We were driving around the Volvo EX30 electric SUV early on a bright Sunday morning and looking for a place where we could photograph it. Naturally, our eyes kept going off the road, which was empty at that hour and we were going slowly. Pretty safe we thought, till there were warning beeps in the car and a message on the screen that said something to the effect of, “Keep your eyes on the road or take a break”. The SUV had seen lack of attention to driving!
There is a little sensor that sits on the steering column that monitors head and eye movement and gives a warning if it finds the driver’s attention wavering. You might never notice it in the course of regular driving, but it is there for when you need it. So typical of Volvo vehicles.
On the face of it, the cars and SUVs might look sparse and minimalist, but they have the things that one would need during the course of living with the vehicle. For instance, the EX30 does not allow drivers to set various levels of brake energy regeneration, but it does have a mode called ‘One Pedal Drive’ that adjusts the regen levels and allows the driver to, well, drive using just one pedal. Neat.
For Volvo, minimalism isn’t just a visual thing. One could say that, at a level, it simplifies life for the user by shaving off options that are sometimes there for their own sake. To that extent it might look less ‘feature-rich’, but the whole package works fine, particularly for drivers, who need to stick to the business of driving, first and foremost.
At ₹41 lakh at the showroom, which is about the price at which it is sold in Sweden, the Volvo EX30 is the entry-level model for the company and its smallest vehicle on offer. It is a midsize SUV and an EV option to boot. Only the Single Motor Extended Range variant (there are two others available abroad) has been brought to India. We borrowed a vehicle SPL Volvo Kolkata to get a feel of it. Here’s our first drive impressions.
The front end is typically EV and has Volvo's signature 'Thor's hammer' running lights
ON THE OUTSIDE
The Volvo EX30 does have a clear family look, particularly with its ‘Thor’s hammer’ headlamp signature in a neatly designed cluster. Overall, it has a very smooth shape that’s typically EV with a blanked-out section where the grille might have been on an internal combustion vehicle. The overall two-box SUV shape has been retained with a bonnet under which is a seven-litre tank and filler caps for fluids and a drivetrain under a plastic cover.
The flank is clean and the highlights are the 19-inch alloy wheels designed to keep drag low. The roofline slopes to the back. At the tail end, the traditional Volvo tail light design has, like the headlamps, been given a smart digital makeover with horizontal bars. It manages to integrate the bootlid design with the pillars quite seamlessly.
The rear end is square and boxy with an emphasis on width
On the whole, the design of the EX30 is balanced and clean and even understated — unless one picks up a car in Moss Yellow like the one we drove. The looks are super contemporary and smart.
ON THE INSIDE
This is where it gets more interesting. Okay, EV interiors tend to be sparse, but this one tries to take things significantly forward. The whole idea seems to be to do away with as many switches, handles, latches, and so on, as possible. Apart from a rather nicely designed door handle, there is no switch on the door that has a floating arm rest. The dash is devoid of any obvious switch or instrument apart from the central touchscreen.
There is a soundbar that goes end to end under the front windscreen but it is not noticeable unless one is told that it sits there. There is a lot of recycled material everywhere that has unique looks and textures.
The window switches have been moved to the arm rest in front and behind it for the rear passengers. One uses the same switches for the rear window controls as the front by pressing a button marked ‘REAR’. With the key card on the front wireless charger pad, the windows can be operated even when the vehicle is switched off, which is a thoughtful touch.
Most things, even the glove box that is now located centrally, has to be opened through the touchscreen. The ones the driver is likely to need often are right there all the time. The 12.3-in screen itself is a two-part affair with a top strip doing the instrument cluster duty and the rest acting as the usual touchscreen control and display. Other functions aren’t buried too deep either and can be accessed fairly easily.
There are just a few other hard controls, such as for the map lights, front defogger, and passenger airbag switch. Seat control is through something like a joystick at the side of the seat that works in tandem with the screen. This is the first car we have come across that has some wiper controls and turn signals on the same stalk but one will not need to use the wiper controls most of the time after setting the rain sensitivity.
Other than that the roof is a panoramic glass affair but there is no mechanism for opening any part of it or shuttering it, but its anti-infrared coating keeps out heat and glare. Our experience was that it did this job pretty well even in bright sun and the aircon was good enough to keep the interiors cool.
The seats are very supportive and comfortable to be in and with all kinds of adjustments available it is easy to find a good driving position. The rear bench sits a bit low we thought but there is enough leg room for two people while it might get a shade tight for the middle passenger if travelling a longer distance.
Boot space is a pretty decent 400litres with the second row up and 1,000litres with it down. Also there are loads of storage spaces for small items and cups, some adjustable, and so on throughout the cabin. There is the usual complement of charging ports and wireless chargers.
The car connects with an eSIM for over the air updates. It also has Google built-in, a range of helpful apps available. It is also wirelessly compatible with Apple Car Play and Android Auto.
ON THE ROAD
This car is very easy to live with on the road. With the One Pedal Drive switched off, it drives almost like an internal combustion vehicle, only quieter and smoother. One does need to do a bit of braking though. Switch on One Pedal Drive and it is a total breeze, and braking becomes almost unnecessary. It’s the near perfect thing for driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
The car is very poised in its ride and handling and the suspension soaks up everything except the worst broken roads, which are handled with a lot of dignity too and passengers aren’t thrown about too much. Speed, limited to 180kmph, isn’t a problem either. The poise remains unflustered.
The Single Motor Extended Range model we drove has an official range of 480km on a full charge under test conditions, but we would more realistically expect a little over 400km, which is good enough. Power is a very decent 272hp (200kW) and torque 343Nm.
Acceleration is quite brisk, 5.3 seconds to 100kmph from standstill, for driving under normal traffic conditions and there is enough torque to execute quick overtakes even in tighter spaces. This SUV is really good for those who aren’t desperate to ‘do’ a lot of driving but more focused on getting to their destinations relaxed and comfortable. Coming to which, the Harman Kardon sound bar does push out very good quality music.
THE CALL
At ₹41 lakh, the Volvo EX30 is good value considering the overall package and the ease and comfort of using it. For those who want cars filled with gizmos and a feature list that extends to the moon, this is not the one. And it doesn’t scream “look at me, please look at me” either. If quiet refinement is what one is looking for with a certain ease of living with the car, the EX30 surely needs to be in consideration. And, over time, one will surely discover convenience features that we couldn’t check out during the time that we had the vehicle. It does grow on you, though, the more you use it.