Lynk & Co’s new Concept Car ‘The Next Day’
At a recent on-line media event in China, a brand new concept car was revealed and presented by VP of Design at Lynk & Co, Stefan Rosén. Time to find out a bit more about this fascinating concept car and the ideas behind it.
An interview with Stefan Rosén, VP Design Lynk & Co.
Where does the name come from and what is the idea behind it?
We decided to name our new concept car ‘The Next Day’ since it represents the next chapter of the Lynk & Co design language. But before I tell you more about it allow me first to thank the team here in Gothenburg that collectively has done an outstanding job in a record time. I am extremely proud of that.
As everyone knows, Lynk & Co is very personal to me since I have been with this brand since the very birth. I remember the workshops we had when we first decided on our four design values, Personal, Respectful, New Tech and Dark. It was an exciting time. We started with a blank piece of paper, and we needed these building blocks to build on. The team was experienced and talented which gave us confidence. Confidence to be a design-driven brand.
When the 01 was launched, we became the world’s fastest selling new brand. And since its inception, the brand has welcomed more than 650,000 members to the Lynk & Co family.
We reflected upon our design values, and what is most important for us in the next coming years.
We listened to what the next generation values, and we talked to what our own members had to say.
Looking forward, we adjusted our four design values into four Design Principles:
Dare to be different. Proud Tech. Next premium and Rich Experience.
In short, very short, I would say:
Dare To Be Different is about being confident to go our own way.
Next Premium is about finding new and modern ways to express quality.
Proud Tech is about showing off, rather than hiding away technical features.
And the last principal, Rich Experience, is about adding the Brand Flavour.
To summarize, The Next Day is our way to manifest how we continue our successful story by adding a chapter. And what could be more symbolic than setting the scene at the first morning lights in the energizing sunrise.
The beginning of the next day.
Can you elaborate a bit more on the design elements?
We have a new form language we would like to call “Sculpted by Sunrise”. This is a beautiful, muscular sculpture which is interrupted by a few striking lines. These lines represent the first rays of sunlight that break the horizon on that “Next Day”. We also gave the body a sense of strength from within, where the sharp features look like they are the result of a strong structure under the skin.
The story of the Next Day and the first light can also be seen on our very artistic approach when we choose the exterior color. It is painted as if it was brushed by the sun, going from blue darkness into the sunrise.
At the rear we have a wing that will deploy for aerodynamic efficiency. It brings the tail lamps with it, revealing another a bolder Lynk & Co wordmark. This shapeshifting of our rear signature hints at our variation in future products to come. We call this Aerodramatic.
These “Transformer” lights are composed of a wide modern horizontal blade and two tall vertical elements, mimicking the Dynamic Day Rays in the front.
It is very important for us to still be recognized as a Lynk & Co, and if you look at the front, I think the first thing you notice are the Lynk & Co eyes, our DRL´s. And from here on we call them Dynamic Day Rays. These are our main identity carriers, that together with our new form language, build on our strong DNA as part of the design principal we call ‘Dare to be different’. This sets us apart from other car brands.
Another recognizable signature is the set of the parallel lines on the hood. We call it our “GT band”, and on The Next Day car this band continues all the way up over the cabin glass and down to the tail of the car.
The face has a strong graphic read, with super sharp tech cooling elements, vertical lamellas that open when the car is not running on batteries. The slim Tech Band in the front opens in 3 segments, depending on the need for lighting, LiDAR’s and additional sensors. All these elements are quite theatrical and play a part in the car coming alive.
The Tech Band is a good example of what we call Proud Tech. The principal is to cluster technical features into a few areas creating these Points of Interest. And to give a ceremonial experience, when applicable.
Another great example of Proud Tech is visible on the side of the car. We call it a Tech Totem. This is where we cluster lights, sensors and even a UX display. These elements could have been hidden away in different surfaces. But we don´t want to do that.
The roof silhouette outlines a teardrop shape. And this is one of the things we spent a little bit of extra effort on. We wanted to create a really unique approach to the greenhouse. So, the glass, the whole top of the car, almost looks like a cut diamond. Therefore, we named it the Black Diamond. It has an edge-to-edge solution with no decorations, just the sheer beauty of simplicity and craftsmanship of the solution. This is what makes it stand out and look fantastic. A true way to express our second design principle, Next Premium.
How about the interior of the car?
The first thing that will strike you is the use of color, material and unique finishes. We wanted to create something very emotional, something that has a lot of passion and gives you that sense of occasion getting into it. This is where our design principal Rich Experience is best shown. We don’t get inspired by grey or black business suits, rather the more colorful things you wear when going to the Gala-event or why not, the ski slopes or down to the beach.
We are not about business; we are more about leisure.
The carpet is a great piece of art. Handwoven with a gradient pattern ranging from the dark blue of the night to a morning’s bright orange at the front. The carpet also enhances the impression that the dark blue ´gravity seats´ appear to float.
The instrument panel is another Proud Tech area that we explain as having a Spaceship landing on a soft moon. It is a very technical, futuristic and almost otherworldly looking IP. And we made it land on the soft moon, which is the dressed environment, giving the effect of a visible impact. The IP has an innovative material, where denim has been layered into wood. A nod to the fashion industry. Very creative, very Lynk & Co.
The car has a duality, reshaping the interior accommodating a driver focused GT environment or autonomous driving for a relaxed mode: The steering wheel retracts, seats recline into a closer position, speakers come forward and the center screen folds down.
The driver´s interaction with the car should never be at the expense of distraction. The facet approach of the Black Diamond cabin allows us to integrate the largest AR HUD possible, with precise clarity due to the windscreen’s sheered off curvature.
If you had to express the design of The Next Day in a few words, what would that be?
Within design and architecture, there’s a famous quote saying; less is more. But at Lynk & Co we decided to say less is not more. What we mean by that, is that we would like to give a richer experience to the customer. Give them more! And this is expressed in the car. It’s not just a one simple statement, there’s a lot to experience, a lot of expressions to enjoy!
I hope you one day get a chance to view it from a close range, because we have paid a lot of attention to details. And we love details at Lynk & Co.
Finally, what will happen with the concept car in the coming months?
It will be displayed at a number of exhibitions in China before it returns to Europe.
