Lynk & Co 08: Next-gen Volvo XC60 sibling revealed

Geely’s Lynk & Co has previewed an all-new 08 hybrid SUV ahead of a full reveal on March 25 – which could share the same base as the next-generation Volvo XC60.

The Chinese luxury SUV likely rides on the automaker’s Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) 2.0 platform and will be sold in its home country from the second half of this year, followed by Europe and other international markets from 2024.

While Lynk & Co announced two years ago its intention to expand to Australia by 2025, there have been no updates since.

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The 08 features a sleek front with a thin black strip housing the LED headlights and presumably safety assistance sensors, with a sculpted side profile, flush door handles, and Lynk & Co logo flowing from the wing mirror in a gloss black trim.

The aggressive rear continues the toothpick-like LED motifs across its full-width rear light bar, along with a prominent sporty rear diffuser and reflector lights.

An image posted to China’s Weibo also reveals a new Tesla-esque large horizontal-orientated touchscreen with a tablet-like user interface developed with Chinese smartphone firm Meizu.

According to Autocar, the Lynk & Co 08 is expected to be offered in a parallel-only hybrid powertrain or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) configuration with up to 50kW DC fast-charging capability.

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The third-generation Volvo XC60 is expected in 2024 and could likely be a full electric-only proposition, as the Chinese-Swedish automaker readies an EV-only line-up in Australia by 2026.

However, it could be renamed EX60, and previous reports hinted at using the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) bespoke EV platform instead to be aligned with the larger Volvo EX90.

Unlike other Geely sub-brands, Lynk & Co has closer ties with Volvo Cars with a 30 per-cent stake, alongside the Geely Auto brand at 50 per cent, and the parent Zhejiang Geely Holding Group at 20 per cent.