Although you probably know Volvo better, the Swedish brand belongs to Geely, an Asian giant. And Geely not only owns Volvo but also Polaris, which concerns us in this article, viz. Link & Co. This brand is already active in Spain, and we know it from the Link & Co 01, an interesting compact SUV with a Plug-in hybrid mechanic that has nothing less than 261 CVs of maximum performance and offers 69km of electrical autonomy. Well, his next launch for Europe, scheduled to arrive next year in 2024, has incredible autonomy as a plug-in hybrid: 245km in fully electric mode.
Talking about the relationship between Link & Co. and Volvo is essential because, at the end of the day, both brands use the same technology for their different models. As well, Polaris benefits from this technology, as does Clever, although the latter is a brand jointly owned by Geely and Daimler. Come on, Mercedes. In short, although the present model is that new Link & Co. 08, the specifications we will mention about it are very likely to be available at some point for some Volvo models. This version is based on the CMA platform, and it has a plug-in hybrid mechanic that develops maximum strength of 544 CVs and also has an electric range of 245 kilometers. Really surprising numbers that are close to those of a purely electric car.
He Link & Co 08 It is a mid-range SUV that is 4.82 meters long, 1.91 meters wide, and 1.68 meters high, with a 2.84-meter wheelbase. The key to this model lies in the technology that Geely used and that we will actually see in some Volvo models as well. It is based on a gasoline engine with a 1.5-liter turbo engine with only three cylinders combined with no less than two electric motors. That explains why, as mentioned earlier, it achieves some remarkable results (544 CVs of common maximum power).
But in addition to 544 CVs, Link & Co. 08 offers 900 Nm of maximum engine torque and achieves a maximum autonomy of 1,400 kilometers with its combined plug-in hybrid system. Thanks to this PHEV technology the brand calls E-Motive EM-Pand, which is based on the CMA 2.0 platform, The Link & Co 08, this interesting SUV explains an electrical autonomy maximum up to 245 kilometers, which would undoubtedly have that in Spain Zero label of the DGT as if it were a purely electric car.
The only problem is that this autonomy applies under the Chinese CLTC cycle and is expected to remain in Europe with the WLTP cycle’s 200km maximum autonomy. which, in any case, continues to be remarkable electrical autonomy for a plug-in hybrid model. And it is also because Link & Co. It has a battery with NCM cells with an energy storage capacity of 39.6 kWh. That’s more than, for example, a Range Rover P440e, which, according to the manufacturer, has a capacity of up to 38.2 kWh.
Link & Co. 08 will be available in Europe in 2024, although we don’t yet know when exactly it will be available or at what price it will be available. In any case, Link & Co. in Spain undertakes a Subscription model and not a classic purchase. The platform on which this model is based is Geely’s second-generation CMA, which will also be used in the new model. Volvo XC60. In its first iteration, it is already used by models like the Volvo XC40, Link & Co. 01, and Polestar 2. It will also be interesting to see if it arrives in Spain with other simpler and cheaper mechanical configurations.
