Volvo EX30 review: Honestly the best small EV I’ve ever driven, the problem is…
It isn’t very often for a car company to try something entirely new (and against their usual ethos) and yet get it right on the first try. But that is simply what Volvo has done with the Volvo EX30. If you asked someone older to describe a Volvo to you, they’d probably describe an absolute brick of a car that would survive a nasty crash unscathed. And I’m not saying that the EX30 is any less safe (in fact it is much safer with new tech), it is just not what you would call an absolute brick. It’s probably still a brick, but a tiny one. Oh, and I’ll explain to you why it is the best compact EV I’ve ever driven. Let’s just take a quick glance at what it (the Volvo EX30 Ultra Twin Performance) is all about first…
- Powertrain: Dual-Motor AWD
- Max. Power: 428 PS (315 kW)
- Max. Torque: 543 Nm
- 0-100 km/h: 3.6 seconds
- Top Speed: 180 km/h
- Battery Capacity: 69 kWh
- Range (WLTP): 450 km
- Max. AC Charging Rate: 11 kW
- Max. DC Charging Rate: 175 kW
Volvo EX30 Exterior & Overview – Breaking the typical Volvo mould… rather successfully
The EX30 is the smallest Volvo ever made (even smaller than the V40, but taller). And with its market debut preceding the EX90 (it was initially planned to be the other way around), it debuts a new design language for the brand. We get a new take on the “Thor’s Hammer” headlight design, a new take on what a Volvo “hatch” should look like, and an extremely minimalistic interior design. It’s also electric only with a dedicated electric platform (unlike the C40 which shares underpinnings with the XC40), making it the first of its kind from Volvo.
It isn’t a secret that the Volvo EX30 shares the same platform with the Smart #1, Smart #3, and Zeekr X. And compared to its sister models mentioned here, the EX30, in my opinion, is the best looking one among all of them. It isn’t too silly/playful-looking the Smart cars, and it doesn’t look too strange like the Zeekr X. It still looks like a proper serious car despite its [unusual for a Volvo] small size. It’s the best car among the bunch if you’re looking for something understated, and might I say a little classier.
Volvo EX30 Interior – Thank you for being original, and clever too
I don’t know about you, but I’ve become a little sick and tired of the generic interior of the newer cars of today. With screens dominating “cabin design”, what you’d usually get is a large screen slapped in the middle of the dashboard, and another one slapped behind the steering wheel. And the usual case is that these screens aren’t even properly integrated into the dashboard (i.e. BYD Seal and Atto 3’s lazy instrument cluster).
So, getting into the EX30 was really refreshing for me. Is it almost bland? Yes. But is it generic? No. In fact I’d say the EX30’s cabin provides an almost “Zen” experience, given its minimalist design approach. And really, for a somewhat luxury brand, this really made me appreciate the EX30. Despite being tiny, it managed to make me feel the luxury of the cabin (although it may be perceived differently by others). Although made of recycled materials, the cabin trims felt well thought out. Sure, there are some hard plastics in here, but its combination with the soft-touch materials and the good choice of fabric made it feel cozy. In a sea of cars that throw in just about every feature to appear “luxurious”, the EX30 actually feels luxurious. And I appreciate that.
Debatable luxurious feeling aside, the Volvo EX30’s cabin is undoubtedly a creative one. Especially if you narrow down on the centre console and the overall storage design. The push-to-eject centre cupholders/ cubby space is clever and reminiscent of the typical creativity of a piece of Ikea furniture. And then there’s the base of the centre console with closet-door-like covers which let you compartmentalize even better. It’s just clever and I think the new Marie Kondo (with 3 kids) would approve. You can’t just throw away things that don’t make you happy. Sometimes you need to keep them, but in an organized manner (because you might just need them later on).
The stupidest thing in the EX30 would be its glovebox which can only be opened via the head unit screen (I kid you not) and is located in the centre of the dashboard (Just why?). Other than that, I quite like the overall practicality and ergonomics of the EX30. I’ll say it again, it is clever.
Now, if you haven’t been living under a rock, you’d know that Volvo cars are very well integrated with Google. I loved this thing in the C40, S60, etc., and Google Built-in has even now come to cars like the new Honda Civic. But the integration doesn’t quite beat what Volvo has. I love the fact that you can get an estimated “Destination State of Charge (SoC)” and I love the fact that Google Maps gets a full display, and with constant updates that anything other than Google will find hard to catch up with. It really is a big plus point for the EX30. It’s just a shame that you couldn’t bring up this map display in the instrument cluster because… there is no instrument cluster. And this brings me to my next point…
Bring back instrument clusters, even if it’s just an in-inch tall display. And you might say to me, “Well, that’s what head-up displays (HUDs) are for…”. And I’ll regretfully tell you that the EX30 doesn’t even have a HUD… yeah. Sure, you can glance at the top of the head unit (because that’s where the typical instrument cluster is in the EX30), but it still takes your vision away from the front. And you shouldn’t do that. I’ve also, unfortunately, had the experience of the head unit temporarily failing in some other cars, and I just think that an alternative display would be a good fail-safe.
For a small car, the tight room in the second row is acceptable and the boot is actually quite large for a car its size.
Volvo EX30 driving experience – Stupidly fast, but does it quite safely
The first small & fast EV that I drove was the Volvo C40. The one with the dual-motor setup. And it has been quite hard for me to find another small & fast EV that could top that experience. I’ve tried the MG4 XPower, but I wouldn’t recommend it for the “average” driver (Just look at what happened to a particular case of the car in Malaysia). And then I also tried the Smart #1 Brabus and #3 Brabus, but they just didn’t feel as agile or sharp as the C40. They all put out about the same amount of power, but they just drive so differently.
Oh, I’ve also tried the EQA and iX1, but they were single-motor variants, thus they were not as fast or exciting. But I have a new favourite now (replacing the C40), and it is the Volvo EX30 Ultra Twin Performance. The EX30 is even smaller than the C40, and it is just a lot zippier than the C40. Sure it doesn’t feel as hunkered down as the C40, but it was just so easy to throw it around the bends or maneuver through typical tight and narrow urban areas.
A simple summary of the EX30’s driving experience would be that it is a ridiculously fast little car that also feels weirdly assuring at high speeds. Corners can be tackled easily although the steering isn’t as tight as I want it to be, but still sharp. The EX30 also has one of the best regen-braking feeling in the business (or Volvo EVs generally for that matter), besides EV offering from BMW.
Volvo EX30 range – just enough to be the perfect city runabout (with occasional excursions)
Starting from 94% State of Charge (SoC) with 367 km estimated range, I drove from KL to Fraser’s Hill and back (and did a bit more driving in KL). So I ended up with 6% SoC and with 22 km of estimated range left. The total distance I drove was 311 km. The average energy consumption was 17.6 kWh/100km and the average speed was 35 km/h.
Charging can be done at a maximum rate of 153 kW with DC charging and 11 kW with AC charging.
Related Posts
Verdict
Do I like the Volvo EX30? Yes. I think it’s the best little EV out there, and kudos to Volvo for that. The only problem is, many would probably not be able to comprehend the luxury that it provides. Its take on luxury may make some of us feel confused. It drives and rides superbly, but I’m not sure how many EV buyers would truly appreciate that. And with most people unable to understand just how good it is, the price tag (RM208,888 for Ultra and RM228,888 for Ultra Twin Performance) can be hard to understand too. It’s just too clever. And the clever kid in class isn’t exactly the most popular one. But nonetheless clever.
