When you think of European car companies, the odds are that you think of German giants like Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz or maybe you think of Britons like Land Rover or Mini but there is another much more niche European car manufacturer that often gets over looked. There is: Volvo. The only surviving mainstream Swedish car companies are making great cars, but they have other European manufacturers Flash and Sebolbo were among the first car manufacturers to put a great emphasis on electrification.Its latest new model, the Electric EX30 sub-compact crossover, has attracted some harsh criticism from the automotive press, but after driving a single-motor rear-wheel drive EX30 starting with single 40,000, I don't think it deserves that criticism.Much of the criticism the EX30 received from colleagues in the automotive press was aimed at dual-motor cars, as it was the only power train available in 2025.
The all-wheel drive EX30 is 66,000 higher than the single-motor model, taking the price of a sub-compact crossover into the more expensive category. The rear drive EX30 costs just 1,295 destinations including destination4 40,245, it includes a well-fixed panoramic glass sunroof, 1,040 watt Harman Cardon stereo, power tailgate, dual zone automatic climate control, adjustable lumbar and power front seat for the driver, It is equipped as standard with a four-year subscription to Google's built-in, heat pumps, NACS adapters, collision avoidance technology, and more.The most exciting thing about the EX30 single motor is its power train. A 69kWh battery will power the rear-mounted motor, generating 268 horsepower and 253lb-ft of torque. It doesn't seem much, but it feels enough. The puny EX30 weighs 3,913 pounds, is very light on the EV, is 166.6 inches long and is actually more than 2 inches shorter than the Volkswagen GTI, so it's very compact.
Volvo is capable of sprinting 60 miles in 5.1 seconds or more, and the speed is lacking in many people, the EPA is rated for a maximum range of 261 miles a single, 8 miles more than the AWD, transmission model. Like its dual-motor cousin, the single-motor EX30 can receive DC fast charge speeds of 153kW which can range from 10% to 80% in about 28 minutes. It is a record, but EX30 Noh at all no problem era is relatively EV students for and I think that can be.I only have a heated front seat and heated steering for the heated 40,745, or about Volkswagen 500 2026, which brings the total price more than the Volkswagen GTI SE, and the heated 500 because it feels like a hot hatchback from behind the wheel. I continue to compare this Volvo to the GTI because I feel like it's a massive pro.Like all electric cars, the EX30's 268 horsepower and 253lb-ft of torque all have access to the moment you step your right foot into the throttle, so it's about 800 pounds more than the GTI, which is a hoot-and-a-half to drive.
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The nose is responsive and doesn't feel like being pushed into the understeer, the tail shakes a bit when you stab the throttle, the stability controls kick in, subtly the brake pedals feel natural, and the car stopped on a dime, so when I lowered the EX30 to one of my favorite Malibu Canyon roads, I was able to get the best out of it. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face when I lowered it to 1 of Bu Canyon Road. Despite having 3 different weight settings, the steering lacks a road feel, but as I said, I didn't run into understeer, so it didn't feel like I wanted more.More Mediocre Without Canyon Carving In a more mediocre commute without Canyon carving, the EX30 didn't stumble a bit. On the cracked concrete highway weaving through the Los Angeles Basin, the EX30 was composed, quiet and comfortable, especially given the ride wrapped in 19-inch wheels that this fun-sized sub-compact looks smooth 245/45 Michelin All-season rubber. Adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, lane keeping assist and traffic jam assist are standard features.
Unfortunately, driving remains a hands-on task as Volvo's pilot Assist, which provides lane centering, lane change and curve speed adjustment, is not available on the single-motor Ex30S. The EX30 shone around town, too, with itty-tinged exterior dimensions that make it a breeze to weave through narrow streets. It's easy to look out for and it's easy to know where it starts and ends, and it really works with a reverse camera to help with a tight squeeze.At 6-foot-8 I am very tall, but I own a Mini Cooper S, so I am a fan of small cars with seemingly spacious interiors, and thanks to the EX30's cabin panoramic glass roof, low dashboard height, clever center console and door card design, it has an open-top design. It feels airy in the interior. I usually lower the driver's seat as much as I can when driving, but just for laughs, I tried to raise it as high as possible and pushed it into the glass roof, so forward from its high B-pillar, the EX30 has acres of room and I fell in love with its unique design.
If you have long-legged people in the front seat, the rear seat is tight and there is no center armrest there, so it is the least accommodating. The luggage space is also tight, with 2 cubic feet of space behind the 11th row seat and 35 cubic feet of space with the rear seats folded. After all, it is a sub-compact crossover.Volvo's interior has in recent years been further on the pages of IKEA books introduced by Swedish minimalism in the medium, such as clean lines, compassion and their removal from Ikea practices for all always comfortable. Volvo is the best in the business seats with several EX30 is no doubt that the genes you've inherited. It is very easy to find a comfortable support position in the machine lanky frame behind the wheel, which allows you to sit on the ground. Volvo is also a kickass sound system, and that is what I EX30 of the standard 1040 watt Harman Kardon stereo that can be used to write only of the phrase. I also feel compelled to shout out the armrests attached to the door.
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Other brands try to produce arm rests that seem to float, and I also feel compelled to shout out the arm rests attached to the door. Other brands have tried to produce arm rests that appear to be floating, but nothing prevents your hands from grabbing the edge of the armrest like your grandma's rocking chair, which has managed to look as good and feel as good as the EX30's arm rest, and for some reason it doesn't. The ability to make you feel like you're in a seriously comfortable lounge chair and not a sub-compact crossover. I have never experienced anything like it in a car before, so other brands should copy this design.The interior design of the EX30 is exceptional, from top to bottom. I'm usually personally offended when automakers use too much hard, prickly plastic in their interiors— Ahem, General Motors but Volvo has created some of the coolest looking plastics and materials I've ever seen in a car, let alone and one at the one 40,000 mark.
My test car had an indigo pixel knit and Nordico interior, using dark blue and black upholstery and accents. The hard black plastic on the underside of the dashboard and other parts of the interior looks like a dark-designed stone countertop, and the hard vents in its appearance look different from any vents I've ever seen in a car, and benevolently they differ from screen-controlled vents from other brands like Livian and Tesla. To adjust, is a total breeze. If you are interested in design, you will want to get the EX30.Unfortunately, Volvo's exceptional work in designing the interior of the has been let down by some hard to ignore issues.
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