Lynk & Co. enters the market with the 2020 model, reorganizing its growth logic.

Lynk & Co has changed its strategy.

On September 28th, the all-new Lynk & Co 20 was launched in Chengdu, with a limited-time special price starting from 118,800 yuan. In an interview after the launch event, Fan Junyi, Executive Vice President of Geely Automobile Group Sales Company and General Manager of Lynk & Co Sales Company, gave his first relatively systematic explanation of Lynk & Co's business strategy after nearly two months in office.

In early August, Geely established a sales headquarters, with Fan Junyi concurrently serving as general manager of Lynk & Co sales company and overseeing Galaxy sales company. This appointment places two new energy vehicle brands with adjacent price ranges and shared technological resources under the same manager, and also pushes the integration of "One Geely" from the R&D, supply chain, and capital levels to the sales end, which is closest to the market.

He took over a brand facing growth pressure. In the first eight months of this year, Lynk & Co's cumulative sales reached 177,600 units, only slightly more than 40% of its annual target of 400,000 units; in the remaining four months, it needs to sell more than 220,000 units, with monthly sales more than doubling compared to the first eight months. The Lynk & Co 20 received 14,663 pre-orders within an hour of its launch, a good start, but Fan Junyi talked more about how to prevent the business operations from "going awry".

The core of his statement was to avoid offering low-spec, low-price vehicles, not to pressure dealers to stock up, and to redefine the boundaries between Lynk & Co and Galaxy and JiKrypton.

01 Redefining the Boundaries

Fan Junyi's adjustments only become clear when viewed in the context of Geely's establishment of a sales headquarters in early August. Previously, the integration of "One Geely" mainly occurred in the areas of equity, R&D, manufacturing, and supply chain. The new organization directly coordinates brand marketing, channel policies, and user operations, marking the first time that integration has been pushed to the sales end, which is closest to the market.

Fan Junyi concurrently serves as the General Manager of Lynk & Co Sales Company, and also oversees Galaxy Sales Company. With two brands in adjacent price ranges and sharing technological resources under the same person's leadership, the front end must provide distinct reasons for consumers to choose Lynk & Co, rather than the more mainstream and widely available Galaxy.

His answer was to clarify the brand positioning. "Jik is aiming for the luxury market, Lynk & Co is taking the middle ground, and Galaxy is targeting the mainstream market," Fan Junyi told Wall Street Insights and other media outlets.

The middle ground doesn't equate to a niche market. With decreasing first-time buyer demand and increasing replacement rates, consumers are no longer just looking for the standard answer that meets the whole family's needs. They are also starting to choose cars based on personal aesthetics, driving interests, and lifestyles. Lynk & Co's brand personality, which it has built up in the past, may actually become a new growth opportunity.

However, drawing boundaries is not easy. According to Geely's plan for each brand, Lynk & Co's target market is 150,000 to 350,000 yuan, with the 200,000 yuan level as the main focus; while Lynk & Co 20's limited-time starting price is reduced to below 120,000 yuan, which is actually close to the price range of Galaxy.

During the Chengdu Auto Show, Fan Junyi summarized Lynk & Co's next phase direction as "broadening its reach": the brand's core values remain unchanged, while expanding into more energy forms, product categories, and usage scenarios. The question is, after reaching a wider user base, how will Lynk & Co avoid becoming another galaxy? The market will provide the answer before slogans do.

Distribution channels are another key focus. Fan Junyi acknowledged that the target of 400,000 vehicles is challenging, but Lynk & Co will not rely on reducing features or lowering prices to generate short-term sales, nor will it shift unrealistic targets onto dealers.

He used the metaphor of a "dammed lake" to describe the channel inventory. Manufacturers are pushing vehicles into the channels, and dealers, in order to recoup their funds, are then drastically lowering prices, ultimately resulting in losses, price chaos, and brand damage. Short-term sales may be boosted, but the market potential for the next few months will be prematurely exhausted.

Over the past two months, Lynk & Co has begun adjusting some dealer performance evaluations and product policies to align targets with actual market demand. While some settlement and business metrics can be adjusted according to market conditions, user experience and satisfaction cannot be compromised.

"Make a little progress every day, and be a little better each month than the last." This is the new rhythm that Fan Junyi has set for the distribution channels. Compared to a sudden surge, he cares more about whether sales can be built on the basis of stable prices, reasonable inventory, and normal operations of distributors.

Beyond distribution channels, Fan Junyi considers reconnecting with users another fundamental task. Since taking office, he has participated in numerous user forums and the Lynk & Co Customer Council. Some existing Lynk & Co owners expressed a desire to continue trading in their vehicles for Lynk & Co vehicles and were willing to directly point out issues with the product and its communication. In his view, these opinions, which may not always be pleasant, are the foundation for Lynk & Co to regain a more human touch with the brand.

Fan Junyi has worked at Geely for 23 years, yet he refers to himself as a "newcomer to Lynk & Co." Regarding the outside world's talk of an "empty cup mentality," he explains it as taking another cup: putting in the past experiences that were useful to Lynk & Co, and then filling it with new opinions from users, dealers, and the R&D team.

This means that Lynk & Co's sales adjustments are not just about changing communication methods or increasing promotions, but about first clarifying who the brand serves, and then adjusting products, channels, and marketing accordingly.

02 The Strategy for the First Battle

The all-new Lynk & Co 20 is the first product to undergo market testing based on this approach.

After Fan Junyi took over Lynk & Co in August, the launch schedule for new cars was delayed, and the sales and R&D teams re-discussed the model configurations. Faced with suggestions to remove some high-value equipment and launch a lower-configuration version to reduce the starting price, Lynk & Co ultimately chose to reject the idea.

The all-new Lynk & Co 20 is priced from 118,800 yuan for a limited time. All models come standard with an 800V high-voltage platform, 6C super-fast charging, lidar, and the Qianli Haohan H5 assisted driving system. Charging from 10% to 80% takes approximately 12 minutes. In a market where pure electric SUVs in the 100,000-200,000 yuan range typically differentiate prices through varying configurations, Lynk & Co aims to make all technologies that impact the core experience standard.

Fan Junyi summarizes this approach as becoming a "value beneficiary" rather than participating in low-price competition. Low prices often come from reducing features, while value competition leverages Geely's technology, supply chain, and scale capabilities to bring down the features that users truly need, while preserving Lynk & Co's differentiation in design, driving, and safety.

This also represents a recalibration of Lynk & Co's pure electric vehicle line. Lynk & Co's most distinctive brand assets were formed during the era of gasoline-powered vehicles, with models like the 03 establishing a perception of sportiness and handling. After entering the new energy vehicle market, although Lynk & Co has launched pure electric products, it has not yet established the same clear brand identity in terms of intelligence, energy efficiency, and market expression.

Fan Junyi's proposed direction is "inheriting dynamism and advancing electrification." By "electrification," he means more than just replacing the engine with an electric motor and battery; it means making the 800V platform, intelligent driver assistance, electrification design, and cabin experience tangible value for users.

Lynk & Co will not abandon its gasoline-powered products. According to Fan Junyi's vision, the electrification and intelligent capabilities accumulated from new energy vehicles will be gradually applied to the facelift and replacement of gasoline models such as the 03. Lynk & Co's energy sources can continue to expand, but its brand image of trendiness, individuality, and sportiness cannot be changed.

Product dimensions are also being re-examined. In the past two years, a large number of six-seater and five-seater SUVs have been launched, but some users have found after actual use that they still commute alone in the city most of the time.

Fan Junyi predicts that as the car market enters the replacement phase, users will become more rational and more willing to buy a personalized product for themselves. The Lynk & Co 20 is positioned as an A-class pure electric SUV, targeting young, urban-living "urban elites" who demand quality and driving experience.

Competition in this market is fierce. The price ranges of established products like the BYD Yuan PLUS and Deep Blue S05 largely overlap with the Lynk & Co 20, while lower-priced models like the Leapmotor A10 and Yuan UP offer better value for money and attract more customers. Whether the standard features strategy can create a noticeable difference for users will directly determine whether the Lynk & Co 20 can gain a foothold in the market.

To ensure these judgments are truly incorporated into the product, Fan Junyi is pushing for earlier collaboration between sales and R&D. He speaks with Kang Guowang, the dean of Lynk & Co's vehicle research institute, almost daily on the phone and holds meetings every two or three days, directly integrating user feedback into product planning, configuration adjustments, and model update discussions.

The linear process of R&D completing the product and sales being responsible for bringing it to market is being broken. R&D is no longer just responsible for technical implementation, and sales can no longer wait until the product is finalized to consider how to promote it. What users need and what problems the product should solve must be agreed upon during the development phase.

The marketing strategy has also changed accordingly. Fan Junyi does not agree with putting all the budget into the pre-launch phase. After the new car is released, Lynk & Co will allocate resources to in-store experiences, initial customer service, and secondary marketing. They will then adjust subsequent communication based on why users chose the Lynk & Co 20 and what feedback they receive during actual use.

Holding a dealer conference immediately after the press conference is part of this strategy. Compared to the short-term buzz generated by a press conference, Fan Junyi values whether a car can maintain stable sales several months later.

The more than 14,600 pre-orders within an hour of the launch are just the beginning; continued delivery, terminal pricing, and channel inventory will be the next tests.

For Fan Junyi, the significance of this car goes beyond simply adding another pure electric product. It needs to simultaneously validate Lynk & Co's new product logic, sales rhythm, and brand boundaries. This is also the first test for Geely's sales headquarters since its establishment, examining whether multi-brand collaboration can avoid convergence.

Risk warning and disclaimerInvesting involves risk; please exercise caution. This article does not constitute personal investment advice and does not take into account the specific investment objectives, financial situation, or needs of individual users. Users should consider whether any opinions, views, or conclusions in this article are suitable for their specific circumstances. Any investment decisions made based on this information are at your own risk.