Lynk & Co Zero Concept S01 Test Drive Experience: My Name is Coupe | Maximum Unboxing.

Today’s update is divided into two parts:

• The article, written by Ma Xiao-Jin before yesterday’s press conference, is a test drive of the Zero Run S01 prototype. It should be noted that there may still be adjustments in production models in terms of software and details.
• The video of the Zhelun platoon leader’s test drive experience, with a length of 10 minutes, can be found at the bottom of this article.

The full article contains 5089 words, with ample details, and takes approximately 12 minutes to read.

How can I withstand this curiosity

Are you ready to love me

If you like weirdos, in fact, I am beautiful

From Eason’s “Reversion”, today’s “weirdo” is the Zero Run S01.

A coupe, not particularly good-looking, pure electric, front-wheel drive. On the way to Qiandao Lake in a commercial vehicle at 10 o’clock at night, I couldn’t help but feel drowsy.

The next day, I finally saw the true face of the S01 in the hotel garage. Once again, the same thought from yesterday came to my mind: A coupe, not particularly good-looking, pure electric, front-wheel drive…

However, I couldn’t resist getting into the car and starting off on today’s journey.

If I reveal my true identity, will you hold me tight?

It’s not an SUV, not a sedan. Zero Run’s maiden voyage is actually a small coupe, which has attracted a lot of attention due to its unconventional approach, but at the same time has also faced much criticism regarding its appearance.

Is it good-looking? It’s truly an eternal question. When it comes to design, we can only judge from our own perspective based on our own aesthetic tastes. However, as an industrial product, a car’s design directly affects sales and manufacturer profits. Therefore, designers often aim to please the majority of aesthetic preferences, in order to gain acceptance from as many people as possible.

Clearly, the S01’s designer is not one of them.

I found that “really ugly” and “really handsome” are the most common evaluations of the S01, while “just okay” is relatively rare. This result, which completely violates the normal distribution, does not surprise me. After all, it is very unique.

Standing in front of it, I thought for a long time, why can’t I appreciate its design. In general, the reason lies in the following three points:

– The size of 4075/1760/1380 mm is quite small, although it has a coupe-like shape, it doesn’t look stretched;

– The front headlights are too thick, and there are too many black plastic covers, which makes the color proportion not very coordinated;

– The minimum ground clearance of 120 mm is more for practicality, but the atmosphere created by the coupe is lacking.

In addition to the criticism, there are actually some interesting designs worth mentioning about the S01.

First, let’s talk about some interesting designs:

– Vein recognition: Searching for LI’s share structure, it’s easy to find a company called “Dahua” particularly prominent. Yes, it’s Dahua, which is specialized in security products. The S01 of LI naturally uses the slightly “B-grade” vein recognition system. The biggest advantage of this system, in addition to being a good talking point, is convenience and security: it is not affected by the clarity of fingerprints or the cleanliness of hands, and must be detected in vivo, and cannot be replicated.

– Frameless doors: Judging from its expected price of 100-150,000 yuan, it is likely to become the cheapest car model equipped with frameless doors. Touch the vein recognition to open the frameless door, which is executed smoothly.

– Flowing turn signal: It is also a configuration that young people love to see. At the same time, the lighting configuration is not inferior, with LED headlights + LED daytime running lights + flowing turn signals, and the height of the headlights can be adjusted on the center console.

– Panoramic sunroof: Due to the limitation of the size of the car body, the size of the S01’s roof is very small. A panoramic sunroof is connected to the rear windshield, making the roof the coolest angle of the car, with a hint of feeling of a mid-engine supercar.

– Charging Indicator Light Strip: There is a light strip connecting the two headlights on the front of the car, but it doesn’t light up. It turns out that this light strip is the charging indicator light of the S01. When charging, it is always on to indicate that it is charging. At this time, the daytime running lights on both sides turn into battery level indicator lights, lighting up gradually. This design is quite interesting, but it is strange and wasteful to light up so many lights during charging. Anyway, don’t worry about it. After all, it can make me the brightest “boy” in the entire parking lot.

Here are some conventional designs:

– Front Fender Charging Port: Like many electric cars, the charging port of the Zero S01 is located on the left and right front fenders, with the left side being an AC slow charging port and the right side being a DC fast charging port. Although this design is conventional, it can still be inconvenient to charge in places where parking spaces are tight.

– 17-Inch Wheels with PS4 Tires: The test drive car was equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels and Michelin Sport Series PS4 tires with a low-profile of only 45. The specs are high. However, based on the configuration information, the 17-inch wheels are optional, and the standard tires come from Maggies. High-spec sports tires are also available, but it is not yet confirmed whether they are PS4.

After discussing the appearance, let’s continue to talk about the design.

Regardless of whether the Zero S01’s appearance is ugly or handsome, it is undeniably eye-catching, with a high turning rate and high recognition. However, this quirkiness did not continue into the car’s interior.

Although the interior design is mediocre, this does not prevent it from still having some fun elements.– Facial recognition startup: S01 does not have a startup button, just like Tesla. In addition, it has an interesting design, facial recognition. After the vein recognition enters the car, facial recognition is carried out. After successful recognition, the vehicle can be started by pressing the brake pedal. In addition to the dual safety protection, facial recognition is also another manifestation of Dahua technology strength. At the same time, well, it’s also a gimmick…

However, I found a small bug. When you first touch this car and want to record vein and facial information, you need to operate on the central control screen. After successful recording of facial information, you need to record vein information in the vein recognition area in the car door handle. Veins will be collected three times, but the success rate is not too high. If one of the collections fails, you need to do it again, and you need to choose to recollect on the car machine. In order to succeed in getting rid of the shackles of car keys, you may need to run back and forth inside and outside the car a few times… I hope this is just a problem with the trial car.

– Spectral color-changing ambient light: These days it is not uncommon to have an ambient light, but S01’s ambient light is quite interesting. You can select any color you like on the color palette and change it frequently. At nine o’clock in the evening, with the pouring rain and the violet ambient light I chose, the peaceful Thousand Island Lake can also have the feeling of dancing in Shanghai, haha.

– Flat-bottomed steering wheel: A Coupe must not fall behind in the creation of a sports atmosphere, regardless of whether it is truly sports or not. Although the styling of S01’s flat-bottomed steering wheel is not exaggerated or science fiction, the thickness and gripping feeling are worthy of praise. However, there is also a bug that is worth mentioning. The operating logic of the dial on both sides of the steering wheel is surprisingly opposite. The upslide on the left dial increases the volume, and the downslide decreases it. The upslide on the right dial selects the menu below, and the downslide does the opposite… It’s somewhat odd.

– Gearshift: In the era of gasoline vehicles, the gearshift position was a common configuration for Mercedes-Benz and American large vans. However, the trend of using gearshift in electric vehicles was started by Tesla, which was followed by many others. S01’s gearshift has a high degree of similarity to the Mercedes-Benz and Tesla designs, and the tactile feedback is also good. The only design flaw is the lack of a P-gear, which, even though not needed for an electric vehicle, would have still been more convenient. After communicating with the team at NIO, they prefer to solve the P-gear issue through the use of Autohold.

– Vibrant Red: Red is the flagship color of the NIO S01, and you will find large amounts of red inside the car as well. Interestingly, NIO told me that some of the interior design and standards were reference from Porsche. The integrated red-colored seat in the S01 is indeed very “Porsche-like,” but in Porsche you would have to pay extra for it, while it comes as a standard feature in the S01. However, let’s not talk about Porsche because, well, the seat assembly process for the trial car is a story on its own.

Now, let’s talk about the infotainment system:

The infotainment system is essential for a smart electric car, but unfortunately, the trial version of the S01 didn’t provide us with much experience. Before going to market, there will be several changes made to the software of this system, so the functionality and UI may be different. From the current trial car’s point of view, there are pros and cons to the system:

Pros:

• The interface is relatively clean and very similar to the settings interface on an Android phone. It is easy to use.

• The system integrates with the car at a high level, and you can control almost all functions of the vehicle through the infotainment system.

• The system is smooth, and both sliding the screen and selecting functions provide a satisfactory user experience.

Cons:

• Some functions are too deeply hidden in the menu, such as the headlight switch and driving mode. The convenience is greatly reduced.

• The speech recognition lacks the ability to recognize vague input. The accuracy of the speech recognition is not an issue, but it lacks the ability to recognize vague input compared to domestic mainstream infotainment systems like Banma, etc.

If you are curious, be prepared to be scaredActually, I couldn’t wait to turn it on. Firstly, because the chassis and powertrain of the test vehicle have the highest completion and are closest to the production version. Secondly, because it’s a coupe. Is there anything more enjoyable than driving a two-door car on winding mountain roads?

Due to time constraints, the dynamic section lacks pictures. Please refer to the squad leader Vlog for the dynamic video. The following content is brief. Please prepare your own drinks. Thanks.

What kind of performance can you expect from a front-wheel drive car with 125 kW and 250 N·m? At best, it’s comparable to a 1.4T Golf. With disdain for it, I stepped on the “floor electric” pedal. Holy cow, the Michelin PS4 is actually screeching! As the speed increased, the sense of pushing back gradually dissipated, but the impression it left on me did not dissipate at all. Hmm, it’s quite an interesting car. If you don’t have an impression of Tesla or a sports car in your mind, it’s enough to give you a thrill. It won’t be too exciting or dizzying, but it can be an occasional indulgence on the way home from work.

It’s not surprising that the Lynk & Co 01 has a floating caliper brake system. Although it doesn’t look sporty, the actual braking performance can still meet the demands. Due to the lack of testing equipment and venues, subjective feelings are relied upon to evaluate. Looking forward to having the opportunity for a venue test in the future. However, for an electric car, energy regenerative braking is also crucial. The S01 cannot select the regenerative braking force individually but has different regenerative braking forces for each driving mode. However, the force is somewhat weak in my experience.

In fact, what really “scared” me was its handling performance. It’s hard to imagine that a small coupe with a minimum ground clearance of 120mm, a front MacPherson suspension and a rear torsion beam, which is more focused on daily use and manufacturing costs, is so stiff. Because both the suspension and shock absorbers are set to be “stiff,” the S01 finally made me realize that it is a sporty car when facing fast corners, especially hairpin turns on mountain roads.

However, Lynk & Co is not a mature and well-established car company. The S01 is not like products from companies with solid chassis technology that can adjust the chassis to be elastic and tough. Therefore, it can only compromise between handling and comfort. Choosing to lean towards handling means giving up some comfort to a certain extent. Fortunately, the balance between these two aspects is appropriate. It has some fun but does not completely sacrifice practicality.

I prefer to use the sports mode to drive the S01. It may sound strange, but I personally feel that it’s the most comfortable to drive in sports mode. However, there is still a big problem-the vehicle shakes between acceleration and energy recovery. Is this because of Lynk & Co’s self-developed “three-in-one” motor? I hope the production version can solve this problem.## English Markdown:

S01 has two versions of endurance performance, with comprehensive operating conditions endurance capabilities of 300km and 380km respectively, but currently only the 380 version with comprehensive endurance of 300km is available… Be careful not to confuse it as the name of the 300km endurance version is called 380, which is a common problem caused by domestic manufacturers’ naming conventions, unfortunately.

Actually, I have a regret. The auxiliary driving function of LI ONE is called “Leap Pilot”. This system, from cameras, sensors to chips and algorithms, is all independently developed, and is said to be able to achieve L2.5-level automatic driving, and can be OTA upgraded to L3 later. Meanwhile, the official news stated that LI ONE’s automatic driving test has covered 1.6 million kilometers since 2018, with no accidents occurred. All of these rely on independent research and development. Such a hardcore new force is really rare, but it is a pity that these functions cannot be used in our test vehicles…

But you know one thing: no one is without secrets

In fact, I don’t need to say much. The moment you see the body size and styling, you probably know how its space performance is.

However, let me tell you about its interesting features first:

– Who doesn’t have secrets? Who doesn’t have a stash of cash?

Opening the central armrest of the S01 is like becoming a tomb raider, with traps and hidden passages everywhere. The seemingly small armrest opens to reveal a hidden compartment underneath. Hey, don’t worry, there is another cover in front, and opening it reveals a small arm that can be extended inside. It’s a very intimate design, and you no longer have to worry about your stash of cash being discovered.

– Queen’s copilot? Sorry, it’s a “Lady in Waiting”. Don’t worry if your stash of cash is discovered, quickly help the one sitting in the copilot seat adjust to a comfortable sitting position to soothe any anxiety. The backrest angle adjustment of the front seats of the S01 surprisingly has no limit, is this a bug?

Apart from these two interesting designs, there are also several points worth mentioning:– Ample Storage Space: Don’t think that only the central armrest with various modes is worth mentioning. There is also a large storage space at the bottom of the S01 central console, which is very easy to use in daily life. Meanwhile, S01 has equipped this position with a cigarette lighter and two USB interfaces, which can meet daily needs.

Oh, yes, beside it is the glove box. The configuration table also specifically indicates that this is not an ordinary glove box, but a noble one with damping…

– Adequate Trunk Space: I thought that such a small car, which is also a coupe with a sloping back, must have poor trunk space. However, the fact speaks louder than words. The trunk of S01 is still sufficient for most needs. The trunk depth is just right for a 20-inch carry-on box, which can hold three of them at the same time with some spare space. If the rear seats are folded down, the trunk space can be more than doubled.

– Front Seat Space: With a height of less than 1.4 meters, people may worry about the performance of headroom, but the fact proves that at 180cm tall and weighing 87kg, the Zhelen monitor can easily find a comfortable sitting position.

Must Criticize:

– Poor Rear Seat Space: Although it is a coupe, I did not expect it to be so difficult to get into the back seat, nor did I expect the back seat to be so small… No further description is needed. Please see the picture.

Who Will Be Its “Weirdo”?

Who will accept it and be happy to pay more than ten thousand to own it?I made various assumptions and had various discussions with the class leader, but all were fruitless. It’s not practical. Can you imagine the beautiful scene of “locking in” your future parents-in-law in the back seat? It’s not sporty either. 140km/h isn’t exactly something to brag about as driving a “sports car”. Its range is not long enough either. If you consider discounts and decay, 300km would be around its limit. It’s even not good-looking…

However, I eventually realized that I didn’t need to speculate on the potential audience based on my own knowledge and ideas. During the shooting break, we parked the car in front of the hotel, and two uncles showed great interest and asked about the price and release date. They couldn’t wait to sit in the car and take pictures with their phones. One of the uncles said to me, “What a beautiful little car. When it’s released, I’ll buy one for my daughter to commute with.”

As I was writing this article in front of my computer, a big brother in our community said he was interested in the Zero Run and was planning to swap for one. I added him on WeChat right away and expressed my curiosity. The big brother said that the S01 was reasonably priced, the coupe style was cool, and the size was suitable for commuting in the city with occasional child pick-ups, so he didn’t need a large back seat.

What’s more interesting is that this big brother had also considered the XPeng G3 and the WM EX5, and had even placed an order for the EX5. He gave up on the XPeng because the entire production and delivery process couldn’t satisfy him, and gave up on the WM because he felt he didn’t need another “big” car after replacing his first car at home.

I suddenly understood that the S01 is a weirdo, a niche character with personality, but that doesn’t stop some people from liking it. It can be a vehicle, but it’s more like a toy. To own this toy, you need to give up some practical things like utility, but the joy it can bring you is unique.

Although I can pick out its shortcomings, seeing this player who doesn’t play by the rules has given us more choices in this price range, which seems to be more interesting than the increasingly similar SUVs, isn’t it?

👇 Experience video of Zheren Class Leader:

• Leading Ideal S01 Goes Public: Can Its Unconventional Coupe Win Young Drivers? | 42HOW On-site

• Leading Ideal’s First Center Opens, Zhao Gang Hopes Owners “Don’t Come Here Unnecessarily”

This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.