Volvo EX30 Review: Baby Electric SUV Is Your Personal Gadget

Barely a few weeks after launching the updated XC60 in India, Swedish carmaker Volvo is ready to add yet another car to its portfolio. The EX30 will be the smallest and most affordable car from the brand when it is launched next month and comes with many new and unique elements you may not have seen in any other Volvo before. It will be the third electric car from the brand in the country after the EX40 (formerly XC40 Recharge) and the EC40 (formerly C40 Recharge) and we headed to Jaipur to sample this baby electric SUV.

Design and styling

SUV is 4,233 mm long with a wheelbase of 2,650 mm.

The EX30 is unique and special in many ways and you can include design in that too. It has a likeable silhouette that allows for a mix of traditional Volvo elements and modern touches. It clearly has one of the best interpretations of the famous 'Thor's Hammer' in the DRLs and the pixel-shaped light modules just add to the effect of this being a high-tech car. The LED tail lamps are something new and contribute in giving the car a distinct look. They’re not connected but a black bar joins them and breaks the monotony. 19-inch alloys are quite big for a car of this size and help it giving it a slightly more imposing look.
 

Also Read: Volvo XC60 Facelift Launched In India At Rs 71.90 Lakh

Width is 1,836 mm while the SUV is 1,550 mm tall.

I like the rear view mirrors as they’re not too big and bezel less too, again a novel factor on the outside. In all there are five colour options, including the very likable Cloud Blue you see in the pictures. Sadly the attractive Moss Yellow seen on the car when it made its global debut is missing in the India range. Ground clearance is good at 177 mm but imagine having a cross country version with meaner looks and an even higher clearance - that would suit Indian road conditions just fine. 
 

Tech & Interior

SUV comes with 2 options - NFC card and Digital key.

Volvo EX30 is devoid of a physical key. Instead, what you get is an NFC key card or you can use the mobile phone app to unlock the car. For the former, the card has to be held near the reader placed on the B-pillar and then after unlocking it has to be placed on the wireless charging pad to switch to drive mode. It works seamlessly but additional steps may cause a bit of inconvenience every time you need to use the SUV. 
 

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The smallest Volvo yet gets the biggest touchscreen system.

The EX30 has quite a minimalist cabin, and you can see a clear Chinese influence in this latest from Volvo. There are no buttons on the door, something you haven't really seen on cars in any segment. Everything is integrated either in the touchscreen, on the steering wheel or in the armrest. Talking about the screen, the smallest Volvo yet gets the biggest screen with a 12.3-inch unit which is vertically stacked. Importantly, what Volvo has done with the EX30 is that there is no cluster in front of the driver and the conventional cluster details have been placed in the upper part of touchscreen.  
 

Power window switches and glove box are both between the front seats.

This one gets also gets Wireless Apple CarPlay and it works seamlessly. Android Auto is not wireless, but you don't need that because cars from the brand come with integrated Google UI. So, it's already there and all you need to do is login to gain access to all the apps. The screen is high quality and responsive, though navigating through it initially is a bit of a complex procedure. Also light as well as mirror settings are done through the screen, something that is unconventional and in some ways inconvenient. 
 

A big soundbar is placed on the dash while seat buttons are unique too.

What you will love inside the EX30 are its many quirky bits. The armrest actually extends and then your storage space or the cup holders come out. The power window switches are placed on it too and even the rear windows can be operated using the same buttons. Right below the armrest there’s a lot of space which adds to practicality. Volvo has also not put any speakers in the front doors, instead there’s a big sound bar on the dashboard which has five speakers. A 1,000-watt Harman Kardon sound system provides a nice experience in what is a compact cabin. 
 

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Second row has limited space while an armrest is missing too.

A single button takes care of electric seat controls including lumbar support which is quite clever from Volvo. Then there’s the glove box which is placed between the seats so the driver doesn’t need to stretch all the way to access it. With an electrical opening, you can set a password for it, too! The second row does not give you a lot of space and under thigh support can be better too. All three seats get adjustable headrests which is nice but there is no centre armrest here and after spending this kind of money you may not like that. The windows at the back are not too big though the huge glass roof balances out things somewhat. 
 

Volvo EX30 has a boot space of 318 L which can be expanded to 904 L.

Also Read: 2025 Volvo XC90 Review: Flagship 3-Row SUV More Formidable Than Ever

Performance & Range

Gearshift level is placed on the steering column.

The EX30 has come to India in a single rear-wheel drive variant. Overseas you also get all-wheel drive as an option, but in India Volvo has chosen to launch this one with quite a big battery pack of 69 kWh. Maximum power of 268 bhp and a peak torque figure of 343 Nm helps this compact car go quite fast. What's also quite nice is how silent the drive is inside this cabin. It is well insulated and is something that I've seen across cars from this brand in recent times. Doesn't matter if they're electric or they run on petrol, you get really silent cabins.
 

You can expect a real-world range of close to 400 kms on the EX30.

The claimed WLTP range here is 480 km on a single charge. Even in real world you can expect a little under 400 kms which is quite a decent figure. I noticed during the drive with 64 per cent state of charge left and the car was good to go for another 261 km. What you don't get here are multiple drive modes or even regen levels that help in altering the range, however single pedal drive will come in handy when you're looking to extend your driving distance on this car.
 

Ride & Handling

EX30 is a driver's delight both for performance and agility.

The EX30 is quite a nimble and agile car to drive. It's something you will love to play with, especially when the roads are empty and you can take corners at good speeds. What also plays along nicely is the steering wheel of this car. It is very precise, gives you great feedback, and the best part, it also has different modes. So you can choose a different setting depending on driving and road conditions. Ride I would not say is very plush, but it does not unsettle you in any way. The car does a decent job on all kinds of surfaces and the occupants do not feel the undulations inside the car. 
 

Driving position is good with a clear view of the road.

With a tilt and telescopic steering wheel and a seat that can be adjusted for different settings, you are never far away from the perfect drive position on the SUV. I like that as a driver you get a commanding view of the road and especially up front the big glass area helps. Can't really say that for the rear view because there the glass area is small and the adjustable headrest on the middle seat does somewhat hamper your view. Missed the electric headrest folding function seen on the XC60 here. 
 

Safety

An IR camera placed behind the steering monitors driver fatigue.

Quite a lot of level 2 ADAS functions find a place in the Volvo EX30. From Lane Keeping Assist to Forward Collision Avoidance and Blind Spot Monitoring to Adaptive Cruise Control it is all there. You also have a 360-view camera as well as Parking Assist in a car that isn’t really big. But these features certainly help and the intrusion levels are just perfect. Behind the steering wheel is a small infrared camera that monitors driver eye movements and alerts if he/she looks away from the road. The issue here is that since a lot of functions are integrated inside the screen, you have no choice but to look there and sometimes the car does end up alerting you. Maybe Volvo can find a solution to that. 
 

Verdict
 

EX30 is the most unique Volvo yet. 

The EX30 is a car that's really different even from any other car you've seen from Volvo before. You will love some things about it; the way it drives, how peppy it is, its quirky features and its compact footprint. It is specially suited for use in the urban environment despite its concerns with ergonomics as well as practicality. But this is more like a personal gadget that is not made for everybody in the family and if it suits you, it suits you really well. Expect a sticker price of around Rs. 45 lakh, ex-showroom when the SUV is launched towards the end of September.