It's fun to drive foreign-market cars. But I'd be lying if I weren't just a little bit tired of driving yet another cool car made in China that so far, has a slim-to-zero chance of ever ending up in my driveway. The Lynk & Co Z20 is one such car. But if you live in Europe, you get to do what I can’t when this EV—dubbed the Lynk & Co 02 for you—heads your way. And you really should.
This car may be yet another Geely group car on its “SEA” platform, like the Volvo EX30. But an extensive drive around Hangzhou, China, revealed something that's more than just another hatchback or crossover blob using the same motor and battery as its corporate cousins. Geely might have used this variant on at least five cars from four different brands, but they manage to not feel or look the same. I should know. I've driven all of them. (Well, all except the Smart #1.)
Yet, out of all the small EVs in the Geely range, the Z20 might be the best resolved and most balanced out of all of them. This little car is meant to take on the world, and low-key has Geely group’s European aspirations riding on its coupe-shaped haunches. Can it pull this off?
Gonna shoot straight here: the answer is yes.
Lynk & Co Z20
What Is Lynk & Co?
Geely’s brands have an identity crisis. Lynk & Co is one of three Sino-Swedish brands run by the conglomerate; it, Zeekr and Polestar are all meant to be premium entities in markets both in and out of China. This gaggle doesn’t even include Smart or Lotus, both of which are also meant to be premium. Lest we not forget about Volvo, which is—you guessed it—also premium. Is there a market for all these premium makes?
I don’t know. But it does seem like Geely is starting to simplify them a bit. This year, Lynk & Co and Zeekr are now part of one entity called “Zeekr Group” while Geely proper and Volvo remain somewhat siloed and separated from the rest of the brands.
Anyway, the Z20 (and 02) are meant to be a sort of restart for both Lynk & Co in and outside of China. Right now, Lynk & Co sort of stands for the PHEV counterpart to Zeekr’s full electric line. Except now Zeekr has PHEVs on the way, but also has two EVs in its lineup. And Lynk & Co is making some full EVs too. How does Geely plan to differentiate the two brands, especially since they look so similar?
The company says that Lynk & Co is, in theory, less premium than Zeekr. In the future, the brand won’t sell a car for less than 200,000 RMB (about $27,000), which means cars like the Zeekr X likely aren’t long for this world. Still, the brand saw a market for a small premium compact EV that doesn’t have a Smart or Volvo badge, and thus, the Z20 was born.
Ultimately, you could think of it as another take on the idea behind the Volvo EX30. But maybe better.
What is a Lynk & Co Z20?
The Z20’s running gear is similar to most everything we’ve seen from the SEA-1 platform, albeit updated with the latest and greatest from the Geely group. This means a 62 kWh (usable) LFP battery (the Zeekr X and Volvo EX30 use a 66 kWh NMC battery), and at least 335 horsepower from a brand new, rear-mounted electric motor. Dimensionally, it’s not a huge car, feeling about the size of any given subcompact crossover like the Buick Encore GX.
Yet, Lynk & Co’s less-than-luxury status means it’s not quite as overstuffed as its Zeekr X fraternal twin. The Z20 is RWD only, so no face-melting 422 horsepower dual motor AWD, no self-closing doors, no console-mounted refrigerator, no sliding center screen and the full alcantara headliner is gone.
The lack of options should make the Z20 cheaper than the Zeekr X in most markets, and a bigger volume seller than the Zeekr X, whose sales are kind of meh. In Europe, the 02 will come with specific car-sharing features to facilitate strangers' ability to roll around Amsterdam or Belgrade in your car when you aren’t using it. It’s all based around Lynk & Co’s forthcoming app; think what Tesla has promised for years, minus the self-driving part, and you’re there. Very clever.
The Z20/02 will be the third car (and second this year) introduced in European markets after the Volvo XC40 PHEV-based Lynk & Co 01 went on sale in 2018. This product will be a breath of fresh air in the brand’s old and barren European lineup.
The Chinese market Z20 can be had for just over $19,000 (138,900 CNY), but it will likely be a lot more expensive when the 02 goes on sale in European markets.
What’s good about the Z20?
It’s insane to watch just how quickly Geely Group’s cars have leapfrogged a lot of the competition when it comes to interior design and quality. The Z20’s interior ambiance is so well curated; the car’s rose gold metal accessories, sumptuously soft seats, and hushed interior punch well above their weight.
It’s common for subcompact crossovers to fall into the trope of manufacturers turning a sow’s ear into a silk purse, where some brands will throw a premium badge on a cheap platform that cannot support the elevated standard of refinement expected from a premium car.
The Z20 isn’t like that. It feels expensive and sophisticated. The fit and finish is impeccable, the material choices feel high quality and well finished, and there’s nary a hard plastic within range of the driver or passenger. When the one-off not-soft-touch plastic does appear, it is thoughtfully textured and generally out of sight. Western OEMs would do well to learn from Lynk & Co’s example and figure out how to make their smallest and cheapest offerings feel as well finished as this car. Even the ultra-minimalist EX30, while nice, feels like a downgrade from this.
The car’s premium air doesn’t skimp on personality either. The car has several fun easter eggs, like the “Nope, no engine here” message in the frunk, or the “I’ve got the power” text near the charging port. Let’s hope Zeekr or Lynk & Co don’t attract the ire of Jocelyn Brown.
And unlike the Zeekr X, the Z20 is sharp to drive, even in Chinese-market spec. According to a source at Zeekr Group, the Z20’s chassis and suspension development had a Louts engineer or two breathe on the car’s development. It shows, too. The Zeekr X’s soft suspension and cushy ride came at the expense of driving zest; throw that thing into a curve and it protests while its 422 horsepower struggles to not disintegrate its tires.
The Z20, however, is genuinely well-resolved. Stomp on the throttle, and the ass end can break the rear of the car loose, but the car doesn’t feel like it’s barely able to reign in that power. I thought I’d be in want of the extra front motor, but now I’m not so sure. The 335 horsepower is more than enough for this car.
The steering is somewhat light, but still communicative. The car’s body motions are controlled, there’s no bounce and doddle as if the car is too heavy for its damping and springs, not uncommon for cheaper and smaller electric cars that can’t handle the elevated weight inherent to batteries and electric motors. It’s sharp, comfortable, and responsive – all without feeling cheap or dynamically underbaked.
I even saw 4.2 miles per kWh in mixed driving. I think the Z20’s fastback shape might give it an aerodynamic advantage over its boxier Zeekr, Smart or Volvo cousins.
The infotainment system is good too. It was easy to navigate despite my not knowing Chinese. This car uses Flyme Auto (pronounced “fly me auto”), which is Geely’s own self-developed vehicle operating system done up by Meizu, a Chinese phone and tech company that it bought in 2022. It, and the car’s Level 1 driver assistance features worked pretty damn well.
What’s Not So Good About the Z20?
The fact it ain’t in the U.S., for starters.
Okay, joking aside, the Z20 doesn’t have a specific one-pedal driving mode for some reason. This isn’t a Zeekr thing. The 7X, Mix, and 007 GT I had driven before had them, but that feature is omitted from the Z20. The car’s max setting on regenerative braking isn’t all that strong, either, which can also be said for the 007 GT.
Most of the Z20’s complaints, at least from my roughly two-hour-long drive, stem from the car’s existence and place in Geely’s overall strategy rather than any qualities of the car itself. Did we need a Z20 or 02? Why not just make the Zeekr X like this in the first place? Does China’s market really have room for all these little premium cars? Hell, does any market have the room? Should Zeekr Group have wasted development dollars on this car?
But corporate strategy is one thing. What most people should care about is Lynk & Co has made a damn good compact EV, and for all the hype the Volvo EX30 once got, this feels like the one you really want.
Gallery: Lynk & Co Z20
Final Thoughts
EIC Patrick George and I returned from China, both pissed off about the things that would kill in the U.S. but won’t come here anytime soon because of tariffs and geopolitical tension. Sure, we get the Volvo EX30 here in the USA, but it’s literally the worst one on this chassis. Not to say that the Volvo is bad, per se, but the EX30’s buggy infotainment and not-so-nice interior are fixed by the Z20’s downright plush demeanor and well-done in-house Flyme Auto. Said Patrick after driving the Z20 with me: “This is a car I’d easily buy for myself if it were sold back home.” He loved it too.
But we aren’t getting any of it for a long time, if ever. Which sucks hardcore.
For the Europeans who read our publication, though, the Z20 is a strong showing. It’s plush and right-sized for most European cities. A Peugeot e208 or Volkswagen ID.3 may have the design and interior ambiance that buyers there are expecting out of their EVs, but the rest of the car is a little bit lousy. Chinese models like the BYD Dolphin might be close (and are swaying plenty of buyers to the chagrin of traditional OEMs), but they can still sometimes feel a bit rough around the edges, or not quite tailored to European markets.
The Z20 feels like it’s hitting the best of both worlds here. It’s comfortable and plush, but it isn’t overstuffed with too many bits and bobs—something I think Chinese manufacturers tend to do, especially for their export models. If the price is right, I could absolutely see the Z20 (as the 02) nestling right up next to the Volvo EX30 on European top EV sales charts.
If it were here in the U.S., I certainly would give one a hard look.
Contact the author: Kevin.Williams@InsideEVs.com
