Don’t make the mistake of saying that the latest addition to Lynk & Co, the Z10, is called Zee-ten. Oh, no: it\u2019s called Zee-one-zero. Who knows, maybe it\u2019s sexier. And perhaps it is better not to suggest to its designers that this Zee-one-zero is the straight commercial transposition of the splendid and innovative The Next Day concept presented two years ago (Auto&Design 256). The spirit is the same, they will admit, but the Z10 is a five-metre electric sedan (5.02, to be exact) while The Next Day was a compact and very sporty GT. \u201cThat one \u2013 says Stefan Ros\u00e9n \u2013 was automotive haute couture, whereas this is an elegant sedan, whose style will last longer without that \u2018wow\u2019 effect that would have seemed too extreme to customers.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
![\"Lynk](\"https:\/\/autodesignmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/2024090502_LinkeCoZ10.jpg\")
<\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Exploiting the concept\u2019s design<\/strong><\/span> Expression of a futuristic electric car<\/strong><\/span> Inspired by the emotion of the night<\/strong><\/span>
\nThe Next Day was the introduction of a new design by Lynk & Co, the Gothenburg-based Swedish joint venture of the Chinese Geely and Volvo (which in turn belongs to Geely). The Z10, however, represents a way of exploiting that design, while other cars such as the 07 and 08 recently presented, as explained by Ros\u00e9n himself, President of Design at Lynk & Co, apply it in a different way: \u201cThe 07, for example, has an impressive beltline that kicks up to the C-pillars and makes it more dynamic, while the Z10 is much more sedate and mature. Yet, if you look at The Next Day, you find both those characteristics and they allow us to follow two different paths in production.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\nThis pushes him to reiterate one of his deepest beliefs, namely that to be beautiful a car does not necessarily have to be simple, but can also be complex. The Chinese automotive landscape, he explains, is full of smooth and rounded surfaces: \u201cInstead I say that we can have lines of character and remain not only elegant but also the expression of a futuristic electric car.\u201d
\n\u201cComplexity made simple,\u201d says Ivo Groen, Head of Creative Design: \u201cIn this case the big challenge was to maintain the silhouette of a beautiful GT in a large sedan. We have maintained the scent and beauty of The Next Day, saving a balance of volumes on a completely different package. It was one of our most successful designs.\u201d The concept, Ros\u00e9n insists, \u201cwas quite extreme, here we tried to improve it. The five meters of length on the SEA (Sustainable Experience Architecture) platform helped us with the shape.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\nThe Next Day \u2013 Ros\u00e9n explained to us two years ago \u2013 was inspired by the emotion of the night in a big city like Shanghai, hence the symbolic two-tone paint: at the rear the blue of the night and in front the rays of the sun. \u201cIt was a beautiful narrative,\u201d intervenes Katharina Jose, Head of CMF: \u201cIn the Z10 we did not use conceptual materials, but more traditional or classic ones. However, we faced that same transition in terms of colours, albeit in a less dramatic way. For example, by placing a pattern under a translucent material on the dashboard.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>