Try to name one Chinese carmaker with a presence in motorsports. I couldn’t name one either until a recent trip to China.
Lynk & Co, a collaboration between Geely and Volvo, is a young company with a focused vision of what they want to be and who they want to appeal to. Most of their customers are in their 30s and to attract that discerning demographic, you have to be a bit unorthodox.
The Lynk &; Co 08 PHEV has 585hp and 905Nm of torque
One of the ways that Lynk & Co differentiates itself from other Chinese brands is that they have a motorsports division. They’re the first Chinese brand to be featured in an FIA Championship. And they have more than just participation trophies, they actually have accomplishments at the podium.
We got an intimate look at Lynk & Co’s Motorsports division when UAAGI invited us to personally drive their vehicles on a race track.
Lynk & Co has their own separate paddock which looks like a showroom
AN ACTUAL PRESENCE ON THE TRACK
The Ningbo International Circuit is a 4km track in Ningbo, China. It was built in 2017 and has hosted motorsports events including: F3 Asia (2018) TCR Asia (2024) and Porsche Carrera Cup Asia (2021)
Upon entering the track, we saw buildings belonging to different carmakers, one of which belonged to Lynk & Co. Their paddock is an actual multi-level building with a showroom, briefing areas and a Starbucks, perhaps to make sure that everyone is adequately caffeinated before entering the track. After a quick briefing, we chose our helmets and got in our assigned vehicles.
THE VEHICLES
At the apex of Lynk&Co’s motorsports division is the 03+ TCR, an AWD sedan powered by a 2.0L forced induction engine which puts out 340 hp and 420Nm of torque. It claimed the Teams title in 2019 at the TCR World Tour. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to drive the TCR on the track but I got to personally drive the 05, 06 and the 08.
The Lynk&Co 03+ TCR is a track weapon
The 03 plus in stock form at the back and its track ready version
The Lynk & Co 05+
From left to right: The 09, 03 and 06
The first that I got to drive was the 05 and it’s the top performer among the three. It’s a crossover coupe (Think BMW X6) with a peppy 2.0L Turbocharged engine that puts out 251hp, 349Nm of torque and sends power to all four wheels. Throttle response is quick, the brakes are good, it has the best steering feel and ratio among the three. It goes where you point it, only understeering once when I entered a corner with a bit of excess speed. It was easy to correct though. The 05 will be launched in the Philippines, although it is unclear if we’ll get the same specs as the one we drove in China. It will sell for 2,748,000Php
Inside the paddock / showroom
Despite its name, the 06 is actually smaller, less expensive and less powerful than the 05. It’s a subcompact crossover based on the BMA platform, the same platform that the Geely Coolray is based on. It’s powered by a 1.5L engine that puts out 175hp and 290Nm of torque. Being the smallest, it felt quite agile in the corners, but being the least powerful, it got left behind in the straights. I would’ve preferred a slightly quicker steering ratio but overall, it’s a fun car to drive on the track. In the Philippines, it will sell for 1.48-1.58 million.
The 08 has the most power under the hood. It’s a plug in hybrid with a 1.5L turbocharged engine coupled to 3 electric motors. The Chinese-spec model has a total power output of over 500hp and 900Nm of torque. Technically it’s the twin of the 3rd generation Volvo XC60, sharing the same CMA platform. Despite its power, it felt the least at home on the track, which is expected as it is the biggest and the heaviest. Body roll was quite noticeable, the steering felt a bit too light, the steering ratio was a bit too slow and it’s more prone to understeer than its lighter siblings. Still for a crossover of its size, its performance is quite impressive, just not as impressive as the others. It’s something that’s better appreciated on open highways. Currently, we don’t have confirmation if the 08 will be released in the Philippines.
The Lynk&Co 08
The past year saw the introduction of so many new car brands in the Philippines, maybe to the point of oversaturation. It’s hard for even us in the media to keep up with the new brands, what more for the average car buyer who’s not immersed in car news on a daily basis. Most of these new brands will find a market, some may not. With Lynk & Co’s enthusiast-focused vehicles and the machinery of UAAGI behind them, I think there’s enough reason to be optimistic.
