The EX30 is quick, good to drive and has a smart interior but its battery efficiency could be better
In the BBC show Who Do You Think You Are?, celebrities
trace their family trees, often with surprising results. And, similarly, when
you take a closer look at the Volvo
EX30, you discover it's related to some models you might not
have expected.
Specifically, this small electric SUV uses
the same underpinnings as the Smart #1 and Smart #3. How
come? Because Volvo is owned by Chinese car maker Geely
these days – and Geely also has a stake in Smart.
All three models cost similar money.
However, the EX30 also faces competition from a wide range of models that
aren't members of its extended family, including the Ford Puma Gen-E, Hyundai Kona Electric, Jeep Avenger Electric, Kia EV3 and Renault 4.
What's new?
- April 2025 - EX30 Cross Country variant
introduced, featuring four-wheel drive, extra ground clearance, all-terrain
tyres and plastic body cladding to protect the paintwork
- January 2025 - Deliveries of new entry-level Core trim begin in the UK
- December 2024 - Euro NCAP tests EX30 and awards it the full five-star rating
- August 2024 - new EX30 Core trim brings down price of entry-level model, but
still comes with kit includes a dashboard-mounted sidebar, 18in alloy wheels
and, on single-motor models, a heat pump
Performance & drive
What it’s like
to drive, and how quiet it is
Strengths
·
+Easy to
drive
·
+Comfortable
yet well controlled
·
+Rapid
performance
Weaknesses
·
-Entry-level version has a
small range
How fast is it and which
motor is best?
The cheapest
Volvo EX30 is called the Single Motor and isn't short on performance. Indeed,
it feels properly eager when you put your foot down, and can officially sprint
from 0-62mph in 5.7sec. That's much quicker than any Hyundai Kona Electric, Jeep Avenger Electric, Kia EV3 or Renault 4.
Before you run
off and order an EX30 Single Motor, though, it's worth knowing that the EX30
Single Motor Extended Range can not only go farther between charges (as its
name suggests) but is an even perkier performer, covering 0-60mph in 5.5sec in
our tests, almost half a second faster than the Smart #1.
The Twin Motor
Performance, meanwhile, is faster still, thanks to a second motor which gives
it four-wheel drive and a
stonking 422bhp. That’s enough power for a 0-62mph time of just 3.6sec, which
even the sporty Smart #1 Brabus can't
match. The rugged EX30 Cross Country has the
same output as the Twin Motor Performance and is just 0.1sec slower to 62mph.
Is it agile and is the ride
comfortable?
The balance
Volvo has managed to strike between ride comfort and handling is almost
spot-on. The EX30's suspension is supple
enough to take the sting out of the sort of bumps and potholes that are
commonly found in UK cities, showing up the Ford Puma Gen-E, Hyundai Kona Electric and Smart #1 in this
regard.
True, an EV3 is
comfier still, and the EX30's ride can be a little choppier than that car's on
motorways and fast A-roads. However, the EX30 is more composed and stable
through corners, with less body lean than a Kona Electric, Avenger, EV3 or #1.
As a bonus, the
EX30's steering is reasonably accurate, allowing you to place the nose of the
car with confidence, although some drivers might find the steering is a little
too light, even in its heaviest mode (of three).
Is it quiet and how easy is
it to drive smoothly?
All EX30s are
remarkably easy to drive, with well-judged pedal responses that make for
predictable acceleration and braking. That feel that you get through the brake
pedal makes it much easier to smoothly come to a stop than in the Renault 4 and Smart #1.
Alternatively,
if you don’t want to use the brake pedal very much, you can select the one-pedal driving mode,
which slows the car reasonably quickly as soon as you lift off the accelerator
pedal.
The EX30 is a
fairly hushed high-speed cruiser, too, with only a small amount of wind and
road noise making its way inside.
What’s the range and
efficiency like, and how quickly can it charge?
The battery of
the Single Motor model has a relatively small 49kWh usable capacity. The result
is an official range of 209 miles, but in the real world you can expect 130 to
170 miles, depending on the temperature and how heavy you are with your right
foot.
If you plan to
do long journeys fairly regularly, then, it's worth paying extra for the EX30
Single Motor Extended Range. This has a 65kWh capacity battery, which gives it
a significantly longer official range of 295 miles.
No Jeep Avenger or Smart #1 can match
that, although the Hyundai Kona Electric 65kWh is
capable of 319 miles and the Kia EV3 81.4kWh a
whopping 375 miles. An EX30 Single Motor Extended Range managed 242 miles in
our summer range test.
The Twin Motor
gets the same 65kWh battery as the Extended Range, but the extra motor and
added weight mean the official range drops to 280 miles.
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.
“I like the
EX30's one-pedal driving mode because it makes stop-start traffic effortless.
It’s also smoother than the system in the Smart #1.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor
What does the interior look
like and is it well made?
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 that make it feel properly special.
The cheaper
variants still look and feel classy, but there is a noticeable step down in
material quality. That said, any EX30 is positively luxurious compared with
a Hyundai Kona Electric or Jeep Avenger Electric.
Is the driving position
comfortable and is it easy to see out?
You don't sit
especially high by SUV standards, 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.
Unfortunately,
you might not stay comfy on a long drive if you spec your EX30 in Core or Plus
trim because there's a shortage of lower back support and you don’t get
adjustable lumbar support as standard. For that, you’ll either have to add it
as an option on Plus trim or go for the top-spec Ultra model, which also gets
fully-electric front seats.
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 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 and Smart #3.
The EX30 isn't
as easy to see out of as a Kona Electric, #1 or #3, with the windscreen pillars
blocking some of your view at junctions and roundabouts. Fortunately, to help
with parking, all versions have front and rear parking sensors and a reversing
camera, while range-topping Ultra models go one step further with a 360-degree
bird's eye view camera.
Are the dashboard and
infotainment system easy to use?
All EX30s have
a 12.3in touchscreen that was co-developed with Google. As a result, you get a
Google Maps sat-nav app and a
Google Assistant voice-control system. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are also
included.
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. What’s more, 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 or press a proper button to adjust the
interior temperature, like you can in the Hyundai Kona Electric and Renault 4. At least the
EX30’s voice-control system is quite good, allowing you to make requests that
way.
“There are
plenty of cubbies in the EX30, but the central glovebox is opened by pressing a
tiny icon on the touchscreen, which caused problems during our range test,
because we couldn't open it once the battery was flat.” – Steve Huntingford,
Editor
Passenger & boot space
How it copes
with people and clutter
Strengths
·
+Plenty of space in the
front
·
+Good-sized,
practical boot
Weaknesses
·
-Rear
space is merely okay
How much space does it have
for people?
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. Meanwhile, a couple
of 6ft adults will fit in the rear seats, where the head room is decent enough
and knee room respectable.
True, the Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia EV3 and Smart #1 are all
more spacious in the rear. However, if you regularly need to put adults in the
back of your car, the EX30 is still a better choice than a Jeep Avenger Electric, Mini Aceman or Renault 4.
The EX30's flat
floor helps when carrying three people in the back, giving them loads of space
for their feet. Even so, shoulder room isn’t particularly impressive, so three
adults sitting side by side will feel as though they're on the Tube at rush
hour.
How much room does it have
for luggage?
At 318 litres,
the EX30 offers about the same boot space as the
#1, but less than the Smart #3. We managed to
fit five carry-on suitcases below its
parcel shelf – the same as the Avenger, but one less than we squeezed into the
Kona Electric and EV3. It doesn’t come close to the Ford Puma Gen-E, though, which
has a massive boot and swallowed nine suitcases.
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, #1 and #3, 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 removes the load lip at the
boot entrance, which I found really helpful when lifting in some heavy boxes.”
– Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer
Buying & owning
Everyday costs,
plus how reliable and safe it is
Strengths
·
+Attractive
starting price
·
+Lots of
equipment as standard
Weaknesses
·
-Big price jump to larger
battery
·
-So-so
warranty
How much does it cost and
what equipment do you get?
The starting
price of the Volvo EX30 is about the same as a Jeep Avenger Electric, Kia EV3 and Smart #1. However,
there is some unpicking to do because the EX30 Single Motor in Core trim – the
cheapest version – has the small battery, so it can't travel particularly far
on a charge.
You do get a
decent amount of standard equipment, though, including 18in alloy wheels,
climate control and adaptive cruise
control. As a result, if a long range isn't a top priority, the entry-level
EX30 is well worth considering.
Still, we think
the mid-spec Plus trim will suit most people better. It adds lots more
luxuries, including heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, dual-zone
climate control and a powered tailgate. We’d pair it with the Single Motor
Extended Range option.
The EX30 is
predicted to lose its value at a similar rate to the #1 and more slowly than
a Hyundai Kona Electric, but slightly
faster than the EV3.
Is it reliable, and how
long is the warranty?
The EX30
achieved a 90.6% reliability rating in the 2025 What Car? Reliability
Survey – a decent performance, but no match for the EV3, which suffered
no faults at all, so scored 100%. The problems that afflicted the EX30 were
mostly related to the infotainment system.
Likewise, the
EV3 has the EX30 well beaten when it comes to its warranty, with Kia offering
seven years or 100,000 miles of cover to Volvo's three years/60,000 miles. That
said, Volvo does match Kia in covering the battery for eight years or 100,000
miles – whichever comes first.
How safe is it, and is it
easy to steal?
The EX30
achieved the maximum five-star rating when it was crash-tested by the safety
experts at Euro NCAP in 2024.
Looking deeper into the results, the EX30 got full marks for protecting
children in the back during a crash and was also good at protecting adults in
the front.
As a bonus,
Volvo gives you plenty of standard kit to help you avoid an accident in the
first place, including automatic emergency braking (AEB), blind spot
monitoring, 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.
Security
features include a sophisticated alarm system with remote notifications.
Meanwhile, the Volvo Cars app includes location services and the ability to
lock and unlock the vehicle digitally.
“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
Buy it if…
- You’re
looking for a car that strikes an excellent balance between ride comfort and
agility
- You want a
small car that feels expensive
- You have a
taste for minimalist interior design
Don’t buy it if…
- You find
touchscreen-based controls frustrating
- You regularly
carry tall adults in the back of your car
- You need a
really long range between charges
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