Lynk & Co is a go for Australia: Chinese-owned Swedish brand to try its luck against Volkswagen, Mazda and more

Chinese automotive giant Geely has confirmed that the Lynk & Co brand will launch in Australia by about 2025.

Announced as part of the Smart Geely 2025 strategic plan, Lynk & Co will expand into other markets beyond China and Europe, including Australia and New Zealand, as well as Russia and Malaysia.

Geely also owns Swedish manufacturer Volvo as well as Polestar, the all-electric Swedish car brand that launched in Australia last month.

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There are no details about the brand’s local launch at this stage, but Australian Volvo executives have previously expressed interest in adding Lynk & Co to its portfolio since the brand’s global launch in 2016.

In Europe, Lynk & Co models can be purchased like a regular car, or customers can opt for a subscription paid month to month, with costs such as insurance and servicing built into the fees. The brand also offers business membership.

A shared digital key allows owners to provide access to their car to family and friends. A user membership allows you to use other people’s cars without having to own one, similar to car share.

So far, just the Lynk & Co 01 crossover is offered in some European countries like Sweden and Germany. Available as a series hybrid or plug-in hybrid in Europe or with petrol engines in China, it shares its Geely Group Common Modular Architecture (CMA) platform with the Volvo XC40.

Other models available in China include the 02 hatchback, 03 sedan which has spawned a racing variant, the 05 coupe-style SUV which is related to the 01, and the 06 sub-compact SUV. Future models include the 07 seven-seat SUV and 09 medium SUV which is related to the Volvo XC90.

The Lynk & Co 01 is available in Europe via a membership, or you can purchase the car.

With the 01 dating back to 2018, the first models to hit the Australian market could well be next-generation Lynk & Co models. The company revealed the Zero concept at last year’s Beijing motor show which previews the brand’s first all-electric model using the Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA).

The existing models are designed and engineered at Lynk & Co’s Gothenburg, Sweden headquarters, but built in various factories in China.

As with Polestar, expect the transactions for Lynk & Co to be purely online. Rather than having traditional dealerships, Lynk & Co uses pop-up stores in European cities to showcase the car alongside other products from brands that Lynk & Co has partnered with.

The Lynk & Co confirmation came as Geely announced plans to increase group sales to 3.65 million units across its Geely Auto, Lynk & Co, Geometry and Zeekr brands by 2025. The group will launch 25 new “smart vehicle products”, including five new Lynk & Co models.

The plan will also see Geely push its Malaysian brand Proton into new ASEAN markets. Whether that means a return to Australia remains to be seen.

Geely will also launch a new powertrain brand called Leishen Power that will produce high-efficiency hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, the latter of which will be capable of driving on electric power for 200km.