In its most affordable Single Motor form it looks cracking value, even against the likes of the MG4 and BYD Atto 3, while the high-performance version has the speed to keep Tesla drivers on their toes. But there’s more to the EX30 than that, Volvo’s dedication to sustainability through extensive use of recycled materials likely to score well with its environmentally aware target audience. Ditto the cool Scandinavian design inside and out, which is as practical to live with as it is pleasing to look at, while also a big step up from the closely related Smart #1 and Zeekr X. Going by the pre-production cars we drove some of the driver assistance technology needs a final polish, but we’re assured that will be addressed before the first EX30s reach customers.
Running costs for a Volvo EX30
“The Volvo feels properly premium, making the starting price and monthly finance figures all the more remarkable”
Against the cars you may also be considering the Volvo looks properly premium, making the starting price and monthly finance figures all the more remarkable. Where there are some cheaper materials and cost-cutting inside Volvo cleverly makes a virtue out of it through neat design, the overall look and feel still in a league above the Vauxhall Mokka-e, Jeep Avenger, e-2008 or other compact electric crossovers you may be comparing it against. Some trick, another benefit being all but the Twin Motor Performance version duck the £40,000 threshold for the VED/’road tax’ supplement charged on supposedly premium cars. In terms of running costs it's the usual story for electric cars, the owners Volvo thinks will be buying the EX30 more likely than most to have off-street parking and facility to install a home charge point if they haven’t already. And therefore able to charge on cheap off-peak domestic electricity rates. Even if you can’t do that the decent range means integrating a single public charging session into your regular routine should do you for a week’s worth of school run duties, or an average commute.
“The Volvo feels properly premium, making the starting price and monthly finance figures all the more remarkable”
Against the cars you may also be considering the Volvo looks properly premium, making the starting price and monthly finance figures all the more remarkable. Where there are some cheaper materials and cost-cutting inside Volvo cleverly makes a virtue out of it through neat design, the overall look and feel still in a league above the Vauxhall Mokka-e, Jeep Avenger, e-2008 or other compact electric crossovers you may be comparing it against. Some trick, another benefit being all but the Twin Motor Performance version duck the £40,000 threshold for the VED/’road tax’ supplement charged on supposedly premium cars. In terms of running costs it's the usual story for electric cars, the owners Volvo thinks will be buying the EX30 more likely than most to have off-street parking and facility to install a home charge point if they haven’t already. And therefore able to charge on cheap off-peak domestic electricity rates. Even if you can’t do that the decent range means integrating a single public charging session into your regular routine should do you for a week’s worth of school run duties, or an average commute.
Reliability of a Volvo EX30
“Many of the car’s systems can be updated over the air without needing to go into a physical workshop”
Economies of scale through sharing a battery, motors and other bits with the related Smart #1 and Zeekr X help explain the EX30’s keen price and come from the Chinese-based Geely group, of which Volvo is now a part. No concerns there given Geely’s resources and engineering clout, especially in electric vehicles. Many of the car’s systems can be updated over the air without needing to go into a physical workshop as well, but if something does go wrong there’s a relatively standard three-year warranty for the car and eight years on the battery. Worth considering MG offers seven-year cover for the whole vehicle at this level, though.
Safety for a Volvo EX30
“We’ll hold off awarding a score for now because the cars we drove were what is termed ‘pre-production’, and the engineers are still finalising how the various sensors and radars respond”
Safety is as much Volvo’s brand DNA as cool Scandinavian design and, as you’d hope, the EX30 comes with lots of driver assistance technology. But we’ll hold off awarding a score for now because the cars we drove were what is termed ‘pre-production’, and the engineers are still finalising how the various sensors and radars respond. Based on our experiences there’s work to do, given the lane-keeping system felt somewhat unpredictable in its nudges to the wheel, the steering interventions and semi-automated lane changing capability of the optional Pilot Assist similarly erratic. If not quite as bad as its Zeekr and Smart relatives the face-scanning driver awareness system was also a little over-sensitive at times. Given the interior design forces you to take your eyes off the road and interact with the central screen to adjust everything from heating to the various driver settings it’s critical these systems work properly, too. A confused control hierarchy that makes adjusting the interior ambient lighting effects easier than turning on the foglights is also a concern, though Volvo said that may change as well. Once we’ve driven a finished EX30 we’ll update this section and score it accordingly!
How comfortable is the Volvo EX30
“For driver and front seat passenger, meanwhile, Volvo seats have always been among the most comfortable”
Fresh from driving the related Smart #1 and Zeekr X it’s interesting to see how Volvo has made its own mark on the shared foundations. While the Smart in particular puts rear legroom before boot space Volvo has gone the other way, and while there’s room for an adult to sit behind an averaged sized driver you’ll find your legs against the back of the seat. The trade-off is a boot big enough to carry a pushchair and the weekly shop, while a compartment under what would normally be the bonnet has space to stash your charging cables. For driver and front seat passenger, meanwhile, Volvo seats have always been among the most comfortable, and while they’re mounted close to the floor to make room for the batteries the driving position is good. Having to delve into the touch-screen menus to adjust the mirrors (via the steering wheel buttons) is a faff we could live without, though. In better news the cabin looks like something from a glossy interior design magazine, the sense of space up front accentuated by the muted colours and pleasing textures of the recycled denim, sustainably sourced wool or ‘3D-knitted’ recycled fabrics on the seats and trim elements. If not a big car on the outside it feels more spacious inside, the door armrests seemingly free-hanging in space and artfully backlit while the big floor level storage bin between the front seats will swallow bags, snacks and phones with ease. A neat pull-out cupholder on the central armrest meanwhile carries your morning coffee while a discreet central glovebox hides your valuables. While there was a bit of tyre noise on the bigger wheels of the Twin Motor Performance model progress is otherwise as peaceful as you’d hope in an electric car, the comfort flattered by the generally smooth Spanish roads we tested it on. On smaller wheels and with less weight to carry the Single Motor actually felt nicer to drive on twisty roads, the light steering smoother and more natural in its responses. This is a recurring theme in a lot of electric cars we’ve driven lately where the lighter and less powerful models are often nicer to drive than their attention-seeking twin-motor performance variants, suggesting less is often more when it comes to balancing power against comfort.