Lynk & Co 01 facelift leaked, to get new 254 PS variant

It’s hard to imagine that Lynk & Co, Geely’s still-nascent experiment to attract younger buyers, is already four years old and that its first car, the 01, is turning three this year. As such, the SUV is due for a facelift, and images surfacing on Chinese publication DY show that such a refresh is indeed coming.

On the outside, one can spot the updated front and rear bumper designs, bringing the 01 closer in look to the recently revealed “coupé” version, the 05. The full-width grille is slimmer in the middle but drops down at the corners, while the mesh gets “dashes” instead of lots of tiny holes. The lower headlight units also appear to be slimmer, sporting a more trapezoidal shape and darkened internals to better blend into the grille.

The design of the air intakes is also revised, with an angular look first seen on the 03 sedan. There are narrow vertical inlets in the corners and a large trapezoidal one in the centre, with some black trim to link the two. The rear bumper features a similar look, with vertical reflectors, twin round tailpipes and a diffuser.

With the facelift comes a tweaked engine lineup, reported consisting only of the 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder mill and eight-speed automatic gearbox. The existing 190 PS/300 Nm variant will stick around, but there will also be a more powerful 218 PS version, along with the top 254 PS/350 Nm mill from the 05.

Expect the hybrid and plug-in hybrid models, which get the smaller 1.5 litre turbo three-pot and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, to soldier on.

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