You guessed it, another Chinese car has descended into Forza Horizon 5 via the Horizon Road Trip's Dry Season Playlist.
Care to guess what that is? Here's a hint: it belongs to the same parent company that controls Lotus and Volvo. Also, it rhymes with Lincoln if you catch my drift.
If your answer is the Lynk & Co 03, then you're almost right because this is the Lynk & Co 03+, the sleek and sporty version of Lynk & Co's first four-door saloon.
If you're unfamiliar with the Lynk & Co brand, then you're not alone. This was spawned by Geely, the Chinese motoring giant that owned Lotus and Volvo, among many others. Launched in 2016, their first product was the Lynk & Co 01 compact crossover which runs on the same bits and bobs as the Volvo XC40.
The Lynk & Co 03, the brand's first 4-door saloon, was unveiled at the 2018 Chengdu Motor Show. Running on the same platform as the 01, the Lynk & Co 03 compact saloon features styling similar to its crossover derivatives as well as a futuristic interior fit to be called a "smartphone on wheels" like the rest of the lineup. It's powered by a choice of a 1.5L 3-cylinder turbo or a 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine.
The 03+ is considered to be the road-legal equivalent of the touring car used in the FIA WTCR. It's powered by a 2-liter Drive-E turbocharged engine from Volvo, producing 254PS of power and 350Nm of torque. With the standard 8-speed AT and all-wheel-drive, it's capable of going from 0-100kph in 5.9 seconds.
Despite being made in China, the 03+ has the impression of a European hot hatch when you get a hold of it. Sure, it feels mild to drive but it's downright menacing for a Chinese sports sedan with European know-how. It somewhat reminded us of the Volvo S60 Polestar from several years ago and to them, this could be the spiritual successor if you know what I mean.
Let's give this road-legal touring car some challenge and with that, I went to the Hot Wheels park for a little torture test with this Chinese sports sedan I never asked for. Will the Swedish connection work with this Beijing Beef? Let's roll the tape.
Ended up messy but the final strike's worth it.
For a Chinese sports sedan with a Swedish connection, I'd say the Lynk & Co 03+ did come through with flying colors. With its touring car know-how combined with the all-wheel-drive capability, the Lynk & Co 03+ truly is the spiritual successor to a very hot Volvo sedan that time forgot. Paint it with cyan colors and this car's on the roll, just like the touring car that crushed the competition by surprise.
Enjoy your new ride!
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