Lynk & Co RHD launch off until 2028

LYNK & CO is unlikely to enter the Australian new-vehicle market as a standalone brand before 2028, with right-hand drive (RHD) development not currently on the agenda for the Geely-owned Chinese marque.

Lynk & Co is one of several brands operated by Chinese automotive conglomerate Geely, which also controls Volvo Cars, Polestar, Proton, Radar, Geometry and the recently launched Geely brand in Australia.

Lynk & Co was launched as a brand in Berlin in 2016, with a focus on plug-in hybrid vehicles and now offers nine models across sedan and SUV body styles, encompassing combustion, PHEV, and fully electric powertrains.

In Europe, only the Volvo XC40-based Lynk & Co 01 is currently offered, although the Lynk & Co 08 plug-in hybrid SUV – with a claimed electric range of 200km – is expected to join the European line-up shortly.

Speaking ahead of the 2025 Auto Shanghai (motor show), head of Zeekr International Mars Chen told GoAuto there is “no plan” to begin RHD development for Lynk & Co vehicles in the short term.

“My number one message is that Lynk & Co will not enter the right-hand drive market for a certain, long period,” said Mr Chen at a private media event.

When pressed on a timeframe and asked specifically about whether a five-year delay was on the cards, Mr Chen said, “let’s say three years”.

Rather than pursue a local launch for Lynk & Co in the short term, Geely subsidiary Zeekr will instead concentrate on establishing its own identity and brand equity in the Australian market.

Mr Chen indicated that building long-term recognition for Zeekr was a more pressing objective than pursuing short-term sales volume.

“(We need to) not just look for absolute volume, this is not the right way for us at the moment as we know electric vehicles are still a growing industry in most countries,” he said.

“We must guarantee the first brand had some success, then we will consider the second one.”

Despite efforts from the design teams of both Zeekr and Lynk & Co to establish distinct identities for their vehicles, the firm did not rule out the possibility that Lynk & Co models could be rebadged and sold under the Zeekr nameplate in right-hand drive markets such as Australia.

“We have different paths and a different brand feeling,” said Lynk & Co head of design Stefan Rosen.

However, Mr Chen acknowledged that product sharing between the two marques remained a possibility.

“It is a really nice potential option,” he told GoAuto.

The confirmation that Lynk & Co will not launch independently in Australia comes as a somewhat surprising pause a wave of new Chinese brands continues to enter the local market.

Recent arrivals include Zeekr, XPeng, Jaecoo, Leapmotor, Skyworth, and Deepal. Existing Chinese players that have built sales volume include BYD, GWM, and MG Motor.

The growing divergence between Lynk & Co and Zeekr in both brand positioning and pricing strategy could complicate any potential rebadging strategy in Australia.

Geely has signalled its intention to position Zeekr further upmarket in global markets, while Lynk & Co continues to pursue younger, aspirational buyers at lower price points.

The relationship between Zeekr and Lynk & Co has been likened to that of Audi and Cupra within the Volkswagen Group.

In Australia, Zeekr has launched two battery-electric vehicles: the compact Zeekr X SUV, priced from $49,900 plus on-road costs, and the 009 luxury people mover, priced from $135,900 + ORC.

A third model, the 7X midsize crossover, has been confirmed for Australia.

Initially thought to rival the Tesla Model Y on price, the shift in Zeekr’s market strategy may instead see the 7X compete against premium electric SUVs such as the BMW iX3.

Zeekr is currently evaluating two additional models for the local market. One is the flagship 9X large SUV, while the other remains an unseen crossover expected to occupy the upper-midsize segment.