Volvo EX30 Review

​Motors & Performance

The EX30 range comes with three different options: a Single Motor version with 270bhp; a Single Motor Extended Range with 270bhp and a 64kWh battery and a Twin Motor Performance with 424bhp and a 64kWh battery. The Twin Motor Performance version pairs the battery with four-wheel drive to make better use of the storming 424bhp that its dual motors provide, giving it a claimed 3.6 second 0-62 time. 

To drive, the single motor version is rather peachy. Only the larger battery models were available at the car’s launch, but the rear-wheel drive Single Motor Extended Range is by far the more pleasing to drive. It’s fast enough to be fun and responsive, but predictable and slick enough to be intuitive and relaxing to drive. 

The all-wheel drive model, in contrast, turns everything up to the point where it feels too much. It’s always fun to launch up the road at silly speeds for short bursts, but the Volvo just isn’t the sort of car that suits this kind of pace. 

In terms of regenerative braking, drivers can select a stand-alone one pedal driving mode, either via the steering wheel or the infotainment system. It works decently enough, but doesn’t have the intensity of a Hyundai, Kia or BMW system and you find yourself using the brakes a little more than expected.

Being a Volvo, the EX30 can be fitted with an optional tow bar. As you might expect, the AWD, dual motor version also has the largest towing capacity, at 1,600kg compared to the 1,400kg of the Extended Range, and 1,000kg for the standard model.

Drive & Handling

There isn’t a drastic amount of difference in the suspension and steering setup of the Single and Twin Motor Performance EX30 variants. Volvo tweaked the rear suspension slightly, but every EX30 is set up primarily to be a refined, comfortable and easy-going family car. 

The steering is a little quick when you initially turn into a corner at slower speeds, but it’s still predictable enough to give you confidence and to make the EX30 feel nimble, while it’s also softly sprung and cushy over most road surfaces. The bigger wheels on the Performance model can make that ride a touch crashier, though, and the sheer ferocity of the acceleration can mean that you find yourself suddenly reaching speeds where the suspension isn't able to cope so well with on a mid-corner bump.

When it comes to the EX30, less is definitely more.