Lynk & Co 06 debuts, can our Proton X50 look as sexy as this?

Lynk & Co has officially presented their latest compact SUV, the Lynk & Co 06. It’s their smallest SUV to date and it looks very good!

The 06 is built on the B-Segment Modular Architecture (BMA) platform shared with the Proton X50, Geely Binyue and Geely ICON. In terms of dimensions, the 06 is slightly larger than the Binyue (X50) with a longer wheelbase of 2,640 mm (+40 mm than the Binyue).

As seen in previous spyshots, the 06 SUV gets that unique Lynk & Co family design with a frog-like front facia and sharp taillamps. Being a ‘lifestyle brand’ (whatever that means), the 06 SUV has some quirky elements to it.

Shown here is the top of the range model with subtle orange accents, in and around the car. It gets a black roof, dual exhaust exits and massive 19-inch alloys. Wonder if our very own X50 can look as cool as this.

The interior is a major step up from the Binyue not just in terms of features but also design language. It gives off a premium European image and looks far higher quality.

Items you’ll find include a full LCD instrument cluster, floating touchscreen infotainment, touch controls for the climate control, 360-degree camera, electric gear selector, electric parking brake, powered tailgate and a panoramic sunroof.

On the safety front, it gets the full suite of ADAS such as Autonomous Emergency Braking, Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keeping Assist.

As reported earlier, the 06 SUV is expected to be offered with 2 powertrain options a 1.5-litre 3-cylinder turbo (177 PS and 265 Nm) as well as a 1.5-litre 3-cylinder plug-in hybrid.

The 1.5 PHEV is the same set up as seen in the Volvo XC40 Recharge T5 combines the 1.5-litre 3-cylinder turbo and an electric motor (60 kW & 160 Nm) to give a system output of 262 PS and 425 Nm to drive the front wheels. Both engines are paired to a 7-speed wet dual clutch transmission.

Closer to home, we know that the upcoming Proton X50 will be equipped with the 177 PS 1.5-litre 3-cylinder turbo although there is a small possibility we might have get a 141 PS 1.4-litre 4-cylinder turbo paired to a CVT.

The X50 was recently seen conducting on road testing and it is wearing Proton’s Infinite Weave grille. Word on the street is that the X50 is expected to launch by September 2020 with order books open in August.