Powerful mini Swede
Volvo EX30: Really as good as everyone thinks?
The little Volvo is quite a cutie. It's called the EX30, drives purely electrically and, at 4.23 meters long, is probably the smallest Volvo of all time. Crisp exterior, powerful drive, googly-eyed operating system - it makes an impression. "Krone" motoring editor Stephan Schätzl explains what the compact cable tanker can really do in this video driving report.
It is not the most Swedish of all Volvos, as the brand now belongs to the Chinese Geely Group. Nevertheless, it is a Swedish car, even if the platform comes from the Asian parent company. Smart #1 and #3, for example, are also based on this platform, which have a much more Chinese appearance overall because the body and software are much more playful.
The Volvo is completely different. Here, sporty, sober elegance is a theme, with good proportions and a classic compact car shape. Only slightly raised, but that is hardly noticeable. Only when you get in do you notice that you don't sit as low as expected. Thor's hammer shines out of the headlights, with the classic Volvo clasp between them. It looks more modern than it is - there are no matrix high beams here.
Scandinavian living
The interior has a cool, clear, minimalist Scandinavian feel, although it is a little too tidy. It takes some getting used to before you get to grips with the operating system. Mirror adjustment? Via touchscreen and steering wheel buttons. A lot of things are confusing, even the cruise control is not immediately obvious, to name just a few examples. You don't have direct access to anything on the display, you always have to go to the menu or at least to the next level. Even for temperature or volume.
However, the operating logic itself is very good. The whole thing is based on Google, and the navigation is also Google Maps. You can also navigate via Apple Car Pay and Google Maps, but then you have to do without the route with automatically planned charging stops. And you'll need them on longer journeys, because the Volvo is not a cheap car. But more on that later.
The materials in the interior are largely sustainable, i.e. lots of recycled materials, no leather. This is also noticeable to some extent. The door trim in particular looks a bit like they forgot to cover the insulating material. But this emphasizes the sustainable aspect and is intentional.
The solid, elegant door handle is particularly striking in a positive sense, allowing you to keep a firm grip on the door even when a squall tries to snatch it away. The concealed loudspeakers also contribute to the minimalist but thoroughly homely impression in the interior - they are located below the windshield in the soundbar.
The glove compartment is not located in front of the front passenger, but folds down from the center console via a screen flap. A sliding compartment can be moved forward from the center armrest, which cannot be opened, but it is impractically formatted: What you put in it can slide/roll backwards and then has to be retrieved either by emergency braking or by squeezing your hand in.
There are two buttons for the power windows on the front edge of the center armrest. Four would be better, because switching between front and rear only works moderately well.
How it feels to drive the Volvo EX30
In terms of driving performance: sporty. Even if the test car "only" has the "weak" drive, with rear-wheel drive and 272 hp (there is also the all-wheel drive model with 428 hp) and 343 Nm. The Volvo really takes off with its 1787 kg according to the registration. The speedometer shows 100 km/h after 5.3 seconds. The fact that it only runs at 180 km/h is due to Volvo's safety decision.
The chassis, on the other hand, is not sporty. But it is not comfortable either. The Volvo EX30 has fairly hard suspension. So you can feel bumps quite clearly. Advantage: It hardly leans to one side when cornering. But: the damping is quite soft. As a result, it is not very plush because the springs resonate for a long time. Fast, tight bends, especially if the road is not completely flat, are therefore tricky. This is where the ESP tends to intervene.
Added to this is the completely unfeeling steering. So you can't feel exactly what the car is doing. It all feels rather sluggish. But if you don't have any sporting ambitions and prefer a more leisurely drive, you'll still be satisfied.
The braking feel, i.e. what you get when you step on the brake pedal, is very good. When you take your foot off the accelerator pedal, there is either almost no recuperation at all or one-pedal braking. More variation is not possible.
The soft skills when driving
Important: You have to switch off the speed limit warning system and the active lane departure warning system for the first few meters. This can be done quite quickly with a total of four clicks. And this is important because the speed limit warning system works even worse than with most other manufacturers. It has happened to me more than once that a limit of 100 km/h was displayed in a town, for example.
And the lane departure warning system is a separate issue. Although you can switch off the active one in a short way, this does not affect the lane-keeping steering wheel vibrator. This is well hidden in the menu and is also reactivated after every restart.
Some of the other electronics are also worthy of criticism. The high beam assistant is useless because it keeps flashing briefly when you are driving behind someone. It then thinks you are trying to tailgate it.
What does work well is the self-steering Pilot Assist. But only up to speedometer 130, it doesn't allow any more. The non-steering cruise control allows up to 150 km/h. You need to know how to activate both (see video).
It takes some getting used to: the touch elements on the angular steering wheel, which cannot be operated blindly, and the lack of a speedometer behind them. The speed is shown on the left-hand side of the display, while indicator lights - such as those for the main beam - are on the top right-hand side of the edge, i.e. as far away as possible. This is neither in the interests of the driver nor road safety.
Quickly full, but also quickly empty
The EX30 is not exactly the most economical. Its WLTP consumption is only 17 kilowatt hours per 100 kilometers. In the test, however, the on-board computer showed an average of 27.5 kWh/100 km, and that at temperatures that were always in the double-digit range.
So in reality, with 64 kilowatt hours of net capacity from 100 to 0 percent, I can drive 230 kilometers, not 476. And realistically, I would probably drive from 80 to ten percent, which would leave me with a good 160 kilometers. Nota bene: I drive electric cars the same way I drive combustion engines. That also means a speedometer of 140 on the highway. If you drive gently and economically, you'll probably get further.
But charging is quick: with a maximum of 150 kW, it takes just 26 minutes from 10 to 80 percent. The EX30 charges with 11 kW at the wallbox as standard; the top model has a 22 kW charger. A smaller battery is also available, which has a net capacity of 49 kilowatt hours (WLTP range: 344 km).
The space available
The charging cable fits into the small frunk if you are patient and roll it up cleverly. The trunk behind the standard electric tailgate can hold 318 or 900 liters. It has a practical double floor. The rear seats, on the other hand, are cramped.
The prices
The price list starts at 36,950 euros for the single-motor rear-wheel drive model in Core trim with a 49-kWh battery; the upgrade to the actually indispensable 64-kWh battery costs 5220 euros. This makes an entry-level price of 42,170 euros, minus a subsidy of 5400 euros. The top-of-the-range Ultra trim comes in at 48,830 euros, but this does not include heated seats or steering wheel, for example. This brings the test car to a price of over 50,000 euros.
Interesting detail: the heat pump is standard in the twin-engine version, but not available for the single engine.
Driving citation
The Volvo EX30 is a nippy little electric car. However, it is also an expensive one if you choose the larger battery, as the smaller one is only suitable for urban areas. It has a pleasant appearance, but shows weaknesses in the details. You can overlook these if the design and the aura of the Volvo brand are more important to you. This would then be an approach that is actually common for electrical appliances.
Why?
Attractive appearance
Lively start
Why not?
Unbalanced chassis
Immature operation
Or perhaps ...
... Smart #1 and #3, Jeep Avenger, Peugeot e2008, Opel Corsa E, Hyundai Kona Electric
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