Volvo EX30 Drive Report - Can This Entry-Level EV Beat BMW iX1, Hyundai Ioniq 5?

New EV SUV from Volvo: Volvo Cars is gearing up to launch its third EV SUV, the EX30, for the Indian market. Globally, Volvo offers the EX30 in two variants, the EX30 Plus and the EX30 Ultra. In India, Volvo will most likely launch the EX30 Ultra variant and will be positioned as the entry-level EV car in the market, before the EX40. The EX30 has a sophisticated design, a fresh layout of the interiors, and a similar battery pack compared to the EX40. Since it is the entry-level Volvo EV SUV, it will compete with the BMW iX1, Hyundai Ioniq5, and other EV SUVs.

Recently, we took the Volvo EX30 for a short spin. We tested its performance, ADAS features, comfort, and other parameters. We were able to highlight some key aspects of the Volvo EX30. Here is our experience:  

What’s Good

 - Design

Let us talk about the design first. Volvo has worked a bit on the design part, and the exteriors, interiors have a different design theme as compared to other Volvo cars in the lineup.

The front profile of the Volvo EX30 has a sleek design. It gets the Thor hammer-shaped LED DRL and LED headlamps, but since it is the entry-level car in the Volvo lineup, it misses out on pixel LED technology. The front is clean and has a minimalist approach.

On the side, the Volvo EX30 feels quite short compared to the EX40. The doors open wide enough, and it has an easy ingress and egress. Further, the Volvo EX30 is equipped with 19-inch low-profile tyres, which look good with the overall aesthetic of the SUV.

The rear of the Volvo EX30 has a different design compared to other cars in the Volvo lineup. The rear profile is clean, and the tail lamps have a C-shaped design, which looks good on the car. 

Regarding the boot space, there is ample space and large suitcases easily fit inside the boot. However, there is also space in the frunk, which adds up to the storage capcaity, and the charger can be placed in that.

 The bumpers are finished in a black paint shade, which helps in reducing the visual bulk. It has a simple and a clean profile, resembling the scandinavian  design. 

 - Safety

Volvo Cars are always known for the safety that it offer. The EX30 comes on a similar level, and it comes with plenty of safety features. The list includes multiple airbags, ABS with EBD, traction control, and others.

The EX30 comes with ADAS features like front collision warning, adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, and others. During our driving experience, the ADAS features were working effortlessly, and the lane keep assist and blind spot detection helped us during our drive.

 - Ride Quality & Comfort

Volvo has tuned the suspension of the EX30 towards the softer side. During our drive in the city, the suspension was performing its duty at its best and offered a comfortable experience. However, there was some suspension noise, which we felt filtered inside the cabin. At higher speeds, due to the lighter suspension feel, the ride quality did become bouncy. The body roll is well contained, and on hard cornering, it maintains its line and pace.

The steering wheel has a decent feel and feedback. On slow speeds, it is light and easy to maneuveur, but as soon as you hit 100-120 km/h, some more weight could have been added to the steering wheel, which could have inspired more confidence while driving.

 - Range

The Volvo EX30 comes with a 69kWh battery pack, which has a claimed range of 490 km on a single charge. During our short driving experience, we drove the EX30 for approx 100 km with air conditioning on, and the range showed a minimal drop as the regular EV cars.

What’s Bad

 - Interior Space

One of the major drawbacks that we felt in the Volvo EX30 was the space inside. The front seats of the Volvo EX30 are pretty comfortable, and the automaker has cleverly integrated all the seat controls in a single knob. However, if the driver's seat is set according to the person, whose height is 5.8”, there is hardly any space left at the rear seats.

The rear seats of the Volvo EX30 are a bit on the cramped side. There is hardly any space for the knee room, legroom, and the shoulder room is also not great. Further, if you make some adjustments, then your knees in the front intrude on the dashboard. The rear seats in the Volvo EX30 are good for kids, and it can only accommodate four passengers inside.

 - Features

The Volvo EX30 is a feature-loaded EV SUV. It comes with a 12.2-inch infotainment screen, which also shows speed and other information, dual-zone climate control, a wireless charger, ambient lighting and others.

The UI of the touchscreen infotainment system is simple and easy to understand, but since it is the only display screen, it feels quite congested with a lot of information on offer. Additionally, it comes with a 360-degree parking camera, which has a decent view of what's around.

Additionally, the Volvo EX30 comes with 11 colours of ambient lighting, which we feel is quite less for the price at which it will be offered. For music lovers, the Volvo EX30 comes with a 1080W Harmon Kardon sound bar, and the sound output quality was quite good; we enjoyed the music experience.

Conclusion

The Volvo EX30 has decent performance and is a feature-loaded EV SUV. The exterior design of the EX30 has Scandinavian elements, but the rear seats are a bit cramped. The feature list is long, and the cabin is practical with an ample amount of storage space on offer. Will the Volvo EX30 will be a value-for-money or not will depend on its price reveal.

Also Read: Volvo XC90 500 km Review: Is This the Best Luxury SUV Under ₹1.25 Crore?