The just-unveiled Volvo EX30 compact crossover, which serves as the company’s new entry-level model, will play a vital role in Volvo’s transformation into an exclusively electric vehicle manufacturer. Its purpose is to attract a younger customer base and serve as a cornerstone for the brand’s reinvention.
Volvo’s primary focus in developing the EX30 has been to reduce the total cost of ownership and appeal to a new demographic of urban buyers, particularly younger individuals. Volvo CEO, Jim Rowan, aims to make premium, fully electric mobility accessible to a wider audience.
Volvo expects that approximately 75% of EX30 buyers will be new to the brand, with many purchasing it as a secondary vehicle.
Despite its emphasis on affordability and attracting new customers, the EX30 does not compromise on Volvo’s renowned commitment to safety. In fact, it boasts the smallest lifetime carbon footprint of any Volvo model to date. Additionally, the EX30 offers impressive performance, making it the fastest-accelerating Volvo vehicle yet, with a 0-62mph time of 3.6 seconds in the top-spec Twin Motor Performance variant.
Based on Geely’s SEA platform, which is also utilised by the Polestar 4 and Smart #1, the EX30 measures 4233mm in length, making it slightly longer than the Avenger but shorter than the Polestar 4.
The EX30 bears a distinct resemblance to the flagship EX90 large SUV, featuring a closed-off grille and Volvo’s signature ‘Thor’s Hammer’ headlights. It will be available with wheel options ranging from 18 inches to 20 inches and offered in five colours, including a new Moss Yellow inspired by lichen found on Sweden’s west coast rocks.
The interior design of the EX30 follows Volvo’s traditional form, featuring a dominant 12.3-inch vertically mounted touchscreen on the dashboard. The infotainment system runs on Volvo’s Google-based platform, compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Instead of conventional door-mounted speakers, a sound-bar resembling home audio systems extends across the entire width of the dashboard.
The interior also prioritises storage, including a multi-function centre console resembling a dashboard glovebox in the front and a removable storage box at the back of the tunnel console.
Volvo will offer four distinct interior designs, referred to as ‘rooms,’ all incorporating recyclable and renewable materials. One of these designs utilises up-cycled denim fibre in the dashboard.
In Europe, the EX30 will be available with three powertrain options and two types of batteries. The entry-level Single Motor versions feature a rear-mounted 268hp motor paired with a 51kWh lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery, providing a claimed range of 345km.
The Single Motor powertrain will also be offered in Extended Range form, incorporating a 69kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery. Priced from roughly RM221,000, it extends the range to 480km with a claimed efficiency of 6.5km per/kWh.
The top-spec Twin Motor Performance model, utilising the same 69kWh NMC battery, adds a second 154bhp electric motor on the front axle for a combined output of 422bhp. This model, priced from roughly RM235,000, offers a range of 460km.
The entry-level LFP battery can be charged at a peak rate of 134kW, while the NMC models can accept charge up to 153kW.
Volvo has made significant efforts to reduce the CO2 footprint of the EX30, claiming it to be less than 30 tonnes over 124,000 miles of driving. This achievement encompasses both production and operation, achieved in part through the use of 25% recycled aluminium, 17% recycled steel.
There’s no word yet on when the EX30 will reach our part of the the world but given the Malaysian appetite for sleek Volvo products, and especially given Geely’s local presence, we suspect it won’t be an especially long wait until this newest Swedish stunner reaches our shores.