2025 Lynk & Co 02 More Review: Sensible Packaging, Distracting Controls

The Lynk & Co 02 drops the brand’s subscription-only experiment and enters German showrooms as a conventional purchase. It sits in the compact electric crossover segment, measuring 4.46 meters from bumper to bumper. The car targets practical commuters who want electric propulsion without paying legacy German premium prices.

In Germany, the entry-level Lynk & Co 02 Core starts at 35,995 euros. The tested More trim starts at 39,995 euros, adding a 22 kW onboard charger, a standard heat pump, and larger 20-inch alloy wheels. The 02 competes in a crowded class. The Smart #3 Pro+ starts at 43,490 euros and uses the same underlying Geely architecture. The Hyundai Kona Elektro with its 65 kilowatt-hour battery begins at 41,340 euros. The Zeekr X Long Range RWD lists at 44,990 euros. The 02 undercuts all three at the entry level.

Official laboratory figures suggest an electric driving range of approximately 445 kilometers for the 02 More under the WLTP test cycle, while the base Core is rated at roughly 435 kilometers. The manufacturer claims an average energy consumption of around 17.1 kilowatt-hours per 100 kilometers. These numbers represent ideal laboratory conditions on a chassis dynamometer at moderate room temperatures. They should not be treated as a promise for daily driving on German roads.

Real-world range typically falls 15 to 30 percent below official WLTP ratings depending on speed, driving style, and ambient temperature. Sustained autobahn cruising at 130 km/h in mild weather lifts power consumption toward 22 kilowatt-hours per 100 kilometers, which brings highway range down to roughly 280 kilometers. City commuting with stop-and-go traffic allows the regenerative braking system to recapture momentum, extending real-world range closer to 390 kilometers. Replenishing the battery at a public DC rapid charger takes 30 minutes to move from 10 to 80 percent at a peak rate of 150 kilowatts. The 22 kW AC onboard charger fitted to the More trim cuts charging time at public street posts to three hours.

The floorpan houses a battery pack with 66 kilowatt-hours of usable capacity and 69 kilowatt-hours gross. The cells use nickel manganese cobalt chemistry, commonly abbreviated as NMC. NMC cells store substantial energy in a compact footprint, keeping curb weight around 1,820 kilograms. This chemistry supports high continuous power delivery and maintains stable voltage during hard acceleration. The trade-off centers on cycle life and voltage stress. Charging an NMC battery to 100 percent daily accelerates cathode degradation compared to lithium iron phosphate cells. Lynk & Co advises keeping daily charging capped at 80 percent to protect cell health. In sub-zero temperatures, NMC cells hold their operating voltage better than iron-based batteries, but cold temperatures still slow DC fast-charging until the liquid thermal system warms the pack.

Beneath the body panels, the 02 uses Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture 2 platform. It is a bespoke electric vehicle foundation shared with the Volvo EX30 and Smart #3. Where Volvo cut the wheelbase short to prioritize city agility, Lynk & Co stretched the wheelbase to 2,755 millimeters. That structural decision pays dividends for passenger space. Adults can sit in the back row without their knees pressing into the front seatbacks. The passenger safety cell uses hot-stamped boron steel, backed by aluminum energy-absorbing structures in the front crumple zone.

Propulsion comes from a single permanent magnet synchronous electric motor located on the rear axle. A permanent magnet motor uses fixed magnets inside the rotor to deliver high torque efficiently from low speeds. The unit generates 200 kilowatts, which equals 272 metric horsepower, and 343 Newton-meters of torque. Placing the drive motor at the rear eliminates torque steer and prevents the front tires from scrubbing during hard acceleration out of tight corners.

The chassis uses MacPherson struts at the front axle and an independent five-link arrangement at the rear. Lynk & Co decided against adaptive electronic dampers or air springs, fitting conventional steel coils and passive hydraulic dampers instead. Passive dampers eliminate costly electronic valve failures and air spring leaks down the road, ensuring straightforward maintenance as the car ages. The suspension tuning favors European firmness. Over sharp potholes and broken city pavement, the More trim’s 20-inch wheels transmit noticeable vertical shocks into the cabin. The 19-inch wheels on the Core trim provide a more forgiving cushion over urban ruts. On country roads, the chassis finds its composure. The dampers control body roll neatly through quick transitions, and the car tracks predictably over mid-corner asphalt crests. The steering feels quick and centers accurately, although road surface texture is largely filtered out.

The interior has an uncluttered, modern layout with soft recycled textiles on the upper dashboard and door panels. Forward visibility is good through the steep windshield. The control layout is far less impressive. Lynk & Co eliminated nearly every physical switch from the dashboard. Climate temperature, blower fan speeds, seat heating, and drive mode selections are all buried inside the 15.4-inch central touchscreen. Adjusting the side mirrors requires digging through an onscreen vehicle settings tab before using the steering wheel directional pads to angle the glass.

Operating common vehicle functions through a digital screen requires taking your eyes off the traffic ahead. At 130 km/h, looking away for two seconds means traveling over 70 meters blind. The digital climate sliders lack tactile feedback, forcing the driver to look and confirm every adjustment. Operating the system with winter gloves proves frustrating. Removing physical buttons lowers assembly costs for the manufacturer, but it costs the driver safety and daily driving convenience.

The central screen relies on a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, so menu pages swipe smoothly without frustrating input delays. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connect quickly. Driver assistance systems include standard adaptive cruise control, lane centering, and a crisp 360-degree camera system. The lane centering works smoothly on the highway, but the active steering intervention feels abrupt on narrow country lanes without painted centerlines. The infrared driver camera on the steering column sounds irritating chimes if you look sideways toward an intersection too long.

Luggage capacity measures 410 liters with the rear backrests upright, expanding to 1,349 liters when folded flat. The load floor sits level with the tailgate lip, allowing heavy cargo to slide across easily. A separate 15-liter front storage compartment under the hood holds dirty charging cables away from clean luggage. The car carries a braked towing capacity of 1,600 kilograms, making it one of the more capable haulers in this footprint.

Evaluating reliability requires looking at the mechanical hardware and the digital controls separately. The electric drive motor, power inverter, and liquid-cooled battery assembly have logged extensive mileage across sister models from Volvo and Smart. The single-motor mechanical drivetrain removes the high-pressure fuel pumps, turbochargers, and dual-clutch transmissions that dominate combustion maintenance costs. The passive suspension avoids expensive electronic component failures. Lynk & Co remains a relatively young brand in Germany. TÜV vehicle inspection reports and ADAC breakdown registries do not yet have broad enough data samples on the 02 to establish meaningful defect trends. The older 01 plug-in hybrid recorded middle-of-the-pack customer satisfaction, mostly hindered by sluggish infotainment updates. Software remains the chief ownership question. Early sister vehicles built on the SEA platform experienced software crashes, unstable phone-key connections, and false driver assist warnings. While software updates have stabilized core functions, long-term electronic durability is still unproven. In Germany, routine servicing and warranty work are handled through participating Volvo dealer workshops, which gives buyers a substantial support advantage over isolated startup brands.