The Lynk & Co 08 is the first model from the brand that I myself have driven and write about. However, my relationship with Lynk & Co began back in 2021, when I was commissioned as a team photographer for Cyan Racings investment in WTCR racing series. The team was competing with Lynk & Co 03 TCR, and behind the wheel was among others our Swedish star Mr Thed Björk. During the season, I followed the team to races in Italy, Portugal, Hungary, Spain, France and the Czech Republic - as well as in Sochi, Russia, the year before the war in Ukraine broke out. It was an intense year filled with travelling, top-level motorsport and many unforgettable memories with the team.

The debate about electric cars versus fossil-fuelled cars will continue for a long time. As I have written before, electric cars are unrivalled in city traffic and for short everyday journeys. But for longer journeys they still perform poorly in my experience. WLTP figures may promise a certain range, but in reality, it takes almost laboratory-like conditions to get there - a tailwind behind a lorry, high summer temperatures and a tarmac smoother than a baby's bottom. For the average driver, it's simply not realistic.

This is where hybrids come in. Until battery technology for pure electric cars reaches the next level - with a minimum range of 1000 kilometres and a full charge in a maximum of 10 minutes - hybrids are, in my opinion, the best solution. And that's where Lynk & Co has taken a big step forward with its new Model 08.

Previous plug-in hybrids have often had an electric range that was mostly suitable for short errands. I've owned a Jeep Wrangler 4xe myself, which at best managed around 40 kilometres on electricity. The Lynk & Co 08 changes the game: here you get around 200 kilometres on a full charge. Combined with the petrol engine's range of around 900 kilometres, the total range is an impressive 1100 kilometres.

This means you can do everyday city driving entirely on electricity - provided you can charge at home overnight - and then when you go on long journeys, the petrol engine is there as a safe backup. It's a combination that works in reality, not just on paper.

Under the bonnet is a three-cylinder 1.5-litre petrol engine with 161 horsepower, the same engine used in the Lynk & Co 01 and several of Volvo's plug-in hybrids. The electric motor contributes a further 215 horsepower, giving a total system output of 376 horsepower. The result is a 0-100 km/h time of 4.6 seconds. The top speed is 185 km/h - so nothing to compare with a sports car. But the fact is that the Lynk & Co 08 is actually faster 0-100 than a Ferrari Testarossa from the 80s, which needed 5.8 seconds.

However, not everything is perfect. As in many modern cars, the warning systems are intrusive. Euro NCAP currently requires new cars to signal for speeding and lane changes without indicators. Like all new cars, Lynk & Co 08 requires you to switch off these systems manually via the infotainment system every time you start the car. However, in Lynk & Co 08, the infotainment system does not start until about 35 seconds after which you are required to switch off eight different functions. According to the manufacturer, this should be fixed in an update, but on the test car it wasn't. It quickly became frustrating in everyday life so we hope that update comes quickly.

Despite this, the Lynk & Co 08 is one of the most interesting plug-in hybrids on the market today. It combines the everyday benefits of an electric car with the freedom of a petrol car on long journeys - and delivers both range and performance to impress.

With its 200 kilometres on electricity, it already leads the distance league among hybrids. There's talk of an upcoming Zeekr with a 300 kilometre range, but until it arrives, the Lynk & Co 08 is a clear winner for those who want the best of both worlds.

Lynk & Co 08

Price: from 549 995 SEK

Engine: Electric and petrol

Power: Electric motor 215 hp, petrol engine 161 hp. Total system power 376 hp, 905 Nm

Gearbox: 3-speed DHT (Dedicated Hybrid Transmission)

Acceleration: 0-100 km/h in 4.6 seconds

Top speed: 185 km/h

Weight: 2 112 kg

Dimensions (length/width/height): 4 630 / 1 933 / 1 624 mm

Web: www.lynkco.com