Volvo EX30 in the first impression: Compact Swedish Stromer
A TEST REPORT from Dominic Lux 
on February 21, 2024, 17:00 | Write a comment
We went to the Volvo EX30 test drives for you in Hamburg and took a closer look at what is probably Volvo's new bestseller, the Volvo EX30, in both engine versions. We also drove a few kilometers with both versions and are now giving you our first impression.
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tl;dr: “Really” a promising electric car
The Volvo EX30 is the smallest SUV to date, although it is more of a compact car, from the Swedes. It is also the first Volvo to be manufactured and built entirely in China. By the way, that's not a bad thing, because the exterior and interior qualities completely convinced us. Here you clearly get a “true Volvo” in terms of quality and design.
Starting with "Thor's Hammer" in the headlights, unfortunately no matrix LED due to the size, but automatic high beam as standard. In general, the EX30 really offers very good standard equipment for the basic price of around 36.000 euros (including 19 percent VAT).
Volvo is simplifying the equipment packages, as was already the case with their other models. There are Core, Plus and Ultra. Either with rear-wheel drive, a small battery or large battery or one with all-wheel drive and the large battery. This should serve every customer group. The small battery is almost 51 kWh and is of the LFP type and does not offer a heat pump. The large battery, on the other hand, has a capacity of 69 kWh and uses NMC technology and a heat pump from the Plus version onwards.
Technical data: The most powerful Volvo to date
The Volvo EX30 Twin Motor Performance can claim this title. This offers all-wheel drive, comes with a large battery and 428 hp of power. These then ensure that the small compact SUV can accelerate from 3,6 to 0 km/h in just 100 seconds.
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- Picture: TechnikNews
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- Picture: TechnikNews
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- Picture: TechnikNews
That's faster than its platform brother the Smart #1 Brabus. Of course, it's not just pure performance that matters. In our detailed long-term test starting in May, we will extensively test the EX30 with both engines.
Facilities and prices: Inexpensive to expensive
As mentioned above, there are three different trim levels, called Core, Plus and Ultra. The Core EX30 Single Motor starts with a 51 kWh LFP battery without a heat pump for just 36.590 euros (including 19 percent VAT) in the basic color gray. It already has standout features such as the "Volvo Safespace Technology". An adaptive cruise control system, or ACC, is also already on board, for which you have to pay an additional charge at VW, for example.
Volvo's digital services are included with the purchase of a new car for 4 years, after which the data volume for Spotify, YouTube and Google Maps etc. should cost a certain amount per month. It is currently not known how expensive the data volume will be.
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- Picture: TechnikNews
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- Picture: TechnikNews
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- Picture: TechnikNews
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- Picture: TechnikNews
One of the larger upgrades is the 22 kW onboard AC charger; there is an 11 kW onboard charger as standard. You get an electric tailgate from the Plus equipment onwards, the electric seats only from the Ultra equipment. There is no head-up display, typically Swedish minimalist. The interior should look very familiar to Tesla drivers among you, just a central display and everything is very tidy. But with a much nicer choice of materials.
The Ultra equipment with a different color and the large 20-inch rims costs around 54.000 euros (including 19 VAT), which is of course a lot of money for a compact SUV. But then you really get an excellent and, above all, very fast car. For many, the basic version will be more than sufficient as a city/country car.
Outlook for Volvo’s future: 50 percent BEV share by 2025
Volvo wants a BEV share of 2025 percent in its vehicles by 50. Currently, the bestsellers are clearly the three SUVs XC40, XC60 and XC90. Available as mild hybrid or plug-in hybrid. Of course, these models are increasingly being replaced by their fully electric versions.
Now the price range of under 40.000 euros under the C40 and XC40 (which, by the way, will soon have a new name) is rounded off with the new EX30. The EX30 is supposed to be the best-selling Volvo of all time, it definitely has that potential. Not just because of the relatively low price in this vehicle class.
In addition, another model from Volvo's current mild / plug-in hybrid series is to be presented as a fully electric model. We're guessing a fully electric sedan in the form of an ES90 or ES60, which would definitely fit the nomenclature of the current new models.