Volvo EX30 review

If you're tempted to go electric but have been underwhelmed by some sub-£40k models, the Volvo EX30 might just be the car for you.

The EX30 is an electric SUV and the smallest car Volvo makes, but it's still achingly desirable, can go a decent distance between charges and is competitively priced against many rivals.

Those rivals range from the Hyundai Kona Electric and Jeep Avenger Electric to the Kia EV3 and Kia Niro EV. Plus, there’s the Smart #1, which sits on the same underpinnings as the EX30 (both brands are at least part-owned by Chinese car giant Geely).

Volvo EX30 video review

The Volvo EX30 definitely has a big "I want one" factor, but how does it stack up in other important areas, including practicality and interior quality – and which version makes the most sense? Read on to find out...

The cheapest Volvo EX30 is called the Single Motor and doesn't lack performance. We haven't driven it yet, but with an official 0-62mph time of just 5.7 seconds, it's much quicker than any Hyundai Kona Electric, Jeep Avenger Electric or Kia Niro EV.

Before you run off and order on EX30, it's worth knowing that the battery is a relatively small 49kWh (usable capacity). That’s enough for an official range of 209 miles, but in the real world expect 130-170 miles depending on the temperature and how heavy you are with your right foot.

On the plus side, the battery is a newer lithium iron phosphate type, meaning fewer precious metals are used to make it and it should be less susceptible to losing capacity over time.

If you plan to do long journeys fairly regularly, or just don’t want to charge as often, it's worth paying extra for the EX30 Single Motor Extended Range. It has a different type of battery that does contain cobalt, and is a much bigger 65kWh, giving a significantly longer range. 

Officially, the Extended Range can do 295 miles, which is further than any Avenger Electric or Smart #1. That's further than you'll get in any Avenger or Smart #1 but not as far as a Kona Electric 65kWh (319 miles) or Kia EV3 (375 miles). An EX30 Single Motor Extended Range managed 242 miles in our summer range test so 190 to 250 miles in likely real-world driving.

As well as going further than the entry-level Single Motor version, the Extended Range is even quicker, with an official 0-62mph time of 5.3 seconds. That performance will be more than enough for most buyers, but there's another, even quicker, EX30: the Twin Motor Performance. It has a second motor driving its front wheels, giving it four-wheel drive and a stonking 422bhp.

That’s sufficient power for a 0-62mph time of just 3.6 seconds, which is even faster than the Smart #1 Brabus and about as rapid as a Tesla Model Y Performance (3.5 seconds). The Twin Motor gets the same 65kWh battery as the Extended Range, but the extra motor and added weight means the official range drops to 279 miles.

All EX30s are remarkably easy to drive with well-judged pedal responses that make for smooth and predictable acceleration and braking. If you don’t want to use the brake pedal very much, you can choose the one-pedal driving mode, which slows the car reasonably quickly when you lift off the accelerator pedal.

The balance Volvo has managed to strike between ride comfort and handling is almost spot-on. The suspension is supple enough to take the sting out of typical urban road scars, making the EX30 more comfortable around town than a Hyundai Kona Electric or Smart #1.

At faster speeds on A-roads and motorways, things are a little more choppy – but this is still a very comfy small electric SUV, with only the Jeep Avenger Electric and Kia EV3 proving more agreeable on long journeys. The EX30 is a fairly hushed cruiser at high speeds, with only a small amount of road and wind noise making its way inside.

The EX30 is also composed and stable through corners, with less body lean than a #1, Kona Electric or EV3 – even when it's being driving quite quickly. It’s just a shame the overly light steering (even when you switch to its heaviest setting) doesn’t feel precise enough to inspire much confidence down a country road.

You might imagine the hilariously fast Twin Motor Performance would have stiffer suspension to help it carry more speed through the corners, but surprisingly it doesn’t. Indeed, Volvo told us that it’s tried to tune all EX30s to feel the same on the road, although in reality the twin motor version is marginally firmer – no doubt due to its extra weight.

“I like the Volvo EX30's one-pedal driving mode because it makes stop-start driving more effortless. It’s also smoother than the Smart #1 system.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

Let's start with the good stuff. The Volvo EX30 is properly upmarket inside, especially if you go for top-spec Ultra trim, which is available with a couple of extra design options (called Breeze and Mist) that make it feel properly special.

Don’t get us wrong, the cheaper variants still look and feel effortlessly classy, but there is a noticeable step down in material quality. That said, the EX30 is positively luxurious compared to a Hyundai Kona Electric or Jeep Avenger Electric.

The driving position doesn’t feel especially high for an SUV, but it's easy enough to get comfortable behind the wheel – despite the annoyance of having to use the infotainment touchscreen to adjust the door mirrors.

You might not stay comfy for as long in the Plus version because there's a shortage of lower back support and you can't add adjustable lumbar support. Seat comfort is much better in Ultra models, which do have adjustable lumbar support as well as full electric seat adjustment.

There are still issues, though, because rather than dials or a digital driver's display behind the steering wheel, Volvo has decided to copy Tesla car models and put the speedo and trip computer information on the centrally mounted infotainment screen.

The speedo is at least at the top right of the display, but you still need to look away from the road for longer than you would if this information was either behind the wheel or projected on to a head-up display, as it is in some versions of the Smart #1.

Talking of infotainment, all EX30s have a 12.3in touchscreen that was co-developed with Google. As standard you get a Google Maps sat-nav app and Google Assistant (one of the best voice-control systems we've tried). There's no Android Auto but wireless Apple CarPlay has been added since the car initially went on sale.

The touchscreen is snappy enough in its response and the graphics are crisp and clear, although there are quite a lot of layers to delve through when trying to find certain functions. Some of the icons are quite small, which makes them tricky to hit accurately on the move.

And, of course, it’s far more distracting to prod and swipe a screen while driving than it would be to twist a physical dial to adjust the interior temperature, despite the voice-control system being able to help here.

The EX30 isn't as easy to see out of as a Hyundai Kona Electric or Smart #1, with the windscreen pillars blocking some of your view at junctions and roundabouts. To help with parking, Plus versions have a reversing camera, while range-topping Ultra models go one step further with a 360-degree bird's eye view camera.

“There are plenty of cubbies in the Volvo EX30 but the central glovebox is opened by a tiny icon on the touchscreen, which I found an unnecessary faff.” – Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor

You won't have any problems fitting in the front of the Volvo EX30, thanks to plenty of head room and seats that slide back a long way on their runners. A couple of 6ft adults will fit in the rear seats, where the head room is decent enough and leg room respectable.

This is a small electric SUV though, so you don't get Kia EV6 or Tesla Model Y levels of rear space. The Hyundai Kona Electric, the Kia EV3 and the Smart #1 are also a little roomier in the rear. If you regularly need to put adults in the back, the EX30 is still a better choice than a Jeep Avenger Electric or Mini Aceman.

The EX30's flat floor helps when carrying three people in the back, although three adults sitting side by side will still feel as though they're on the Tube at rush hour.

That's occupants sorted – but what about luggage? Well, at 318 litres, the EX30's boot space is usefully bigger than the Smart #1's. We managed to fit five carry-on suitcases below the parcel shelf – the same as the Avenger but one less than we squeezed into the Kona Electric and EV3.

The standard height-adjustable boot floor is useful, as is the fact you can fit the parcel shelf or the charging cable under the boot floor if needed.

To maximise the EX30’s load-lugging ability, you can fold down the rear seats. They split in a 60/40 arrangement and lie flush with the boot floor when it's set to its highest position. Like the EV3, the EX30 has a small storage area under the bonnet that’s just about big enough for the charging cable.

“If you raise the Volvo EX30's height-adjustable boot floor, it flattens the load lip at the boot entrance, which I found really helpful when loading in some heavy shopping.” – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

The starting price of the Volvo EX30 is about the same as an entry-level Kia EV3 or Smart #1 but slightly more than a Jeep Avenger Electric. However, there is some unpicking to do because the Single Motor EX30 – the cheapest version – has a relatively small battery so it can't travel particularly far on a charge.

You do get plenty of standard equipment though, including adaptive cruise control, a powered tailgate, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel and dual-zone climate control. If a long range isn't a top priority, the entry-level EX30 is well worth considering.

If you want even more kit, you'll need to go for an EX30 Single Motor Extended Range or Twin Motor Performance. Both give you access to range-topping Ultra trim, which adds a panoramic glass roof, an EV heat pump and electrically adjustable front seats.

All things considered, the Single Motor Extended Range in Plus trim makes the most sense. It's a shame it's not available with adjustable lumbar support but it keeps the price respectable.

The EX30 is predicted to lose its value at a similar rate to the Kia EV3 and Smart #1, and more slowly than a Hyundai Kona Electric.

As for charging speeds, the smaller battery in the Single Motor has a maximum rate of 134kW, meaning a 10-80% top-up can take as little as 26 minutes. The bigger battery (in the Extended Range and Twin Motor) requires just two minutes more to complete the same 10-80% charge, assuming you can find a charger that supports its 153kW maximum rate. Either way,  you'll be waiting less time than you would in a BYD Atto 3, a Kona Electric or a Niro EV.

The EX30 achieved the full five-star rating when it was crash-tested by safety experts Euro NCAP in 2024. That said, the closely-related Smart #1 achieved a slightly higher score for protecting adults in a frontal impact.

Volvo gives you plenty of standard kit to help prevent an accident in the first place, including automatic emergency braking (AEB), rear cross-traffic alert, traffic-sign recognition and a system that alerts occupants if they start to open a door when a cyclist or car is approaching.

The EX30 is too new for us to have gathered any reliability data but Volvo as a brand finished in 12th place (out of 31 manufacturers) in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey – a strong performance, but just below Kia and Hyundai.

The warranty is an average three years or 60,000 miles – although the battery is covered for eight years (or 100,000 miles).

“The Volvo EX30 in Plus trim comes well equipped, but I was surprised it lacks the standard heat pump, panoramic glass roof and head-up display you’ll find in the equivalent Smart #1.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Car Editor

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here