LYNK&CO 01

Cabin

The dashboard is built around what Lynk & Co. calls its 2.0 interior design language. It is anchored by a 12.3-inch driver display and a 12.7-inch central touchscreen working together as one high-tech cockpit. Processing comes from two Qualcomm Snapdragon 820A chips running in tandem. Which the brand says give roughly eight times the performance of a single-chip setup for smoother menus and quicker responses.

Front Seat and Rear Seat

• Leather seats fitted as standard from the base Hyper upward
• Height-adjustable driver's seat included on every variant
• Rear seat centre armrest and rear seat headrests fitted as standard
• Seat lumbar support, heating, ventilation, and driver memory added from Hyper Pro upward

The rear-seat width benefits from the car's 1,860 mm body, though with five seats total rather than a middle-row bench built for three adults on longer trips, two rear passengers will always be more comfortable than three.

Climate Control

Automatic climate control is standard across the range, with rear air-conditioning vents fitted even to the base Hyper.

Lynk & Co adds an air quality system and an active cabin cleaning function on top of that, designed to filter out contaminants from outside air before it reaches the occupants, rather than just cooling what comes in.

The system works continuously rather than only on demand, monitoring cabin air and cleaning it in the background during a drive, which matters more in the UAE than in most market given how much dust and sand a daily commute can carry in through the vents.

Storage

• Centre console armrest with storage beneath
• Cup holders in both the front and rear
• Bottle holders in the door pockets

Storage stays fairly conventional for the segment, with nothing exotic beyond the usual cabin bins and door pockets.

Charging

• USB charging ports fitted across the range
• Wireless phone charging added from Hyper Pro upward, not included on the base Hyper

The base Hyper missing wireless charging is a real gap, given how heavily Lynk & Co's own marketing leans on the feature, so buyers set on it should budget for at least the Hyper Pro from the outset.

Boot Space

The Lynk & Co 01 offers 466 litres of cargo space with all five seats in place. If you fold the rear seats, the boot expands to approximately 1,213 litres. The load floor is flat and accessible, making it easy to load heavier items without straining, and the boot cover keeps cargo out of sight from opportunistic eyes. For a compact SUV, this is a properly thought-out cargo solution, not cramped, not awkward, just real practical space.

The base Hyper already carries a longer safety list than many rivals offer, even on a range-topping trim, built around Lynk & Co's Intelligent Driving Assistance System.

• Driver, passenger, front side, and curtain airbags are fitted as standard on every variant
• A 360-degree camera and a separate rear camera are fitted from the base trim.
• Lane departure warning and lane tracing assist are included across the range
• Forward collision warning and an around-view monitor fitted as standard
• Traffic Jam Assist, active between 0 and 60 km/h, manages steering, throttle, and brake together in slow traffic
• ISOFIX child seat anchors and auto-hold with an electric parking brake are included from the base variant

According to Lynk & Co, the system includes over 20 separate driver-assistance functions in total, with emergency lane keeping and a highway assist mode among the named features that work alongside those already listed above.

Front

Lynk & Co. calls its grille design the Urban Matrix, a pattern the brand says is inspired by the crossing roads of a city seen from above at night. Double-lens LED headlights are built into that grille structure. The brand name Aurora Borealis is visually split from the daytime running light signature. Front fog lights and automatic, height-adjustable headlamps come fitted even on the base Hyper.

Side Profile

At 4,549 mm long on a 2,734 mm wheelbase, the 01 lands closer to a compact SUV than a full-size one. With a width of 1,860 mm and a height of 1,689 mm, the 01 keeps its stance planted rather than tall. Roof rails and power-folding door mirrors are standard across the range, a detail some rivals still reserve for a higher trim.

Alloy Wheels

Wheel size actually depends on the variants. The base Hyper rides on 19-inch alloys wrapped in 235/50 tyres, while both the Hyper Pro and Louder Pro step up to 20-inch alloys with lower-profile 235/45 tyres.

Rear

The rear lights use what Lynk & Co. calls an Energy Cube design, a cluster of crystal-like 3D lenses that the brand says appear to fill with light when the brakes are applied. A pair of exposed dual exhaust tip run beneath a sculpted rear bumper, part of what the brand describes as a dynamic, carved-look rear design. A rear spoiler and power tailgate are both fitted as standard on the entry Hyper.

Colors

• White
• Black
• Grey

Lynk & Co keeps the palette deliberately narrow, mirroring how the brand's global lineup tends to favour a handful of confident, neutral shades rather than a long options list.

City Performance

• Accelerating away from the T4 Evo engine's mid-range pull means there's rarely a need to work the throttle hard to stay with traffic.
• The 4,549 mm length and 360-degree camera make placing the nose and tail straightforward.
• Likewise, the 8-speed automatic shifts go down promptly enough that gaps in traffic rarely feel missed.
• The automatic climate control and active cabin cleaning system keep the interior feeling fresh rather than merely cool.
• The standard around-view monitor removes most of the guesswork that the 01's sculpted rear bumper would otherwise create.
• The Traffic Jam Assist takes over enough of the steering and braking load to make stop-start traffic noticeably less tiring.

Highway Performance

• The FWD layout puts power down cleanly without any noticeable wheel spin off the line.
• The cabin stays composed even at higher speeds on the highways. Wind and road noise are kept well in check for a car at this price.
• The Traffic Jam Assist proves more useful in stop-start pockets nearer the city than on the open, faster sections.
• The 35.6 m braking figure from 100 km/h translates into confident, predictable stops when traffic bunches up.
• Settling in for the drive to Fujairah through the mountain passes, lane departure warnings and lane tracing assist quietly correct minor drift on longer, less alert stretches.
• Overtaking on a two-lane stretch, the powerful engine helps without needing to plan the move well in advance.

Ride and Handling

• Rolling over speed bumps, the suspension smooths out sharp inputs before much of it reaches the cabin.
• The 01's 2,734 mm wheelbase and 19-inch wheels combine for a planted, secure feel rather than outright sportiness.
• The brake pedal offers a consistent, easy-to-modulate bite rather than an abrupt grab near the top of travel.
• Crossing an uneven patch of road, the 213 mm ground clearance shrugs off rougher surfaces without crashing through.
• Taking a sweeping ramp, the 01's compact footprint and firm-feeling chassis make it feel more agile than its SUV body style suggests.

Hyper is the base variant. It gets comprehensively equipped: leather seats, automatic climate control, a 360-degree camera, curtain airbags, lane-keeping assistance, and a full touchscreen infotainment system are all included.

Hyper Pro, the mid-range variant, adds additional features, including wireless charging, heated and ventilated front seats, a driver memory function, heated door mirrors, ambient lighting, blind spot warning, and rear cross-traffic alert.

Louder Pro: This is the top-end in the range with a higher price. But then it gets some key features like ambient lighting, upgraded power seats with memory, premium leather trim, or exclusive wheel designs.

Zigwheels Recommendation

The choice here is rather simple and quite easy. Anyone looking for the core Lynk & Co experience without paying for creature comforts they may not use should stop at the Hyper, since its safety and infotainment list is already close to segment-leading.

Anyone who wants wireless charging, heated and ventilated seats, and blind-spot monitoring should move up to the Hyper Pro, which adds real, tangible equipment for a manageable extra price.

While the brand is new to the UAE, LYNK & Co the compact SUV 01 is trying to attract buyers who can give it a chance. The car is a well equipped right at the base variant, with a torque 2.0-litre turbo engine and safety technology. Actually scores well on several counts in its segments.

This is a competitive segment, but against some of its rivals, like Renault Koleos, Toyota RAV4, and GMC Terrain, it matches or beats most of them on standard equipment while landing comfortably inside the same price band.

However, there are areas where it is lacking, particularly in brand recognition and a UAE service network that is still limited to two showrooms.

And so we come to the part where, as a buyer, you need to look at those areas and then make an informed decision based on your need, risk appetite, and price, etc., but the brand is truly promising, making a breakthrough in many global markets, and it does come with something solid, worth paying attention to.

Other Cars to Consider Instead of the 01