Lynk & Co 08 test: not-so-surprising Swedish excellence - that whispers why you would have an electric car when you can have everything

If Volvo and Range Rover had a child who was educated in China and spoke fluent English with a Swedish accent, it would probably be the Lynk & Co 08. A plug-in hybrid SUV that is emerging in Europe as a new branch of the Geely family – the same group that also owns Volvo and Zeekr. And yes, Lynk & Co is here to shake up established European ideas about what premium means. And what a plug-in hybrid can be. So the Lynk & Co 08 test.

On paper, the offer seems almost audacious: Lynk & Co 08 is a 4.82-meter-long SUV, with a battery capacity of 40 kWh, almost twice as large as that in BMW X3 plug-in hybrid, and with a price tag that is at least 20 thousand euros lower than the German trio (X3, GLC, Q5). If this were Tinder, I would say that the match is quite logical – you just have to check if the actual virtues are as dazzling as the photos in this test. Let's take a seriously long test Lynk & Co 08.

A design that speaks with a slight Scandinavian accent

Model exterior Lynk & Co 08 It's not flashy, but thoughtfully confident. LED daytime running lights they extend vertically (not horizontally) across the hood, as if the car were observing the world with slightly closed eyes, wondering if it was even worth getting upset about.

With taut flanks and 21-inch wheels (in the higher MORE trim level), the SUV exudes a serious presence – in the style of “we’re not here to apologize”. The Scandinavian school of thoughtful design is evident, where an element is taken away and then carefully returned to its rightful place. Those of you involved in design will know what I mean.

The car is working. mature in design and tells its own story, a non-generic story – its own style. Some will like it a lot, others never will. But that's always the case with interesting cars. For me, the most interesting are the side mirrors on the bracket, which are quite imposing and give a specific signature to the car.

Its length of 4.82 meters and height that still allows for urban agility put it in direct competition with the best-selling European mid-size SUV models.
The rear with a light strip that runs across the entire width could easily carry the Polestar or Volvo logo. Even the hidden wiper that elegantly rises from under the edge of the roof would be a signature of any Scandinavian designer. So European design, a little Volvo, a little Zeeker and ... here somewhere Lynk & Co. 08 catches up.

Technique: when China learns European elegance

The heart of the drive consists of 1.5-liter four-cylinder, which in tandem with the electric motor offers a total power of around 345 “horsepower” (the official figure varies slightly between markets). But the key part of the story is the battery: 40 kWh – that’s almost as much as in the electric Renault Megane E-Tech. The result? Officially up to 200 kilometers of pure electric driving, but in practice, depending on the driver, the weather and the mood of the car, between 160 and 250 kilometers.

More precisely: a gasoline engine develops approximately 102 kW (134 horsepower), while the electric motor has 155 kW (208 horsepower). Together they produce a system power of 345 horsepower. Interestingly, this car can be driven on electric power alone up to a speed of around 170 km/h, which is more the exception than the rule for a hybrid. The combined top speed is limited to 190 km/hAcceleration to 100 km/h is 6.8 seconds, which is quite decently fast despite the relatively high weight.

The charging is hybrid in the best sense of the word: 11 kW AC for home charging station and 85 kW DC, meaning it charges from 10 to 80 percent in about 33 minutes – just enough for a coffee stop and a philosophical debate about why we still need diesels.

Bottom line: 345 horsepower is plenty, but in Pure mode – all electric power – it's a "calm" cruiser that accelerates slowly. Even in "Power" mode, it doesn't bring a racing experience. It's a family SUV, but it can still overtake when needed.

Interior: Scandinavian Zen aesthetic with Chinese inspiration

When you open the door, the Lynk & Co 08 transforms from an “interesting stranger” into a completely serious candidate for a living room on four wheels. Materials? Surprisingly luxurious. No real leather, but top-quality artificial leather – soft, breathable and convincing even those who swear by the natural smell of leather. Microfiber inserts, ambient lighting, 23 Harman Kardon speakers, heated seats, cooling – the list is as long as the list of series you haven't managed to watch on Netflix yet.

I don't know how to emphasize this enough - I really enjoy the play of different materials... the creativity of choice, which I often miss in European manufacturers. Nothing is boring, everything seems well thought out, with details that are by no means unimportant today. In this area, I have to give it a perfect ten without hesitation.

As for the spaciousness, I have no complaints. The car is spacious both in the front seats and suspiciously record-breaking in the back. The trunk can handle practically designed 545 liters of luggage space. At 482 centimeters, good results. However, it must be admitted that the car is a bit heavy, weighing around 2,100 kilograms. Credit to the hybrid's large battery.

All this for about 53,990 euros (price in Slovenia) in the richest MORE package, which would be barely (if at all) enough for a basic model with a few extras from German brands. Ironically, the concept of “a lot for a reasonable price” is returning from China – only this time in the form of an SUV that drives almost as quietly as many electric cars. Or at least that quietly for the first 200 kilometers. This is also thanks to the slightly thicker glass compared to the European competition, and partly to the frameless doors. The car deserves praise in terms of acoustic comfort.

The digital screens are clear, the graphics are clean, the responsiveness is solid – although many would still like some physical buttons to control the climate control. The voice assistant named Frank (or Meta) works… well, depending on how well it understands your accent. But it’s not as witty as one might like.

I must admit that communication with him worked well when operating the sunroof and temperature settings. However, our "relationship" did not go any further. At this point, the integration of artificial intelligence, such as Grok or ChatGPT - similar to what we already know from the VAG concern - would definitely be welcome.

Lynk & Co 08 on the road: sleek but not sporty

Driving on highways reveals that Lynk & Co 08 It doesn't want to compete with the BMW X3 in steering precision. It's no slower in acceleration (6.8 seconds to 100 km/h), but full throttle reveals that it still has some homework to do in terms of power transfer to the front wheels. It can be lively at the limit of traction - which means the driver gets a small reminder that this is primarily a comfortable, not a sporty SUV.
At higher speeds (up to 180 km/h) it proves surprisingly stable and quiet, even without double glazing. And here comes an interesting discovery: in pure electric mode the car can drive up to 170 km/h, which is almost an exotic feature for plug-in hybrids. However, it reaches this speed slowly.

The steering wheel feels natural, a bit light, but can be individually adjusted – meaning everyone can find their own Zen. In city driving, it is Lynk & Co pleasantly quiet and elegant, only with the 21-inch wheels there is a little more vibration over potholes and road surface irregularities than we would like.

Brake blending would still need a little programming attention - the transition between regeneration and mechanical braking is not always completely smooth. I missed the regenerative braking settings, which are not. So one pedal driving does not exist. But holistically? It is a surprisingly sophisticated system that shows that Geely and Volvo are actually exchanging more than just ownership shares. Although officially this year Lynk & Co. is under the Zeekr brand.

Digital contact with the manufacturer

One of the most endearing features: In the infotainment system, the driver can record a voice message and send it directly to the manufacturer. “Dear Lynk & Co, the parking beeper is too loud.” Engineers are actually supposed to collect this feedback and incorporate it into software updates. An idea that can only be described as “crowdsourced car development” – or, in the vernacular, Finally someone is listening to us.

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Assistance systems that quickly “educate” you

When you browse the internet, you will quickly come across statements from test drivers that the car is extremely “vocal”. This means that it constantly warns the driver about his inattention. At first, especially the first 100 kilometers, this is quite tiring, but later the driver realizes that the system is actually smart and that it warns for a reason.

For example: I often talk while driving, which means I look at my passenger several times. The car recognizes this and now warns me that I am not fully focused on driving. Is this justified? Of course. The collision avoidance system also works in the same way. If the car detects that I am not looking at the road – for example at the passenger, the screen, the phone – it will automatically brake sooner than if I am focused on driving.

So: the car actively warns and "educates" with audible warnings. Anyone who complains about this is probably not a good enough driver - or is not focused enough on the road for the AI algorithm.

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Is it right for a car to "hold our hand" like this? That's more of a philosophical question. But if it prevents an accident or even saves a life, we can only give it a thumbs up.

Consumption, reach, reality

When the battery is discharged, gasoline consumption increases to 8 liters per 100 km. In electric mode, at a speed of 100 km/h, it is around 14.5 kWh/100 km, which means that you could easily travel around 270 kilometers. At 120 km/h, consumption doubles - physics, old acquaintance. In reality, I traveled 100 km on "local roads" with about 3 liters of fuel and about 11 kWh - in hybrid mode. Not bad. When I put it in Pure mode - so only electricity, I achieved around 15 kWh in similar conditions. So regional road, speeds below 100 km/h.

So: In the city and countryside, electric mode is a sensible choice, while on the highway it is more worthwhile to leave the decision to the hybrid system.

Price and positioning

The base model starts at €49,990 in Europe, while the “More trim” we tested with all the goodies costs €53,990. If we compare this to the price of equivalent German hybrids, which easily exceed €80,000, the calculation is clear.

However, Lynk & Co 08 does not lose credibility in terms of build quality – quite the opposite. The interior feels even more premium than that of its German competitors, a statement that would have sounded blasphemous a few years ago. The car is, in terms of choice of materials, workmanship and details before BMW and the entire German competition. So to be fair, at least a class above the price, which is not small, but good considering what you get.

One area where the brand still needs some attention is the very transparent and simple information system, which still has a few "childhood ailments". These are not so pronounced that they deserve serious criticism, but some improvements would definitely be welcome.

I'm missing some shortcut, for example, the top line a Apple Carplay mode … or easy access to frequently used vehicle functions – ones that should always be at hand – switching to Apple Carplay without having to bother searching through the infotainment system menus. Sometimes it can be quite tiring to find your way to a function, such as opening the panoramic roof, which is perfectly controlled by the voice assistant – but is nevertheless buried deep in the menus.

It also bothers me that lighting control is quite complicatedThese are set to "auto", but the manual override is only accessible via a deeply buried menu. In fog, for example, you'll have to click three times before you can manually turn on the lights - which is definitely not optimal.

I hope that in the future cars will be smart enough to automatically turn on the lights when the wipers are on or fog is detectedThis is something I have already pointed out to developers – via voice assistant – as a flaw in Lynk & Co. 08.

Conclusion: a new definition of “Swedish”

Lynk & Co 08 It's not perfect - it's not the most dynamic, it sometimes feels too digital, and the voice assistant is a bit stubborn at times. But its combination of technology, luxury, and price gives it a credibility we haven't previously associated with the Chinese auto industry. And yet - when the Chinese listen development (R&D) in Europe, really interesting products are created.
It is also one of the best cars in terms of safety – it received a 5-star NCAP rating, with results that are better or completely comparable to German competitors such as BMW, Audi and Mercedes. (90 % for adult passengers, 87 % for children, 78 % for pedestrians, 81 % for assistance systems.)

In reality, this is a car, who doesn't try to be a better BMW, but represents a completely new type of "premium" mobility. And if you don't mind that Swedish excellence comes with a Chinese sticker this time, then the Lynk & Co 08 is probably one of the most interesting alternatives this year.