Volvo EX30 in the XXL test: Volvo feeling with certain quirks

Volvo has another compact. 12 years after the end of production of the C30, the EX30 indirectly follows in its footsteps – electrically and as an SUV. Volvo focuses mainly on the target group under 30 years of age. Watson media partner t-online tested it – and found many good things, but also things that took some getting used to, about the brand’s smallest SUV, which had special tips to combat the cold in the car.

Outside

With a length of 4.23 meters, the EX30 is two centimeters shorter than the C30 of the past – and even eight centimeters shorter than its competitor Peugeot E-2008. The most striking features are the smooth front with the typical Volvo headlights in ‘Thor’s Hammer design’, the only suggested diagonal bar behind the brand logo and the very steep rear with light strips in the C-pillar, reminiscent of older models from the company’s history.

With its independent design, the EX30 cleverly conceals the fact that it shares technical underpinnings with the Smart #1 and the Zeekr The EX30 is currently being built in China – from 2025 it will also roll off the assembly line at the Belgian factory in Ghent.

Inside

The interior is particularly limited – which is not a bad thing in principle. The design is minimalist, the choice of materials is excellent: Volvo prides itself on using many recycled materials, such as old PET bottles or fishing nets. Depending on the equipment, different grain and pattern plastics are used. This disguises the fact that almost everything is made of hard plastic: you especially notice this when you touch the surfaces. The whole thing is certainly well made and details like the sturdy door openers and the floating armrests in the doors add a bit of flair. Instead of speakers in the front doors, there is a wide soundbar on the dashboard – reminiscent of a living room.

There are also numerous shelves. Special: the glove box is not located on the passenger side, but folds down in the middle by pressing a button on the center display. There is also a center armrest with space for two cups and a storage compartment underneath from which the insert can be removed – practical for cleaning.

Usability

The operating concept gives much more reason for discussion. There are no instruments behind the steering wheel, and Volvo also does without many switches – Tesla sends its regards. This can be interpreted as modern, or as a sign of high cost pressure. In practice this means: Almost all functions are operated via the central 12.3 inch (or small?) screen in portrait format. Anyone new to the EX30 should first search the submenu for the adjustment of the exterior mirrors and other functions. Fortunately, such things are stored in the personal driver profile and automatically reset when the person gets in.

It takes some getting used to if you want to look at the speedometer while driving: then you have to look diagonally to the bottom right from the road – as soon as you look for too long, a subtle “ping” reminds you to keep your eyes on the road – modern assistance technology has everything in view. There is no head-up display that projects the information onto the windshield, even at an extra cost. The display is largely intuitive: important information such as speed or current speed limits at the top, the navigation map in the middle and other functions such as necessary buttons or climate control at the bottom.

Of course, you can also enter some things via voice command: In the test, the Google-based voice control did not work properly – Volvo’s press department justified this with an error in Google, which currently affects all Volvo models. This also led to absurd situations: while vehicles from other manufacturers turned up the heat or activated the seat heaters in response to the voice command “I’m cold,” the Google voice in the EX30 whistled: “Please don’t catch a cold.” Onion Look can help you with that.”

On the second attempt, she even made a kind of declaration of love: “No matter how cold it is, I feel warm when I think about our friendship.”

Hmm, well intentioned, but it does not alter the fact that you ultimately have to adjust the temperature manually with the very small buttons and often have to slide your finger. The request to increase the temperature to 23 degrees was only responded with “Unfortunately I did not understand you.” Therefore: It is better to only use the display when you are standing still.

Much of the EX30 is designed so that the car’s sensors control everything: the lights come on when it’s dark, the windshield wipers when it rains. However, if you want to set something manually, you have to laboriously delve into the submenus.

In any case, Volvo has installed a steering column lever for indicators, high beam, windshield washer system and windshield wiper interval on the left and one on the right for gear selection. There are buttons on the steering wheel to adjust the volume or adaptive cruise control, for example. And a button that can be assigned a function of your choice, for example to quickly switch off the intrusive speed warning when you exceed the permitted speed at just 1 km/h.

Available space

The front seats are easy to adjust even for tall drivers, but do have a very short leg rest. It’s quite tight in the back: if a 1.86 meter driver sits in the front, the rear passenger only has a few centimeters of room for his legs. Another special feature of the EX30 is noticeable at the rear: the switches for the electric windows are not located in the door panels, but in the center console – also at the front.

The trunk has a capacity of 318 liters, 61 of which are in a compartment under the floor. If you lay the bench flat, you get 904 liters. Nice idea: in addition to the trunk information for length, width and height, there are also loading instructions on the inside of the tailgate, which gives you an idea of ​​what fits in the small SUV with exact dimensions.

What is disappointing, however, is the seven-liter so-called Frunk under the hood: in advertising photos, a charging cable fits under the plastic lid, which unfortunately cannot be locked. During the test drive, the cable was too thick and bulky.

Engine and technology

The EX30 is available with two different engines: firstly as a single-engine version with a rear engine and 200 kW/272 hp and a battery of 51 or 69 kWh (extended range), which allows a range of 344 or 472 to 476. kilometers.

Secondly, as a variant with all-wheel drive, where a 115 kW/156 strong electric motor on the front axle also provides drive and can cover up to 450 kilometers thanks to the 69 kWh battery. With this combination there is 315 kW (428 hp) and it sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in a fast 3.6 seconds.

All models have one thing in common: it stops at 180 km/h. More would also be unreasonable from consumption reasons – the fact that Volvo emphasizes that it is also a self-imposed limit for safety reasons is actually just a formality.

The different configurations have some minor differences: For the version with a small battery, there is no heat pump that saves energy when heating or cooling. When charging, the version with a small battery draws a maximum of 134 kW from the charging station, while the two versions with a large battery draw 153 kW. Charging on the wallbox takes place as standard with a charging power of 11 kW, in the top “Ultra” configuration up to 22 kW is possible.

There are also differences in trailer loads: the basic package can handle 1,000 kilograms, the EX30 RWD with large battery 1,400 kilograms – and the four-wheel drive AWD variant 1,600 kilograms.

That’s how he drives

There is no start button in the EX30: you simply get in with the transponder key or your smartphone with the key stored in it, press the brake, put it in gear and drive away. However contradictory the feeling about the operating concept, the feedback about the driving comfort is all the more positive: the EX30 sits firmly on the road, does not rumble and even dampens fast cobbled streets. The steering can be adjusted to three modes – even in the hardest setting it’s still not extremely snappy, but it does make maneuvering in cities and on country roads very relaxed. And who says a Volvo SUV has to have the feel of a sports car?

The assistance systems do their job pleasantly – apart from some acoustic instructions in the background. Small point of criticism: the coordination of single-pedal driving. This function is actually intended to stop the vehicle by recovering energy when the accelerator pedal is released without using the brake. However, this happens quite slowly and not consistently enough – it was not possible to estimate when the car would actually come to a stop, even after 150 kilometers of driving.

The actual consumption

After a non-representative lap of more than 100 kilometers in the Hamburg region (villages, Lansstrasse, highway) the consumption was 18.5 (single engine with large battery) or about 23 kilowatt hours for the all-wheel drive – these are acceptable values ​​and give a realistic range of about 300 kilometers. The factory specifications are 17.5 or 18 kWh.

Facilities

There are three equipment lines in the price list: In the basic equipment ‘Core’, the most important features such as a range of assistance systems, automatic climate control, the central display or an audio system are already on board.

The next higher version ‘Plus’ includes Pilot Assist, while the top version ‘Ultra’ includes a highly recommended panoramic glass roof, a 360-degree external camera for easier maneuvering, a parking assistant and the aforementioned 22 kWh charger.

Prices

When it comes to prices, the range is wide: from 37,850 francs for the basic version that’s reasonable – but if you want a full cabin with all-wheel drive, a larger battery, a glass roof and amenities such as automatic parking or elegant wool seats, you will have to dig considerably deeper into your wallet: in some cases more than 50,000 francs or more is owed. The winter package with seat and steering wheel heating costs around 400 francs extra, and you can also have fun with numerous accessories in the surcharge list.

Conclusion

Ultimately, there are mixed feelings about the operating concept and minor quirks. One thing is certain: the Volvo EX30 is very suitable for singles, couples or small families who are interested in design, do not need much space and are not afraid of unnecessarily complicated technology. When it comes to driving, there is nothing to criticize about the small Volvo and the range is also fine.

With material from the SP-X press agency