2025 Volvo EX30 Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Along with the delayed EX90 three-row electric SUV, the EX30 debuts a refreshed version of Volvo’s trademark minimalist Scandinavian design language. The automaker’s Iron Mark logo is set directly into the front fascia without a grille, and the body sides have a bit more sculpting than other recent Volvo models. The headlights have the same “Thor’s Hammer” shape but with new detailing that gives them a pixelated look not dissimilar to what Hyundai has been using on its Ioniq EVs.

Base Core models get 18-inch wheels, while Plus and Ultra models have 19-inch wheels—all with an aerodynamic design. The Plus and Ultra models can also be equipped with 20-inch wheels. Aside from bright Moss Yellow, the colour palette is fairly subdued. But that’s really the only drawback to what is otherwise an aesthetically pleasing small car.

Some new car buyers expecting a true SUV might be disappointed by the EX30’s small size and lack of rugged styling features. Volvo will address the latter with a Cross Country model, arriving after the launch of the standard version, with a raised ride height and black exterior cladding. And Cross Country or not, the EX30 has an elevated driving position likely to suit drivers of a variety of heights, plus good outward visibility front and rear. The thick rear pillars do create a bit of a blind spot, however.

Volvo seems to have taken a page from Tesla’s playbook, eliminating most physical controls and centralizing functions on the touchscreen. Unlike Tesla, Volvo also gave the rest of the interior some personality. The square steering wheel, folds in the dashboard that cradle the touchscreen, and metal door pull rings are interesting design touches. And the EX30 features trim pieces made from recycled materials, including one called Particle Deco that has a spackled appearance, and flax trim that looks a bit like burlap. Like other Volvo models, the EX30 can also be equipped with wool upholstery.

The EX30 isn’t as luxurious as more expensive Volvo models (the main creature comforts are an optional heated steering wheel and front seats) but it still has a quality feel. Even our pre-production test cars seemed well put together, and the materials still felt a step above more mainstream brands.

Single Motor Extended Range base models are equipped with rear-wheel drive (RWD) and are rated at 268 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque. Twin Motor Performance models add a second motor powering the front wheels for all-wheel drive (AWD) and bump output to 422 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque.

Volvo estimates zero to 100 km/h times of 5.3 seconds for the Single Motor Extended Range and 3.6 seconds for the Twin Motor Performance. That means the dual-motor EX30 is quicker than the more expensive dual-motor versions of the Volvo XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge, as well as the Polestar 2 from Volvo’s sportier and more exclusive sibling brand. In fact, it’s the quickest accelerating Volvo production car ever.

All Canadian-market EX30 models have a 69-kilowatt-hour nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery pack with 64 kWh of usable capacity. A smaller battery pack with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry is available in other markets.

The Twin Motor Performance felt as quick as the manufacturer-quoted acceleration time suggests, and the Single Motor Extended Range had plenty of thrust too. The dual-motor EX30 takes things further by pushing acceleration well into sports-car territory, but we can’t pretend that super quick acceleration from an otherwise ordinary EV is something new. The instant torque of electric motors has granted unassuming EVs impressive acceleration since the start of the modern electric-car era.

And don’t let the numbers make you think the EX30 is a performance car. It did well on narrow, twisty roads—highlighting the benefits of a truly compact car—but it’s in its element at a more relaxed pace. This may be the cheapest Volvo, but it’s still a Volvo. The EX30 has all of the poise of the automaker’s more expensive models, decent ride quality even with our test car’s fairly large wheels (19-inch for the Single Motor and 20-inch for the Twin Motor), and a quiet interior, albeit with some excessive wind noise at higher speeds. Overall, it’s a very pleasant car to drive.

Measuring about 20 centimetres shorter than the XC40 (which is also available with an all-electric powertrain in Recharge form), the EX30 is comfortably the smallest model in Volvo’s current lineup. It’s also pretty small for a crossover, measuring about 25 cm shorter than the Nissan Leaf hatchback.

Compared to other entry-level electric crossovers, the EX30 has a shorter overall length and wheelbase, but it's fairly wide for its size, and it stands about as tall as rivals. That translates to similar headroom in both rows when compared to EVs like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Tesla Model Y, as well as comparable front-seat legroom. However, rear-seat passengers will find less room to stretch their legs.

The EX30 also offers less cargo space than other small electric crossovers. The spec sheet lists 400 litres with the rear seats in place and 904 litres with the rear seats folded. For comparison, the Volkswagen ID.4 has nearly as much space (858 litres) with its second row in place, and 1,818 litres with the second row folded. Even the Kia Niro EV, which is a bit closer to the EX30 in size, offers substantially more space—646 litres with the rear seats up and 1,805 litres with the seats folded—for stuff.

Volvo did include a front storage compartment, but instead of a Tesla-like frunk, it’s more of an oversized under-hood glovebox. Inside, designers worked to maximize space with some clever solutions. The audio system’s speakers are located on the dashboard in the form of a soundbar, leaving space for wide channels in the doors for holding water bottles and other items. The centre console includes a slide-out pair of cupholders that also double as handy phone holders, and a concealed channel below for holding larger items.

Like other recent Volvo models, the 2025 EX30 uses an Android-based infotainment with Google Built-in features, including Google Assistant, Google Maps, and Google Play (wireless Apple CarPlay is also included). But its 12.3-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen features a new menu layout, and it’s more central to the operation of the vehicle than in other Volvo models.

Information that would normally appear on an instrument cluster, including speed and the alerts from the car’s driver aids, live at the top of the touchscreen. Below that is a large and detailed Google Maps display, with icons and controls below that. The screen takes the place of physical controls for things like temperature and audio, which isn’t unusual these days, but also the mirrors, which are adjusted by selecting an icon on the screen and using steering-wheel controls to move them.

The only physical controls are the headlight/wiper and gearshift stalks, lock/unlock buttons, and window switches, the latter located on the centre console rather than the doors. This layout might be intuitive for someone who has never driven before, but it’ll take some adjustment for drivers coming out of pretty much any existing vehicle, except perhaps a screen-dependent Tesla.

Volvo also included digital key functionality, so your phone takes the place of a key fob. A key card is supplied for owners without compatible phones. In either case, approaching the car with a connected phone or card allows it to be unlocked, and then driven by simply sitting down in the driver’s seat. However, as we found out when trying to pick our test car out of a parking lot full of identical EX30s, you can’t use a key card to flash the headlights or beep the horn to help find your car.

Volvo has built its brand around safety, but we’ll have to wait awhile to see how the EX30 compares to other vehicles in crash testing. We drove an EX30 in late 2023, well ahead of its North American on-sale date, so safety ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) weren’t available.

Expected standard driver-assist features include blind spot monitoring, front and rear collision mitigation systems, a driver attention monitor, and Door Opening Alert. This warns the driver not to open the door if an approaching vehicle or cyclist is detected by sensors in the rear bumper. We didn’t have an opportunity to test out the latter feature, but did find that the driver attention monitor is a bit too sensitive. It was often triggered by gazes to the left or right to check mirrors or the speed readout, which requires the driver to look to the right and down slightly.

Upgrading to the top Ultra trim level adds Park Assist Pilot that can steer the EX30 into parallel or perpendicular spaces, the Pilot Assist highway driving-assistance system also offered on more expensive Volvo models, lane-change assist, and a 360-degree camera system with 3D view.

Our experience with Pilot Assist in the EX30 matches previous experiences in other Volvo models. Pilot Assist still requires drivers to keep their hands on the wheel, and allows the car to shift back and forth significantly in its lane, so its utility is somewhat limited. Park Pilot Assist, on the other hand, was able to back the EX30 into a fairly tight European-sized parking space at a reasonable speed, and with smooth movements. It’s likely one of the only examples of this technology that could actually be used in the real world.

Final range ratings will be confirmed closer to the EX30’s summer 2024 launch, but Volvo estimates 442 kilometres for the base Single Motor Extended Range configuration and 426 kilometres for the Twin Motor Performance version. Both variants can DC fast charge at 153 kilowatts and complete a 10%-80% charge in 26.5 minutes, according to Volvo.

Perhaps the most important numbers, though, are the ones with dollar signs in front of them. Pricing starts at $56,451 for a Single Motor Extended Range model in base Core trim, including destination charges and fees. Plus and Ultra trim levels start in Canada at $59,651 and $61,851 with destination, respectively.

The EX30 Twin Motor Performance skips the base Core trim level. Pricing starts at $62,651 for the Plus and $64,851 for the Ultra model. All trims of the 2025 Volvo EX30 are expected to qualify for the Canadian federal government’s iZEV rebate program as well as provincial and territorial programs where they exist. Expect Volvo’s current warranty coverage—including a four-year, 80,000-kilometre, basic warranty, a four-year, 80,000-kilometre powertrain warranty, and a four-year, 80,000-kilometre battery warranty—to carry over to EX30 models.

With rebates, the EX30 appears to be a strong value proposition. As things currently stand, the 2025 Volvo EX30 offers more range than comparable EVs at a lower price, a decent amount of standard equipment (albeit leaving some driver-assist features to the options list) and a design and driving experience worthy of the Volvo name. This isn’t a watered down Volvo or a watered down EV. It’s the real deal.

Note: Images show a US model.