Volvo EX30 Review 2024

There's lots to like about the Volvo EX30 and if you're in the market for a small electric family car or looking to run it as a second car, then this it should definitely be on your shortlist, especially for the price. 

Those with older children might find it a bit of a squeeze in the back for long journeys, but if you've got a young family and still using car seats, there should be a good amount of room. It's worth checking the size of the boot though just to make sure you can get buggies and prams in etc. 

If you're happy with the touchscreen controls, then the Volvo EX30 is a very comfy EV that drives nicely, boasts decent levels of features and functions and hits the spot on just about everything else.

We reckon the sweet-spot of the Volvo EX30 range is the Single Motor Extended Range model in Plus trim. It's got the best range of the bunch and while performance is down on the Twin Motor car, it's still brisk.

While spec'ing the EX30 in Ultra trim will get you things like a panoramic roof and 360-degree camera, Plus trim is nicely specified and comes with all the core features you''re likely to need and will save you upwards of £8000 over the pricer Ultra trim. 

The Volvo EX30 enters a growing sector of compact electric family cars. There's the VW ID.3 and Cupra Born for starters, while the MG4 is great value for money (though it's starting to look less so with the arrival of the EX30). 

There's also SUVs like the Kia Niro EV and Honda e:Ny1, while if you're looking for something a little more familiar, there are hatchback alternatives like the Vauxhall Astra Electric and Peugeot e-308, as well as the Renault Megane E-Tech.

Even though the Volvo EX30 is being billed as an affordable compact EV, it still feels like a Volvo for the most part - and that means solid and well made, with plenty of nice little touches. 

All the key touch points have a nice tactile feel and there's a classy feel to the cabin, especially when you consider the price point the EX30 comes in at, and it's only when you really start delving a little deeper that the materials used don't feel quite as premium.

The Volvo EX30 does away with a digital dash or instrument display, instead favouring a 12.3-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen that sits in the middle of the dashboard. This is your gateway to all of the car's settings, while it also displays all the live driving info as well. This means you can find yourself glancing down and away from the road in front to check your speed - if Volvo's going to stick with this approach, the option of a head up display would be welcome. providing you with key info projected onto the screen in front of you. It would also reduce the amount of audible warnings the EX30 would deliver to remind you to concentrate on the road...

We also found that some settings were buried too far down in the menu - for example, changing the distance between cars for the adaptive cruise control requires you to drill down a couple of layers to allow you to change this, while there's no quick access to the rear window demister, again requiring a couple of presses of the menu.

Equally though, commonly used functions can be saved to avoid the need for frequent resetting of preferred positions and suchlike. There's also a contextual bar at the bottom of the screen that streamlines the adjustment of everyday options, including climate control settings, though there's nowhere near enough customisation here to allow you to tailor it to your own preferences. Volvo promises over-the-air updates that will refine the interface as it learns from user interaction.

It has to be said that the screen is both sharp and responsive, while the Volvo EX30 benefits from a lot of Google tech, especially when it comes to Google Assistant and Google Maps. This is supplemented by access to the Google PlayStore, allowing you to install apps like Waze and Spotify. 

There's wireless charging, as well as front and rear USB-C ports, while Volvo has also appointed the EX30's interior with a single soundbar audio system that sits along the top front of the dashboard, removing the need for speakers anywhere else in the car. This not only cuts down on internal fixtures and fittings but the quality of the Harmon Kardon soundbar is of a very good standard, despite only projecting sound from the front portion of the cabin.

Up front and there's a good amount of space - front passengers aren't short on headroom, while it feels nice and spacious for a modestly-sized electric SUV. 

Things get a little more cramped for those in the back of the Volvo EX30. There's still a good amount of headroom, but taller passengers will feel pretty cramped. For those with smaller children, this shouldn't be too much of an issue - we fitted two Group 2 child seats in our test car and there was ample space. It's a little thing, but we like the way the cover for ISOFIX fittings folds outwards and adds a little bit of extra protection for the seat when a child seat is fitted. 

While the EX30's 318-litre boot size isn't class-leading, it's a good shape and a flexible boot floor means it can be arranged in a flat or lower flat configuration to aid storage. If you need more space, you can drop the rear seats to give you a decent 904 litres of boot space with items packed to the roof. Plus, there’s also 61-litre frunk at the front of the Volvo EX30. Primarily used for charging leads, there's space for other bits and bobs. 

The Volvo EX30 comes with three different battery and electric motor configurations and things kick off with the Volvo EX30 Single Motor. This rear-wheel drive set up uses a 51kWh battery (49kWh useable capacity) that drives a rear-mounted electric motor producing 200kW of power and 275PS with 343Nm of torque. The 0 to 62mph time for this entry-level model is 5.7 seconds while it has a 112mph limited top speed. 

Next up is the Volvo EX30 Single Motor Extended Range model, which features a 69kWh battery (64kWh useable capacity) driving an electric motor at the rear. The same power output of the standard model, the Extended Range version is a little quicker to 62mph, taking just 5.3 seconds. 

Topping the range is the all-wheel-drive Volvo EX30 Twin Motor Performance model, which features an electric motor front and rear delivering 434PS and offering 543Nm of torque. It features the same 69kWh battery pack as the Extended Range model, but is quite a bit quicker, hitting 62mph in just 3.6 seconds. 

The entry-level Single Motor EX30 has an official range of up to 214 miles, while the Extended Range model with the large battery goes up to 296 miles. The Twin Motor Performance model, meanwhile, can officially travel up to 280 miles.

Expect this range to drop under real world conditions - climate, type of driving (cruising along a motorway is going to eat into the range more than pootling round town and regularly braking) and how conservatively you drive it will all impact the range. 

If you're undertaking a long journey though, Google Maps in the Volvo EX30 can tell you how much charge you can expect when you get to your destination (and if you'll have enough to get back), while it'll also display charging locations on your route. It's a slick system and the times we've used it found that it was pretty accurate when estimating the range. 

As you’d expect from an all-electric powertrain, engine noise isn’t an issue with the Volvo EX30, with the battery and electric motors working quietly and efficiently for the most part. 

Thanks to a decent build quality on the EX30 there is also little in the way of wind noise evident when you’re sat inside the Volvo EX30, while tyre noise is also refreshingly minimal, which makes the overall feeling of calm when travelling in the EX30. 

This is a Volvo, so you’d expect the EX30 to be very safe as is the nature of the brands product philosophy. The compact EV comes fitted with a raft of protection and collision avoidance technology, including the increasing popular warning that prevents occupants opening their door in the path of a cyclist. 

Volvo has also integrated safety functions such as Pilot Assist into the EX30, which helps you change lanes when you indicate. Park Pilot Assist can help get you into parking spaces with the car detecting and subsequently handling all of the accelerator, brakes and steering manoeuvres.

The EX30 is still to be crash-tested by Euro NCAP. 

The Volvo EX30 is a brand new model for 2024, so it is too early to report on reliability. However, the compact SUV sits on the dedicated Geely SEA (Sustainable Experience Architecture) all-electric platform, which is also used for the likes of the Smart #1, the Polestar 4 and currently the left-hand-drive-only Zeekr X.

The lowest insurance group for the Volvo EX30 is 35, and that's for the Single Motor car in Plus trim. The Extended range model jumps up to 37 and the Twin Motor Performance falls into Group 40. Opt for Ultra trim and you can expect the insurance groups to increase a little. 

That might seem quite high if this is your first EV, but as a rule, electric cars tend to be in higher insurance groups than petrol or diesel equivalents. As a guide, the similar Smart #1 starts in insurance group 30, while the VW ID.3 starts in the low 20s. 

VED or ‘road tax’ for zero-emission vehicles like the Volvo EX30 is currently free, which means there’s no up-front tax payment when buying new, nor any subsequent payment. That's set to change in 2025.

Initially, the Volvo EX30 will be available in two equipment grades – Plus and Ultra, with an entry-level Core model launching at a later date at a still to be confirmed lower price point. 

Volvo expects the EX30 in Plus trim to be the most popular option, with these models coming pretty comprehensively spec'd. This includes a 12.3-inch touchscreen equipped with a suite of Google functions (including Google Assistant and Google Maps). There’s also wireless Apple CarPlay and a Harman Kardon soundbar. 

The EX30 Plus also gets two-zone climate control that features an air-purification system and a energy-saving heat pump (only on Extended Range and Twin Motor Performance models). As well as this, the front seats and steering wheel are heated, there's a rear camera, front and rear parking sensors along with Pilot Assist steering assistance system. Rounding it out is an 11kW on-board charger, 18-inch alloy wheels and a power tailgate.

Volvo EX30 Ultra trim cars come with the same kit plus a 360-degree camera with 3D view along with Park Pilot Assist automatic parking system. The interior is brightened up thanks to a fixed panoramic sunroof while outside there are 20-inch wheels. Front seats are electrically adjustable, there are dark tinted rear windows and there's additional safety tech included, such as pedestrian and cyclist avoidance.