The Volvo EX30 is the brand’s entry-level electric car and its smallest SUV to date. Sharply styled and with a premium feel that belies its relatively low brand-new starting price, it’s sure to be a popular car among EV buyers.
That should see plenty of EX30s filtering onto the used market too over the next few years, and second hand buyers will benefit just as much from the smart cabin design and high equipment levels - though it’ll be wise to try before you buy, as not everyone gets on with the heavily touchscreen-based controls.
If you’re considering a Volvo EX30, then there should be a few other family EVs on your shortlist too, including the Renault Megane E-Tech, MG4, Smart #1, Kia Niro EV, and Volkswagen ID.3 - all offering different styling, driving characteristics, and features.
One of the Volvo EX30’s biggest selling points as a brand new car is that you’re getting a high-quality, strikingly-designed electric SUV for a surprisingly competitive price. While EX30s are yet to filter onto the used market in large numbers, it’s likely to be just as much of a used bargain, too.
But with one or two reservations, it’s also just a very good car in its own right. The smart exterior and interior styling make it something you’d be proud to have on the driveway, without the overt aggression or flash of some other premium models, and in terms of pure utility, it goes a decent distance on a charge too.
One of the more surprising aspects of the EX30 is its performance. The very cheapest model gets from 0-62mph in under six seconds, enough to trouble plenty of hot hatchbacks, while the Twin Motor will see off plenty of sports cars in a straight line - and needs some restraint behind the wheel. It rides and handles well, but again bear in mind the Twin Motor has enough punch to potentially overwhelm the car’s handling abilities.
The interior looks and feels fantastic, but the rear seats can feel a little cramped for adults. The boot isn’t the biggest in this class, but it’s usefully flexible. Our only real reservation is with how many of the car’s controls are operated through the touchscreen alone - a potentially distracting oversight.
The EX30 has joined a sprawling mass of electric family cars and compact SUVs, including the similarly great value MG4, the excellent Renault Megane E-Tech, the Volkswagen ID.3 and Cupra Born twins, the Kia Niro EV, and the Honda e:Ny1. The EX30 is also related to, but quite different from, the Smart #1.
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As far as powering your Volvo EX30 goes, you should be looking right in the middle of the range, at the Single Motor Extended Range. For a family car, it’s got more than enough performance (the Twin Motor’s 3.6-second 0-62mph time sounds hilarious but it’s probably overkill for the vast majority of buyers), and its near-300 mile claimed range will also suit most buyers.
The entry-level Plus trim is probably all you really need too. It’s a big chunk cheaper than Ultra trim, a difference that’s likely to carry over to pre-owned models for some time, and doesn’t add much that’ll fundamentally change your experience of the car.
Volvo offers a pair of trim levels on the EX30. Other than the differences listed below, the other key difference is that you can get the Plus with all three motor and battery combinations, but the Ultra is only offered in Single Motor Extended Range, and Twin Motor Performance versions.
The Volvo EX30’s dimensions are:
The Volvo EX30’s boot size is:
The entire EX30 range is electric, which means the entire range enjoys zero-rate VED or ‘road tax’ - so until the UK government decides to slap an annual fee on driving an EV, you won’t have to pay a penny in tax.
The Volvo EX30 range starts at insurance group 35, which gets you a Single Motor car in Plus trim. Twin Motor Performance versions start in group 40, which actually isn’t bad when it matches plenty of cars in the high group 40s and group 50 for straight-line performance, though all EX30s are a little more to insure than some electric equivalents - the Smart #1 starts in group 30, while the Volkswagen ID.3 is as low as group 19 in some models.
Read our full Volvo EX30 review