Jim Rowan, the CEO of Volvo approaches with a forklift and a small white box. As she steps towards the camera, she opens the video with this sentence:
“Small. It’s a great word but with a lousy reputation, often mistaken for insignificant or little. But at Volvo we believe that small can be a great philosophy.”
This sentence summarizes everything that we are about to see in the next five minutes, the presentation of the EX30, the smallest of the electrical products of the Swedish brand, but proving every second that the small can generate big impacts, it can be big in details and that in the long run, the small can achieve as much as the big, with efficiency and intelligence, which are the values that Volvo always emphasizes in its cars.
And this is important, because the EX30 will be Volvo’s most accessible electric car and the one that should drive electrification plans of the brand, both in the United States and in Europe and the rest of the world.
The Volvo EX30 outside
- Long: 4.2m
- Broad: 1.8m
- High: 1.5m
- Between axles: 2.6m
- Cashew: 318L
- Includes a double bottom with 61 extra liters
- Secondary compartment in front of the car (frunk)
The EX30 is even smaller than an XC40, but with a very well used design. It’s like taking the EX90 and make it smaller, as many design themes carry over, such as the short overhangs, blind mask and cool segmented LED headlights with Thor’s T signature, although on this model they don’t “open” as the headlights The main ones are integrated in the optical group. The rear taillights mimic Volvo’s traditional upright position, but now they are divided into two levels.
The brand points out that a Cross Country version should be added next year, with a black mask, more aggressive defenses and even an option with smaller wheels and more conditioned tires for off-roading. They complement the look, the optional black roof, the plastic moldings under the bodywork and five colors. There are 18- to 20-inch wheels and an optional panoramic roof.
The Volvo EX30 inside
Volvo takes advantage of the SEA platform it shares with Geely, by offering a really spacious cabin and with very intelligent solutions that complement the minimalist but cozy environment.
- All vegan and recyclable (not all, but at least 30% of the decorative): the materials are of natural or recycled origin, be it wool, synthetic leather or woven textiles. The finishes are very striking, especially the decorative inserts in recycled plastic, the kind that has a granite-like look that looks very modern and with contrasting “sparkles”.
- Four color themes: Breeze, Fog, Pine and Indigo. These four themes combine different colors, accents and textiles, depending on your preference.
- Efficient audio system: To free up space in the doors, Volvo teamed up with Harman Kardon and mounted a five-speaker “soundbar” at the back of the main dash, under the windshield. Just like the “soundbar” you might have at home, this system emulates hi-fi audio equipment, with 1,040 watts of output and ambient modes.
- Environments: the EX30 will have up to five ambient light themes inspired by Swedish landscapes and atmospheres. The colors are soft, change slowly and can be complemented with natural sound effects to promote well-being.
- The central armrest hides a large drop-down drawer that serves to store everything. It also has coasters. Everything is very practical and is hidden if you don’t need it, leaving a large central space. There are many other hooks or pockets to leave things.
- Seating: ergonomic with emphasis on column support and can be heated depending on the version.
The multimedia system, as is the case with all new Volvos, is natively signed by Google and is powered by a Qualcomm Smartdragon Cockpit chip. This screen is vertical, 12.3 inches and concentrates absolutely everything that happens in the car. This is probably the most negative point of the car, since it has no visible physical buttons and even contains the instrument panel. In other words, you will have to look at the center like in an old Nissan X-Trail or in an early Toyota Yaris.
The screen is configurable, it has a minimalist interface but adaptable to whatever you need, be it adjusting the assistance, the multimedia or simply if you don’t want the screen to bother you. It has 5G support, OTA updates, connectivity and wireless charging, up to 4 USB-C ports and support for the Volvo app on your phone with connected services. There’s even a plug in the trunk for charging small gadgets.
It’s not Volvo if it’s not safe
Of course there are all of Volvo’s available assists in the EX30, including an automated parking assist, Level 2 semi-autonomous driving (with lane change assist), 360-degree cameras, door opening alertblind-spot and cross-traffic monitors, lane centering and warning devices, autonomous braking with pedestrian detection and evasion assistant or infrared fatigue or distraction monitor.
The fastest Volvo of all
The most powerful version of the EX30 has two engines that add up to 428 Hp. This accelerates from 0 to 100 in 3.6 seconds. If you don’t need so much, you can opt for the conventional rear-wheel drive version, with 272 Hp. The simple traction version can use a 54 kWh LFP battery, which gives it a range of 344 kilometers on average or 475 kilometers of urban use, with consumptions that go -respectively- between 12.1 and 16.7 kWh/100 kms.
Now, the 69 kWh NMC battery is also available for the version Extended Range with an average of 480 kilometers or 662 kilometers of urban use. The AWD model also uses this battery but with a little less range, between 460 and 635 kilometers (urban/mixed). In both cases, no car exceeds 16.3 kWh/100 km of mixed consumption, which is very good. While the smaller battery can be charged to 80% in 28 minutes using a 134 kW DC charger, the larger battery can handle a 153 kW DC charger to accomplish the same task.
For when and how much?
Volvo’s plan is to massify the EX30. For this reason, its entry price in the United States will be USD $34,950, still cheaper than an entry XC40 Recharge. Write down this price so that you have a reference when it arrives in Chile, which in itself will come as standard with more equipment, but much more expensive.
Deliveries will start at the beginning of 2024, so be patient for a few months…
