Geely’s Strategic Focus on Core Brands in Australia
The head of Geely’s Australian operations has indicated that the Chinese automotive giant will not be rushing to expand its brand portfolio in the country with the sporty Lynk & Co marque. Instead, the company is prioritizing its core brands, Geely and Zeekr, in the near term.
Speaking with Australian media in Hangzhou, China, Alex Gu, managing director of Geely Auto Australia and vice president of Geely Auto Global, ruled out the local launch of Lynk & Co for now. He emphasized that the company is focused on strengthening its existing brands in the Australian market.
“Short-term, we don’t have a plan [for Lynk & Co in Australia], because again the Australian market is a little different than others. First, [it’s a] right-hand drive market; second, it’s a high homologation or let’s say high regulation market,” Mr. Gu explained.
“It’s an advanced market, a developed market – like the UK. And third is they will mainly look at ‘New Energy’ [models] because we also have the emissions-sensitive [regulations] in Australia, not like the Middle East, they are still running on ICE [internal combustion engines]. Australia has already asked for emissions standards.”
“So based on that, short-term… Lynk & Co, we don’t have a plan to be [present in Australia]. I think the first thing is we must create Zeekr and Geely to be more powerful in Australia – that is our short-term mission.”
Lynk & Co’s Position in the Market
The latest development regarding Lynk & Co’s potential presence in Australia comes after conflicting messages from Geely and Zeekr officials. Previously, the third sister brand was expected to launch in Australia between 2025 and 2026, or even have some of its models rebadged and sold as Zeekrs in the country.
At least now, it seems that no rebadging will occur, and Mr. Gu’s mention of “short-term” suggests that Lynk & Co vehicles could still appear in Australia in the future.
While Lynk & Co is a member of the Geely Auto Group, it is now controlled by the Zeekr brand following a restructuring that saw the Chinese luxury arm of the group take a 51 per cent controlling stake in Lynk & Co last year. However, Volvo Cars leads its European operations.
Lynk & Co predates Zeekr, having debuted its first model, the 01 coupe, in 2016. It was formed as part of a three-way joint venture between Volvo Cars, Geely Auto, and Geely Holding. The brand now offers a range of models across numerous markets outside China, including Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia — though these regions are all left-hand drive.
Like other brands in the Geely Auto Group, which includes Lotus, Polestar, and Volvo, Lynk & Co models are based on common architectures. This means they share their DNA with models such as the Volvo XC40, XC60, and XC90, as well as the Polestar 4.
Brand Positioning and Product Offerings
Lynk & Co is currently positioned as the sporty, youthful member of the Geely Auto family, with Zeekr focusing on premium and luxury segments, and Geely competing in key mainstream markets. However, some of the brand’s flagship models operate in premium spaces.
For example, the Lynk & Co 10 sports sedan offers plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and electric vehicle (EV) drivetrains. It shares the same 900V electrical architecture as Zeekr’s latest models and, in its most powerful form, generates 680kW, rivaling the Porsche Taycan. It claims a 0-100km/h time of just 3.2 seconds.
The brand also has its own version of the new Volvo XC70 revealed for China (and potentially export markets), called the 08. It pairs a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine with a large 38.2kWh battery pack, offering a combined driving range of 1400km on the more lenient CLTC test cycle.
The smaller 02 crossover is based on the Volvo XC40/EX40 and shares a similar design to small SUVs like the Toyota C-HR. It offers both PHEV and EV powertrain options depending on the market.
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