2025 Volvo EX30 First Drive Review

Barcelona, Spain – Volvo wasn’t kidding when it wanted to go with a minimalist approach that equally focused on sustainability in the EX30 we first previewed here. Stepping into one for a drive makes that abundantly clear when there’s no instrument cluster nor any buttons or knobs to speak of on the dash or doors. It’s you, a large 12.3-inch infotainment screen, and an infrared camera to keep you honest on the road. Oh, not to mention a soundbar nestled into the dash.

The EX30 isn’t so much a roving experiment, though it may seem like it to driving purists forced to glance to their right at the infotainment screen to simply know basics like speed and range. This is an all-electric crossover SUV that tries a few things, and Volvo is strutting it out with some confidence, insisting the EX30 is a “big stepping stone” toward the company’s goal of going fully 100% EV by 2030. 

Two Trims and Three Packages for the EX30

Volvo will keep it simple with two powertrain trims — a single or twin motor — but with two different upgrade packages beyond the Core setup. The Twin Motor Performance trim doesn’t get exclusive features outside of the extra motor itself, so what you get with the Plus or Ultra package trims applies to the Single Motor Extended Range variant as well. 

We got to test both the single and twin motor trims with Plus and Ultra features inside, like 19-inch wheels, handy storage between seats, power front seats, Harmon/Kardon sound, and 360-degree camera views, among others. 

Performance

The Twin Motor Performance is already Volvo’s fastest vehicle with 422 hp and 400lb-ft. of torque, where it can hit 0-100 km/h in 3.4 seconds — a feat harder to test out repeatedly within the winding roads of Catalonia and the prying eyes of traffic cameras. 

The Single Motor Extended Range is a modest lean toward driving a little further, given its 442 km (275 miles) estimated range is only a touch more than the 426 km (265 miles) Volvo says the Twin Motor can deliver. With one motor, this variant is a rear-wheel drive system with 268 horsepower and 253 lb-ft. of torque. 

Both use the same 64.0-kWh NMC battery with lithium, nickel, manganese, and cobalt. The Twin and Single Motor models coming to Canada and the United States will have a max charging rate of up to 153 kWh at compatible DC fast chargers. The one caveat is that the first EX30 models going out to customers won’t have Tesla’s North American plug, so Volvo will add an adapter to enable them to plug into Tesla’s network. Despite Volvo’s claims that it’s possible to charge the battery from 10-80% in just 26 minutes with a DC fast charge, we didn’t get the chance to find out for sure.

Driving Impressions

The EX30 is a rolling computer given the large screen in the middle. Hardly a novelty for Tesla drivers these days, but anyone unaccustomed to a dearth of physical touchpoints will need to adjust. Aside from the basics on the steering wheel controls, all settings and customizations begin and end with that screen. Want to take the Twin Motor into Performance All-Wheel Drive? You’ll find the toggle for that by tapping over to the Driving menu. Too hot or too cold? All climate controls are touch-based, though you can use voice activation as well. Same with the kind of granular detail typically found in digital clusters in most vehicles.

At no point did it feel like the EX30 was out of its depth or winging it, adding a sense of confidence that it was well suited to sharper bends on Europe’s narrower roads.

Since this is a new look for Volvo, starting out feels a little like setting up an iPad or Android tablet to your liking before rolling out. Once on the road, though, the EX30 subcompact crossover is a rewarding ride thanks to its smooth handling and stability. With the Twin Motor, setting it to Performance All-Wheel Drive turns on all-wheel drive performance, making those bends, turns, and straightaways feel satisfyingly slick and responsive. Volvo built it so that the front axle activates during hard acceleration or losing traction, regardless of whether Performance AWD is on or not. As nice as it all feels, you do lose out on one-pedal driving when going AWD, so there is a trade-off.

To be fair, smooth handling applies to the Single Motor variant as well, only with less of the swift pep that the extra motor otherwise provides for the Twin. While we never drove in rougher terrain, it’s worth noting the suspension plays a role here, going over some bumps or holes like they were little more than a nuisance. At no point did it feel like the EX30 was out of its depth or winging it, adding a sense of confidence that it was well suited to sharper bends on Europe’s narrower roads. With the open expanses of most North American locales, this SUV will easily fit right in.

2025 Volvo EX30 Interior

Stripping things down in the interior doesn’t mean Volvo abandoned all tactile controls. Steering wheel button controls are largely intact, while power windows and lock buttons sit on the centre console. There’s plenty of storage space up front if you get the Plus package, which is important because the doors offer little in the way of nooks. The svelte inner doors help create a more spacious cabin, much like nifty cup holders and storage in the centre console do when they spring out. It’s just that we often forgot there were no actual controls on the doors.  

Interestingly, heated seats and steering wheel will come standard in Canada as part of the Core package’s climate features, but not in the U.S., where it will start with the Plus package instead. 

Choices abound when it comes to the recycled materials inside, which are cool to see applied in such functional ways. Little things also matter, like the excellent headrest or comfortable seating position and legroom up front. It would’ve been nice if the wireless phone charging pads weren’t so low but there are also USB-C ports to plug in. The infotainment system is Google-based, but you can still run Apple CarPlay from an iPhone.  

Then there’s the Harmon/Kardon sound system, led by a soundbar in the dash that feels a bit like a home theatre in a very small room. It can get loud for sure, though it’s the clarity that’s easier to appreciate in spite of missing side speakers on the doors. The car’s microphones are nicely responsive in picking up voice commands, which are driven by Google Assistant’s tight integration into the broader platform. 

2025 Volvo EX30 Interior Dimensions

Takeaway

It is a little interesting that Volvo replaced the cluster with infrared cameras designed to induce you to keep your eyes on the road, yet also moved all pertinent visual data to a screen in the middle of the dash. A heads-up display would probably render this a moot point, but a vehicle built on the notion that less is more leaves no room for that. Volvo says drivers will naturally adjust to this, which may be true, but the mere fact there’s no default shortcut to switch the EX30 Twin Motor’s performance mode on the steering wheel is surprising unto itself. Voice activation, which wasn’t quite polished in this drive, and it remains to be seen whether it could help bridge the gap toward convenience.

And yet, after driving the EX30, it’s hard not to get the impression Volvo might be right in considering it “a small car with big potential.” A soccer mom could just as easily enjoy this vehicle’s handling and space as a tech-savvy driver might love the tablet-friendly customization. 

Volvo hopes the market will agree, considering J.D. Power rates it as the top brand for loyalty, plus a starting price of US$34,950 or C$53,700, all the way up to US$41,895 or C$64,846 for the Twin Ultra. It’s low enough to qualify for federal and provincial government rebates, and deliveries are still set for summer 2024. Need something larger for seven passengers? Here’s a closer look at the 2025 Volvo EX90.