.

Executive Vice President of Design, Geely Auto Group, Peter Horbury, said:

“In China, the sedan segment is a crowded, difficult area to make a mark in – that was our challenge as the design team for LYNK & CO. How far can we stretch the rules of sedan design, to ensure we stand out and add the unique LYNK & CO flavour to the car? 

We started with some clear defining ambitions: to look solid, have an imposing presence and to make a striking visual impression. The result is the 03 Concept – our first LYNK & CO sedan – which encapsulates muscular solid volumes, our unique brand elements and intricate, high-tech details resulting in a design that is bold and sporty.”

He added: “To put it in everyday language, in the 03 Concept, we have set out to create a sedan that turns heads.” 

The 03 Concept offers a unique LYNK & CO twist on the classic sedan look – it maintains the convention of an upright C-pillar and a defined boot, but with a strongly angled D-pillar to create a smoother silhouette, resulting in a much sportier profile. This look is balanced with carefully considered proportions of height, length and breadth to ensure the distinctive LYNK & CO design language is clearly communicated. Achieving this without compromising interior space and the all-important leg and headroom factors has been at the forefront of the 03 Concept’s design. 

Particular attention has been paid to the details on the 03 Concept, with the signature LYNK & CO style of LED daytime running lights sitting high on the bonnet, and distinctive parallel horizontal lines down the length of the hood to reinforce the car’s front profile. The sleek roofline is further accentuated with yellow-bronze lines separating the roof and body both physically and visually.

China Euro Vehicle Technology

The 03 Concept has been in development for more than two years, and in keeping with the brand’s commitment to doing things differently, is the second model debuted, following the 01 shown in October. The 02 will be revealed in due course, completing a three-car line up when the first LYNK & CO models go on sale later this year. Further models are also in development, and will follow the 01, 02, 03 nomenclature. 

The 03 Concept will be based on the CMA (Compact Modular Architecture), developed by CEVT (China Euro Vehicle Technology) – the shared Geely and Volvo Cars research and innovation centre with its headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden. CMA is an advanced, modular architecture capable of accommodating many body styles and sizes, which also underpins Volvo Cars’ new compact vehicle range and many upcoming Geely models. 

CMA is also able to accommodate a wide range of different powertrains, electrical systems, passive and active safety systems and technologies. Thanks to CEVT’s focus on digital simulation, the architecture has been developed with advanced quality and far quicker than conventional automotive structures. 

LYNK & CO 01 – Production Ready

The LYNK & CO 01, having undergone a comprehensive programme of testing and development around the world, from the frozen plains of the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia to the unforgiving heat of the Turpan desert in China, is now confirmed as ‘production ready’.

Series production of the 01 will begin this year at a dedicated factory in Luqiao, Zhejiang Province in Eastern China – a factory purpose built for LYNK & CO and Volvo Cars production by Geely, and delivered by Volvo’s world-renowned team of production engineers. 

LYNK & CO cars are developed by experienced and expert engineering teams in both Europe and China, and are optimised from the ground up to suit global tastes with quality and performance benchmarks set against the world’s premium auto manufacturers. At launch in China, the 01 will be powered by a family of engines shared with Volvo Cars; including 1.5T and 2.0T petrol options, and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) derivative. 

New Business Model With Connectivity and Hassle-Free Ownership At Its Heart

At the core of the LYNK & CO brand is connectivity. Customers will find a range of connected technologies on offer in the vehicles, all aimed at making life easier. Described as ‘smartphones on wheels’, all models come with a large central touchscreen and telematics systems that are always connected to the internet and the car’s own cloud. 

Designed and engineered in Sweden, the LYNK & CO brand and its products will introduce a new business model to the automotive sector as a mobility service provider. Personalised services, an open API (application programming interface – the first in the automotive sector to be ‘open’), unrivalled connectivity with vehicle sharing at its heart, e-commerce, simple, subscription-based ownership and the first dedicated app store for cars, make up the key offerings of LYNK & CO. 

Over the course of the next 12 to 24 months, a new range of state-of-the-art cars, with simple, hassle-free ownership options at accessible price points will be introduced, with the aim of challenging and redesigning the way in which automotive products are bought, owned and used across the world. The key aim of LYNK & CO is to enrich and simplify vehicle ownership through connectivity, e-commerce and by addressing the needs and preferences of a new global generation of customers. 

LYNK & CO has abandoned the traditional concept of base models, entry points and endless options lists that create infinite build configurations and costs in manufacturing. Inspired by the fashion and technology business models, LYNK & CO has replaced trim levels and options lists with a simple selection of fully equipped, fixed priced collections themed to meet customer and seasonal preferences. 

LYNK & CO products are designed and engineered in Sweden for the global market, with the first models going on sale in China later this year, followed by Europe and the U.S. in 2019.

Vauxhall stops its lifetime/100,000 miles warranty, in favour of an industry basic, what a surprise.

• New, reinforced 3 year/60k warranty tailor-made for today’s motorists
• Current Lifetime Warranty to finish by end of year
• Full AA cover and extension cost effective options incorporated

Vauxhall Motors has revisited its Lifetime Warranty programme.  From January 2015, all Vauxhall cars and vans will carry a *3 year/60,000 mile warranty with cost effective options for extension.

Tim Tozer, Vauxhall’s Chairman and Managing Director cites the changing ownership landscape and significant investment in new technology as key drivers for the change.  ‘In today’s market, 65% of retail sales are supported by a finance package and within that, over 60% are PCPs. 

This has dramatically changed ownership patterns resulting in fewer customers retaining their cars beyond three years.  Couple this with a €4 billion investment in high technology powertrains and state of the art new products and it no longer makes business sense to invest in 100,000 mile warranty cover. We will continue to focus our investment on providing our customers with a high quality and satisfying experience, both at dealer and company level, throughout their purchase and ownership period.’

Existing vehicles with Lifetime Warranty will continue to be covered for up to 100,000 miles whilst the vehicle remains with the first owner, subject to annual validation.  The new 3 year/60,000 mile transferable warranty is fully competitive with benchmarked competition, includes AA roadside assistance (with Homestart and full European cover) in the first year and is available with cost effective extension options up to 4 and 5 years.

Note: * Vivaro and Movano van warranty is 3 years/100,000 miles.

Vauxhall celebrates being number one brand in Scotland in 2013.

• Vauxhall is Scotland’s number one car maker for sixth year running
• Over 27,000 Vauxhalls sold in Scotland in 2013
• Corsa is Scotland’s best-selling car for sixth consecutive year

Hitting rivals for six, Vauxhall was the biggest-selling manufacturer in Scotland last year, for the sixth year running, with 27,739 cars sold.

It was also the joy of six for the Corsa supermini, Scotland’s top-selling car for the sixth consecutive year. The ever-popular Astra was Scotland’s number five with 6,545 vehicles sold. Innovative programmes such as Vauxhall Flexible Finance and Lifetime Warranty helped drive sales.

“We are delighted to again be Scotland’s biggest-selling car manufacturer with the region’s best-selling car, the Corsa, for the sixth year running,” said Gordon Hannen, Vauxhall’s Regional Operations Manager for Scotland.

“It’s the perfect way to round off Vauxhall’s 110th year of building and selling vehicles in the UK.  The Corsa also celebrated its 20th Birthday last year and after two decades as a top-seller it shows no sign of going out of fashion with Scottish buyers.

“Vauxhall’s excellent performance in Scotland is a huge part of our overall UK success story with sales and market share both up last year.

“It’s exciting times for Vauxhall with three new models launched in 2013 and more to follow this year.

“We’re also in the middle of a raft of new engine launches, which will continue for the next two years, making our products more refined, efficient and desirable for customers. One way or another, it’s clear that Vauxhall will be a force to be reckoned with in 2014.”

Vauxhall does it again, 200PS Astra GTC, its most powerful non VXR model.

• 200PS GTC now most powerful non-VXR model in Astra range
• Innovative Intellilink infotainment system now available on all Astra GTCs

A new Astra GTC is now available with a powerful new 1.6-litre direct injection petrol engine, priced from just £20,995 on-the-road.

First seen in the Cascada convertible, and packing 200PS and 300Nm of torque, the all-new, four cylinder unit allows the GTC to achieve a top speed of 143mph and 0-60mph time in 7.3 seconds, making it the fastest non-VXR model in the Astra range.

Peak power and torque are increased by up to 30 per cent over the previous 1.6-litre turbo model, yet fuel consumption of 51mpg combined and emissions of 154g/km have meant a 13 per cent improvement in efficiency.

The new engine brings sector-leading refinement to the Astra GTC range.  It is the only unit in its class to feature twin balancer shafts for smooth running, while a host of sound engineering measures have been made for low noise, vibration and harshness (NVH).

Priced from £855, Vauxhall has also introduced the innovative Intellilink infotainment system to the Astra GTC range. Intuitive and user-friendly, the system features satellite navigation, voice control, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, picture viewer and Gracenote album art, all via its high-resolution 7-inch touchscreen display.

In addition, the top-of-the-range Navi 950 IntelliLink contains Europe-wide street level mapping with updates easily downloadable via USB. Drivers can also have incoming text messages read out to them, as well as integrating their smartphones’ own voice recognition functions.

“We’ve strengthened our Astra GTC offering with a strong and powerful 1.6-litre petrol engine and the cutting-edge Intellilink infotainment system,” said Stuart Harris, Vauxhall’s Head of Carline Brand. “Vauxhall is really throwing down the gauntlet to UK coupe sector rivals with these enhancements to our Astra GTC range.”

Astra GTCs with the new engine and Intellilink are available to order now with first deliveries expected in the spring.

With the Astra GTC and all models in its passenger car range, Vauxhall gives peace of mind for the life of the vehicle via its industry-leading Lifetime Warranty. Available to the first owner, the warranty is valid for the lifetime of the vehicle up to a maximum of 100,000 miles.

Vauxhall ends 110th anniversary with a handful if limited editions.

• Limited Edition Vauxhalls get lavish standard specification
• Available on Astra GTC, Astra Hatch, Insignia and Corsa
• Prices start from just £8,995 for the fashionable Corsa Sting

With exceptionally generous standard spec and prices starting from just £8,995, Vauxhall has bolstered its range with stylish new ‘Limited Edition’ models including Astra GTC, Astra 5-door hatchback, Insignia and Corsa.

Available through Flexible Finance* or Flexible Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) finance packages, this new Vauxhall range is limited purely in name as these hot models are set to prove extremely popular with customers.

With over £2,000-worth of additional spec and priced from £19,995, the sleek Astra GTC Limited Edition is one of the best looking 3-door coupes on the market.  Good looking yet equally fun-to-drive, this well-kitted out GTC features 20-inch bi-colour alloy wheels, VXR styling kit, front fog lights, dark tinted rear glass and Bluetooth mobile phone system.

With prices starting from £18,460, the stylish Astra 5-door hatchback Limited Edition features generous standard specification including 19-inch alloy wheels, leather trim and ergonomic heated sports front seats and imposing VXR-style front bumper. Owners get the latest tech connectivity including a mobile phone system with Bluetooth and a USB port for smartphones, tablets and MP3 players.

Launched this year, Vauxhall’s new Insignia has received universal plaudits for its premium design, cutting edge technology and engines which combine power, frugality and sector leading CO2 emissions.   Available in hatchback and Sports Tourer body styles and priced from £21,029, the Insignia Limited Edition feature generous standard specification including 18-inch bi-colour alloy wheels, VXR Styling Pack, electrically heated sports front seats, front and rear parking sensors and front fog lights.

Starting from £8,995, the funky Corsa Sting is both fashionable and affordable. A guaranteed head-turner, the Corsa Sting is available with a choice of 16- or 17-inch alloy wheels in white or silver finish, with twin sports stripes and matching exterior mirrors. Standard equipment also includes CD/MP3 CD player, aux-in socket and speed-sensitive power steering.

Flex Appeal

The Limited Edition range is available through Vauxhall’s selection of great offers including Flexible Finance and Flexible PCP plans. Flexible Finance allows customers to tailor their finance to suit their budgets, putting them in the very best car they can afford.

All buyers have to do is choose and specify their new model atwww.vauxhall.co.uk, decide on a deposit from zero upwards (Vauxhall will even contribute up to £2,000) and select any term between 24 and 60 months. Customers also benefit from zero per cent APR.

“We are delighted to announce these Limited Edition Vauxhalls with stunning good looks, exceptional standard spec and prices starting from just £8,995,” said Stuart Harris, Vauxhall’s Head of Carline Brand. “Stylish and offering great value-for-money through a finance package to suit your budget, launching the Limited Editions range is the perfect way to round off Vauxhall’s 110th year of building and selling vehicles in Britain.”

There’s also nothing limited about the manufacturer’s warranty; Vauxhall gives peace of mind for the life of the vehicle via its industry-leading Lifetime Warranty. Available to the first owner of all new Vauxhall cars, the warranty is valid for the lifetime of the vehicle up to a maximum of 100,000 miles.

Vauxhall/Opel updates the Meriva with improved diesel engines.

• Vauxhall’s innovative MPV gets new engine and design flourishes
• Revolutionary FlexDoors and FlexSpace systems remain unique in sector
• On sale from next month

Vauxhall’s Meriva will come of age with a new look and class-leading Euro-6 diesel engine when the model goes on sale in the UK next month.

Launched in 2010, the second-generation Meriva turned the compact MPV class on its head, with its clever FlexDoors system – rear-hinged rear doors which allow a 20 per cent larger opening for passengers – and FlexSpace system, which allows rear passengers a variety of different seating combinations.

The Meriva now gets a new grille, chrome accents that frame the front fog lamps and newly-designed headlamps with an ‘eagle-eye’ graphic. For the first time, LED daytime running lights and LED tail lights are available as an option. Complementing the design revisions are new optional 18-inch alloy wheels.

Fresh from its launch in the Zafira Tourer, Vauxhall’s all-new 1.6 CDTi diesel engine is now available in the Meriva. The Euro-6 compliant engine, which is already setting a high benchmark in the industry for efficiency and refinement, produces 136PS and 320Nm of torque at 2,000rpm, yet achieves a remarkable 64.2mpg combined and 116g/km of CO2 emissions. This equates to a 10 per cent improvement in economy/emissions over the 1.7 CDTi, which the new unit replaces.

Diesel engine performance from the new Meriva has also been improved, the 1.6 CDTi model accelerating from 0-60mph in 9.1 seconds, nearly a second quicker than the 1.7 CDTi, thanks to its additional 6PS and 20Nm of torque. The Meriva’s petrol engine range (1.4 100PS, 1.4T 120 & 140PS) remains and is now fully Euro-6 compliant.

Like all Vauxhalls, the Meriva comes with Lifetime Warranty, which offers first owners peace of mind for as long as they own the car, up to 100,000 miles.

A separate pricing announcement will be made next month when the new Meriva goes on sale, with first customer deliveries in January 2014.

Uber efficient Insignia means more money in your pocket and less to the taxman

• New Insignia is most aerodynamic car in its class – in the world
• Helps new 99g/km 2.0 CDTi engine achieve class-leading CO2 emissions
• Average company car driver would fill up just 18 times annually*
• Raft of revisions and new tech complete package

Vauxhall’s new Insignia is not only the lowest CO2 emitting car in its sector but now also the most streamlined vehicle in the world in its class.

Thanks to clever changes to the body design of the new Insignia, Vauxhall’s engineers have reduced the vehicle’s drag coefficient to under 0.25 for the Insignia hatchback and 0.28 for the Sports Tourer. New extended underbody covers, wider front spoiler lips, tail lamp housings designed to enhance airflow separation and an integrated rear deck lid spoiler contribute to the new Insignia’s slippery shape.

Insignia 2.0 CDTi ecoFLEX (120/140PS) models with Start/Stop also feature an additional, ultra-modern aerodynamic element: an active front air shutter. Air flowing through the front grille to cool the engine usually accounts for up to eight per cent of total vehicle air drag. To reduce this effect, a shutter in the lower front grille automatically closes to prevent air entering and causing turbulence. For cold starts, an additional advantage is a faster engine warm-up, which also helps reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Whenever the engine needs air for cooling, the shutter opens automatically.

These changes help the new Insignia ecoFLEX (120/140PS) achieve class-leading CO2 emissions of 99g/km and 76.3mpg on the combined cycle.

This gives the ecoFLEX a range of up to 1175 miles, which means that an average company car driver would have to fill up just 18 times a year according to data provided by Zenith, one of the UK’s leading independent leasing, fleet management and vehicle outsourcing businesses. Or put another way, an ecoFLEX driver could travel from London to Budapest on one tank of fuel!

“Taking all improvements into account, Vauxhall has succeeded in giving the new Insignia benchmark levels of aerodynamic performance along with rock bottom CO2 emissions of just 99g/km on the new 2.0 CDTi engine,” said Peter Hope, Vauxhall’s Marketing Director. “With exceptionally low Cd values, we are delighted that new Insignia hatchback and Sports Tourer are the most streamlined series production cars of their kind in the world.”

Available as a five-door Hatch, four-door Saloon and Sports Tourer, the new range now starts at just £16,279, nearly £2,000 less than entry into the outgoing line-up. And as with all new Vauxhalls, the New Insignia comes with a Lifetime Warranty that gives first owners peace of mind as long as they own the car.

The biggest change existing Insignia customers will see when they sit in the new car is a completely re-designed centre console and instrument cluster. The centre console has been simplified and now has fewer buttons for more intuitive operation of common functions, such as air conditioning and infotainment, while the instrument cluster has new dials and a fresh, high-tech look.

Optional across the range is an 8-inch, high-resolution colour infotainment display (up from 5-inches in the outgoing range) and a new, upgraded instrument cluster. The cluster incorporates two outer dials showing fuel and revs, while in the centre sits a speedometer that can be displayed in analogue or digital form, or changed to show functions such as smartphone or audio use, or navigation.

The 8-inch infotainment display has touch-screen functionality, allowing drivers to access all functions and sub-menus such as radio stations, song titles, smartphone connection or 3D navigation in an intuitive and safe way. Its illuminated, touch-sensitive surface reacts immediately to finger movements, with even individual letters and numbers being accessible via this method. Up to 60 favourite menus can be stored from all functions and Apps can also be downloaded via the car’s Bluetooth-connected internet.

Order banks for the New Insignia are now open, with first cars reaching customers in October.

Vauxhall's new baby wins another award

Vauxhall’s fashionable A-sector ADAM has scooped the best interior design in a production car award at the Automotive Interiors EXPO 2013.

Beating stiff competition including the Alfa 4C, Jaguar F-Type, Renault Clio and the new Range Rover, Vauxhall’s stylish urban newcomer was selected by a jury of respected motoring journalists from around the world. The award is part of a trade show in Stuttgart, Germany for concepts, materials, surfaces, fabrics and components in vehicle interior equipment.

Elizabeth Wetzel, Interior Design Director for the newcomer, is especially pleased with the Vauxhall ADAM’s victory: “The individualisation of the interior is one of the ADAM’s many outstanding traits. Our small lifestyle car offers almost 82,000 combinations for interior-styling. The EXPO AWARD is a wonderful tribute to the whole Opel/Vauxhall design team.”

With prices starting from £11,255, ADAM introduces unprecedented levels of personalisation into the style-conscious A-segment, giving every customer the chance to create a truly bespoke ADAM reflecting their individual style and personality.

Like all Vauxhalls, ADAM is covered by a Lifetime Warranty up to 100,000 miles.