Last week, another Chinese car brand called Link&co was launched here, an unusual name in the industry that is more suitable for a fashion brand, for example, and its showroom in Tel Aviv smells and is designed like a fashion store.
All in all, this is a marketing move for a new brand that will try to stand out among more than 60 car brands that are currently marketed in Israel, of which no less than 15 come from China.
But Link & Co, which is owned by Volvo and the Chinese Geely, also brings with it a line to the market, with the promise of a real premium brand at a lower price than competing models from popular brands.
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The Link 01 joins the category of family recreational vehicles with plug-in drive, and the company boasts more than 200 designers who worked on the design, which ultimately manifests itself in a handsome but conventional look for models from the East, with the exception of the unique and somewhat combative-looking front.
With a length of 4.54 meters, a width of 1.85 meters and a height of 1.69 meters, it is long and tall not only in relation to its half-sister Volvo XC40 with which it shares many common assemblies, but also in relation to the Peugeot 3008 and Kia Sportage.
Photography: Ofir Doak
The environment of the driver and passengers includes extensive use of soft and high-quality materials that help not only to a more pleasant feeling, but also to a more successful isolation of outside noise.
The design is modern and free of frills that sometimes characterize Chinese models, and here and there we also found some switches that are familiar to us from Volvo.
The front seats are sporty and comfortable, leather upholstery is absent from the menu (not even as an option), and in their place you will get environmentally friendly seat upholstery developed from recycled plastic from former fishing nets.
The wheelbase is generous and stands at 273 cm, but since the vehicle was developed on Volvo's CMA platform which is not intended for electric models, the space for passengers in the back is somewhat limited.
The equipment is rich as standard and includes an electric driver's seat, smart key, digital dashboard "12.3", multimedia with a screen "12.7", wireless connectivity for smartphones, heated front seats, electric panoramic glass roof, luxury audio system from Infinity, wireless charging for mobile phones, electric tailgate And more, and in the safety section you will find rich specifications and a full score of 5 stars in the European crash test.
Photography: Ofir Doak
The plug-in hybrid power unit also comes from Volvo with minor changes and includes a 3-cylinder turbo engine and an electric motor, mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch robotic gearbox and front-wheel drive.
The total power is 261 hp and 27 kgm, and the performance is fast with acceleration to 100 km/h in 8 seconds and a maximum speed of 210 km/h, but in relation to the Volvo stepsister, the model compromises slightly in the performance section in favor of an experience Upgraded electric driving and lower fuel consumption, which the company claims are more preferred by most customers today.
Thanks to a larger battery with a capacity of 17.6 kWh, the electric travel range is 75 km (compared to only 44 km in the Volvo), which in reality translates to 69 km quiet and vibration-free.
After the electricity ran out, we switched to normal and much less economical hybrid driving (around 13 km per liter on average) and with every healthy press on the gas pedal, we also heard the noise of the engine penetrating the passenger compartment.
Beyond that, the function of the robotic gearbox is a bit rough, with various delays in gear shifting, mainly under sporty driving, but for the most part it is a fairly comfortable car that is equipped with relatively soft suspensions.
Photography: Ofir Doak
In conclusion of a test, Link and Co is a refreshing and worthy addition to the PHEV market.
The design is handsome, the passenger cabin is high-quality and well-equipped, and anyone who travels up to 100 km a day will enjoy a quiet and pampering electric driving experience accompanied by good performance, perfect safety and a ridiculous cost per km, accompanied by a manufacturer's warranty for 4 years or up to 100,000 km .
In the driving section, it still does not align with the leading luxury brands, but definitely points to the huge progress made by the new car brands from China.
At a competitive price of 229,000 shekels, it is not only 55,900 shekels cheaper than the Volvo XC40, which shares a chassis and many many assemblies with it, but also more than 20,000 shekels cheaper than the plug-in versions of popular models such as the Kia Sportage and Peugeot 3008. On the other hand, if you give up On the premium logo on the front, for a lower price of NIS 188,888 you can also purchase the MG EHS, the queen of plug-in vehicle sales last year.
Link and Line 01 (plug-in hybrid)
Engine: 1.5 liter turbo gasoline, 3 cylinders and electric motor
Power: 262 hp
Torque: 27 kgm
Wheelbase: 273 cm
Weight: 1,879 kg
Electric driving range: 75 km
From 0 to 100 km/h: 8 years
Maximum speed: 210 km/h
Price: NIS 229,000
Pros: Volvo assemblies, quality and safety
Cons: A little less performance
Bottom line: premium at a competitive price
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