Birth of a New Brand in the Global Automotive Industry

"Link & Co" is the latest brand born in the automotive world. A brand jointly formed by Sweden's Volvo and China's Geely, it is set to be the first Chinese car to enter the American and European markets. The first product of this new brand is named "01." Alain Visser, the company's vice president, told Auto Channel that the product will initially be launched in the Chinese market but will later be exported to America and Europe. So far, Chinese cars have not successfully entered the Western European and North American markets, and if this brand succeeds, it will create a new challenge for Western automakers. The biggest current problem for Chinese automakers in entering the European market is the basic standards, especially safety standards. However, the technical foundation of this new brand's vehicles will be based on the latest products from Volvo, which is known worldwide for its high safety standards. The Chinese hope to break through the barriers to entering European markets by relying on this experience. Volvo has been owned by Geely for several years now. Geely is the fourth largest private car manufacturer in China after BYD, Chery, and Great Wall. Initially, after Geely acquired this Swedish company, Volvo agreed to share its automotive technologies with Geely. This collaboration included platforms for mid-sized vehicles, improvements in emissions, underlying technologies, interior design, and safety. In the second step, these two companies have formed a new brand. Chinese automakers generally face technical knowledge challenges. Most Chinese companies develop their new vehicles on old platforms that they have either purchased or copied. However, Shanghai Automotive and Geely operate differently from the rest in their strategy. Shanghai Automotive, by acquiring the British company MG, and Geely, by acquiring Volvo, aim to directly obtain technical knowledge from these companies and develop their products on the latest platforms of these companies. Currently, Geely has taken a significant step in the development of the Chinese automotive industry by establishing "Link & Co." All design and engineering operations for this new vehicle have been carried out at the Volvo-Geely R&D center in Sweden, and according to the managers of both companies, it is one of the safest vehicles in the highly competitive crossover market. Crossovers are semi-SUVs developed on passenger car platforms. The 01 is considered the first Chinese vehicle to feature all the latest safety options and amenities. The body design of the 01 is the work of Peter Horbury, head of Volvo's design department, and his skilled team. He is one of the best designers in the automotive industry. The design style of the 01 is simple yet modern and dynamic, resembling the design of Kia products, especially the 2016 Sportage. Volvo's safety features such as automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection, pedestrian detection, and lane departure warning are provided for the 01 crossover. For this reason, this vehicle is one of the most equipped Chinese cars that utilizes all modern comfort and safety features, and according to both companies, it is considered one of the safest crossovers currently available in the world. "Link & Co" claims that the 01 has the most multimedia features among all vehicles globally; the car is always connected to the internet, and its open-source software allows developers to add their new ideas to it. Additionally, 01 owners can lend the car to others when they do not need it and monitor it through their smartphones. Another reason this product may be well-received in European markets is its lower price compared to similar vehicles. This vehicle may enter global markets at a price approximately 25% cheaper than its competitors.