Lynk & Co 02 review

Lynk & Co is the newest addition to the Geely family, the brand aiming to combine Volvo's proven quality and safety expertise with Geely's tech innovation. The brand was only founded in 2016, but it's already gaining great momentum in Europe. Lynk & Co is known for its restrained aesthetics and cutting-edge tech features and its lineup mostly focuses on the typical urban driver.

Table of Contents:

• Exterior
• Interior
• Storage & practicalities
• Driving experience
• Tech features
• Ride comfort
• Cabin noise
• Acceleration and braking
• Consumption
• Charging speed
• Competition
• Verdict

Today, we are testing the Lynk & Co 02, a compact SUV that, depending on the market, can be purchased for about $43,900. That's a great price nowadays when some of its direct competitors cost almost twice as much.

The Lynk & Co 02 RWD with 272 hp output is the only available powertrain, and you choose between just two trim levels - Core and More. We test the latter, which comes with all available options for the model. Customization options are minimal here as the only thing you can pick is the exterior color. This kind of streamlined lineup certainly helps keep manufacturing costs and, in turn, the final price lower.

Lynk & Co 02 2024 -

• Dimensions: 175.6 inches x 72.6 inches x 61.9 inches, 108.5 inches wheelbase.
• Drivetrain tested: 02 RWD - RWD 200 kW (272 hp), 238 lb-ft, 69 kWh total battery capacity, 66 kWh usable battery capacity
• Charging: 150 kW CCS
• Range: 277 miles WLTP
• Weight: 4,012 lb unladen, 5,004 lb gross
• Other features: V2L charging, digital key, OTA updates.

Exterior

The outside of the Lynk & Co 02 is a mix of Volvo's restraint and Geely's boldness. The result is a very distinct, yet somehow soulless exterior design with few signature lines. We wouldn't say the 02 is ugly, but it does combine design languages that don't mix too well.

The front of the Lynk & Co 02 is smoothed out to reduce drag, which makes it look bulky, but stylish. On the other hand, the headlights are way too narrow for that front end and they generally look like an afterthought. They would much better suit a lower and sportier vehicle, where they could give an aggressive look, whereas in the 02 they appear out of place.

From the side, the 02 incorporates the increasingly popular SUV-coupe styling, but the roof only starts to drop after the rear doors, meaning it doesn't rob headroom space inside.

One thing Volvo pioneered and we are now glad to see trickle down to the other brands of the conglomerate are the frameless side mirrors. They look great and minimize blind spots and unwanted reflections.

The door handles look like plain and regular, but when you stick your fingers in you can feel the button, which automatically opens the door for you. This is a wonderful implementation of an electronic release, unlike the flushed handles that emerge from the body, which so many companies utilize.

Our More trim comes with 20-inch wheels, while the Core comes with more range-friendly 19-inch ones. They both look stylish as Lynk & Co went with something more classic and inoffensive.

The rear of the Lynk & Co 02 is the most daring and cohesive part of the exterior. The sloping roofline ends with a huge LED bar spreading from end to end. It sticks out of the body of the car and its four vertical slats give it a distinct light signature.

The rear is an almost exact copy of the new Toyota C-HR, which while not very imaginative is not a bad thing given how popular the small Japanese crossover is.

Interior

On the inside, the Lynk & Co 02 is much more interesting than the outside. The build quality is amazing with absolutely no rattling anywhere. The material choice is not the greatest, but adequate for the price point.

As you open the door, a huge sign that reads "drive safe" welcomes you, which feels a bit excessive.

Above it you get beautiful minimalist window and side mirror controls, as well as a very tasteful Harman/Kardon speaker cover. Sadly, the rest of the materials around are not as nice to touch and feel rubbery, but are very ergonomically designed for comfort on longer rides.

Stepping in, you see an irregularly shaped steering wheel with two spokes. It is one of the very few pain points inside and is not the best to use in daily traffic. The buttons on it to control the multimedia and driver assists are solid and easy to operate, but far away from the fingers and you have to turn your attention off the road to use them.

The stalks coming from the steering column are solid and feel great to touch and use. They are a detail so many manufacturers overlook, but when done correctly like in the Lynk & Co 02 it adds that much more to the driving experience.

Behind the steering wheel is a small black cube, which incorporates the driver sensor, which monitors your attentiveness. It is tremendously annoying and even if you look away from it when parking or checking your mirrors it starts loudly beeping. In the majority of scenarios this system adds nothing to the driving experience, except for annoyance.

The Volvo EX30 we tested shares the platform with the Lynk & Co 02 and a lot of similarities inside, but the Volvo gets the better features thanks to its higher price. However, the Lynk & Co 02 gets a dedicated gauge cluster display, which the EX30 lacks. This means the 02 has the center display entirely for multimedia purposes. The gauge cluster is small, but shows all the necessary information and can even be slightly customized.

In the middle we see a big 15.4-inch touchscreen display that controls most of the features of the car. It's slapped on top of the dashboard, showing no signs of design integration whatsoever. It does however offer excellent image quality and responsiveness.

To the left of the screen is a strap with an exclamation and question marks on it. You pull on it and it brings out the driver profiles and connectivity features of the car. Sadly, those were locked on our test vehicle, so we couldn't test their effects on the car's behavior.

Below the main screen is a vast open space. There are two wireless charge pads, as well as two retractable cup holders. They can even be removed to fit something big like a backpack.

The vast empty space under the dash can be useful

The center console sits high off the ground and offers a lot of storage space as well. The whole console is empty inside, but if you wish to utilize it for smaller objects there are some separators to create smaller pockets. The whole section can be covered by a foldable tray that looks pretty cheap, but does its job well.

The center console is very practical, yet not very elegant.

The armrest is also suitable for storage, but more importantly is that when you lift the cover, its underside has a big clip for storing papers and a prominent sign to inform you that Lynk & Co is designed in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The center console has some hidden features.

The positioning of the hazard lights is far from optimal and takes some getting used to. They are on the head panel above the rear-view mirror and are a very small button.

Right below them is the interior camera, which is a neat gimmick. If you have privacy concerns, there is a small cover you can pull over it.

The interior camera can be handy for car sharing.

The seats are soft and cushy with little side support. This makes daily driving pleasant, as well as getting in and out of the vehicle easy. On the flip side you tend to roll around a lot in corners even at low speeds.

The seats are made for comfort.

The rear seats of the Lynk & Co 02 are spacious for the segment and even our 1.95 m (6'4") tall reviewer sits effortlessly in the back. Of course, the space isn't enormous, but is more than what most rivals offer.

Space in the rear is okay for the segment.

There are almost no luxuries around back. You get an armrest with cup holders, as well as USB-C and, interestingly, USB-A charge ports.

Luxury in the back is scarce.

Storage & practicalities

Trunk space is about average, considering the size of the Lynk & Co 02. The volume with the rear seats up is 14.5 ft³. There is also space underneath the main trunk floor to store some smaller items.

Trunk space is decent in the Lynk & Co 02.

As we mentioned, the rear seats offer a lot of space for the passengers, meaning that when you fold them down it all becomes cargo capacity. With 47.6 ft³ the Lynk & Co 02 can carry around huge items with ease, as long as you are careful about the sloping roofline.

While the Lynk & Co 02 does have a frunk (front trunk), its usefulness is questionable as its volume is just 0.53 ft³. It can still serve to store small items you don't want in the cabin for one reason or another.

Driving experience

The Lynk & Co 02 drives peacefully and relaxingly. It's entirely focused on comfort and not caring much about the driving experience. There is a total lack of sportiness and no hard cornering ambitions.

The steering wheel is light - perhaps too light, and that helps a lot in traffic and maneuvering, but carries over no feedback, which is not ideal on longer drives and twisty corners. There are levels to which you can adjust the steering feedback, but none of them truly eliminate the vagueness of the feedback and sport was our preferred setting all the time.

The suspension is soft, which is great for potholes and bumps, but also means that the Lynk & Co 02 leans heavily into corners. There is almost enough body roll and lean to make you feel seasick and for some more aggressive drivers this will certainly not be the greatest experience. However, if you're carrying small children around or just want to relax while driving, the 02 is fantastic.

With a clearance of 7.5 inches the Lynk & Co 02 is capable of going off-road as long as you manage your expectations. It can clear obstacles with ease, but the RWD-only limits the kind of terrain it can tackle significantly.

As we previously mentioned, there is a black cube behind the steering wheel that monitors your eyes and is incredibly annoying, but thankfully the rest of the driver aids are nowhere near as bad. Yet, if you want to turn them off, you will have to go through a multitude of screens and menus. This is a very cumbersome integration and most manufacturers make it way easier to disable the unwanted driver aids.

Tech features

The Lynk & Co 02 utilizes a lot of great technological features the Geely family has integrated throughout the years and while there are no actual firsts here that's understandable considering the final price. Despite that, everything feels modern and up-to-date inside.

Our test unit didn't support Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but the dealer told us it is coming soon to our market, whereas some already have it.

The lack of physical buttons means that most features are integrated in the center display and there are some gimmicks borrowed from other manufacturers. The dog mode and fireplace screensaver were pioneered by Tesla, but that doesn’t mean we don't appreciate them in the Lynk & Co 02 as well.

The camera system in the Lynk & Co 02 is fabulous and some much pricier vehicles can take a few lessons on how to integrate it in such fashion. The image quality is amazing and you can easily rotate to a precise angle and select a viewpoint you want to be shown.

There is a row of fixed buttons at the lower part of the screen that stay there at all times and allow for quick access to frequently used menus like the seat and climate controls, as well as multimedia controls.

On the topic of quick access, there is a slider menu from the top, much like a cellphone, where a plethora of presets are in place to allow you control over different functions you might want at your fingertips.

The climate control menu is way too complicated and takes a lot of getting used to. You also control the direction where the air blows from the vents, which is much more complex than a simple handle at each vent. There are a lot of labels and functions that are in very tiny vicinity within each other and it’s hard to navigate while moving.

The main menu looks a lot like a phone menu and the button labels are big and clear. The touchscreen works tremendously well and the entire infotainment is very intuitive.

The audio system inside is Harman/Kardon. It isn't the best in terms of sound quality and purity, but allows for fine tuning and multiple settings, so that you get the exact tones you desire.

Harman/Kardon makes sure you can enjoy your favorite tunes!

The built-in navigation system is good and has a pleasant interface. It also has a rich database of charging stations along your route and calculates your time of arrival with charging stops included.

The Lynk & Co 02 also comes with ambient lighting inside and you can set it in multiple colors. If you want, it can be a gradient of two colors or even a pulsing light show. Just a few years ago, these features were reserved for top-of-the-line luxury vehicles, but we're glad they’re trickling down to more affordable ones as well.

The steering wheel has a customizable button on the left side, but it can do a very limited number of tasks. It would've been nice if you could program it to go directly to the driver aids menu for example, but at least there is some sort of customization available.

Ride comfort

The suspension of the Lynk & Co 02 is tuned for comfort and daily usage. There is a lot of wafting when cornering and going over bumps. Most of the uneven surfaces get absorbed pretty well and the car glides over them, but some smaller ones cannot be neutralized and disturb the peaceful atmosphere inside. Overall, the ride quality prioritizes comfort over cornering and given the targeting of the car that makes perfect sense.

Cabin noise

Noise cancellation is not the greatest in the Lynk & Co 02. At all speeds there is a moderate amount of wind and tire noise entering the cabin, but it is nowhere near enough to be considered as a significant downside. It is noisier than most competitors, but the lack of interior squeaks and rattles makes up for decent interior comfort.

Sound level tests are carried out with a specialized sound level meter placed in the car's cupholders. The test is conducted with air conditioning and radio off and while maintaining a steady speed.

Acceleration and braking

The Lynk & Co 02 may not be great around corners, but still performs perfectly fine in a straight line. We couldn’t reach the promised 5.5 seconds for the sprint from 0 to 62 mph, but the 6.1 we achieved isn't anything to frown at. We had winter tires on in the beginning of the summer season, so we suppose with better tires the factory promise can be achieved.

Braking, however, is somewhat concerning. The result we got on our full stop from 62 mph is 38 m (124’7”), which is below average. However, the bigger issues is that the brake pedal feels more like an on/off switch and you have to be exceptionally gentle with it to have a pleasant drive.

Acceleration and deceleration are measured with a RaceBox device inside the car. Testing is done with a single person inside the car, with air conditioning and traction control off.

Consumption

Efficiency is not Lynk & Co 02’s best trait. It needs significant amounts of energy to move, despite only having RWD and a single motor. It has a bigger battery than some of its competitors, which allows it to travel a longer distance on a single charge. However, in terms of sheer efficiency it is among the worst and that is a result we cannot blame on the weather as it was great for the purposes of such testing. For our detailed thoughts on the Lynk & Co 02’s efficiency check out our range test article.

We measure consumption by driving at constant speeds on an identical test route during the day. Testing is conducted with air conditioning, all safety systems and radio on. The data comes from the vehicle's board computer. Specific testing parameters such as ambient temperature are mentioned in the text on a case by case basis.

You can use the widget below to find out the Lynk & Co 02’s range in every combination of speed and temperature you might need. We've used our real world tests and a complex model to provide an estimate that should be as close to the actual performance as possible.

Charging speed

We did not get to test how accurate the manufacturer provided charging data is, so we have to assess what we get and comment on it. The More trim gets 22 kW AC charging and 150 kW DC charging, for a 10-80% charge in 30 minutes. Those numbers are great, especially for the segment and we hope they can be replicated in the real world.

One thing that stands out as a feature not many rivals have is the V2L (vehicle-to-load) support, which turns the Lynk & Co 02 into a movable power outlet and that is a neat option to have.

Competition

The segment the Lynk & Co 02 is positioned in is increasingly busy. Just about every brand has one or several small SUVs and crossovers. The competition is fierce and therefore we chose the two closest ones to compare with.

The most obvious is the Volvo EX30 sibgling. The two cars share a lot of components, including platform and drivetrain. Volvo shines with a more recognizable brand name, much better dealership network and improved technology. On the other hand, the Lynk & Co 02 utilizes interior and cargo space better, has a bigger screen and costs significantly less, which makes is the better value for money option.

For the second rival, we chose the Skoda Elroq. Both vehicles are almost identical in sizing inside and out and offer similar practicality. The Skoda offers a wide range of powertrains and battery sizes, but doesn't have the more advanced techn interior of the Lynk & Co 02.

Volvo EX30 Single Motor Extended Range 2023 - • Skoda Elroq 60 2024 -

Verdict

Lynk & Co is a newcomer brand that succeeds from the get go by leveraing the know-how of its parent and sister companies and ends up with an appealing product. Its first fully electric vehicle is a no-nonsense model that does exactly what you want it to and at a great price too.

The 02 is primarily aimed at daily city driving, where it really shines. But even if you need to take on a longer ride it won't disappoint. The overall package that is the Lynk & Co 02 is seriously capable and its warm reception is therefore hardly surprising.

A key advantage is pricing, which combined with the many virtues the 02 has, makes it truly appealing even in this crowded segment.

Pros

• Aggressive pricing.
• Rich standard equipment.
• Spacious interior.
• Well-built and with great materials for the segment.
• Frameless mirrors.
• Soft suspension to hover over potholes.
• Spacious and comfortable interior.
• Non-invasive driver aids.
• V2L charging.

Cons

• No CarPlay and Android Auto yet in some markets.
• Polarizing front-end design.
• Small and hard to access frunk.
• Not very maneuverable.
• Irregularly shaped steering wheel takes getting used to.