2026 Volvo EX30 review

The Volvo EX30 Cross Country treads a well-known trail for the Swedish brand.

Adding some rough-and-tumble design cues to make a boxy Volvo look more off-roady has been a popular approach over the decades, and now it has entered a new era.

This fully electric compact crossover electric vehicle (EV) has all-wheel drive, and there have been some decent changes made to help it seem more rugged and adventurous.

It takes the place of the former top-spec hi-po dual-motor variant, with the same huge outputs. And I have a problem with that. I’ll explain why in this review.

How much does the Volvo EX30 cost?

The Volvo EX30 Cross Country is the new flagship grade of the all-electric compact SUV model line, with the existing dual-motor performance variant shuffled away to make room for this tough cookie.

You’re looking at about $78,000 parked in your driveway, then. But at least it’s cheaper than the previous Ultra Performance flagship, which arguably wasn’t as likeable as this one, and topped the range at $71,290 plus on-roads (about $80,500 drive-away).

But there are heaps of different choices you could make if you’re considering a compact electric SUV with all-wheel drive, many of which are larger, more spacious, and more practical.

To see how the Volvo EX30 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

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What is the Volvo EX30 like on the inside?

It seems to me that the mindset behind the interior of this car is to use recycled materials to create an ambience that is premium, comfortable and clever. And for the most part, it’s a job well done – in that it’s the typical minimalist modern Volvo.

But it is also a very delightful cabin, at least in the front.

Some people might not necessarily be enamoured by the recycled material finishing on the dashboard and elsewhere, and the ‘Nordico’ seat trim – which in part feels a bit like wetsuit material – is also not to everyone’s liking.

But the denim inserts on the seats and door cards really break things up nicely. And if you prefer, there’s a (no cost) optional green finish with wool blend inserts instead.

There’s electric seat adjustment and lumbar adjust, and seat heating too, but no ventilation for these ones, sadly.

And how’s this: both occupants get vanity mirrors, but they aren’t illuminated – which is a bit cheapo.

And in front of the driver there is no digital instrument cluster, and you don’t even get a head-up display for $70,000.

Instead, you just have the central tablet screen with your speedometer in the top right-hand corner. It is still a glance away from the road to see your speed. 

That screen is the control centre of everything that you might want to use in this car, and for the most part it is very usable and very user-friendly.

You will learn it within just a couple of days (as I did), but the things you will need to pay attention to include the side mirrors that are adjusted using that screen (and steering wheel controls), and you have to open the central glovebox with the screen, too. There are also some welcome quick switches to turn off some of the safety systems, as well – more on that in the driving section.

There are screens for car status, settings adjustments, and battery status and charging parameters as well, and then there are settings that you can jump through to configure things how you’d like them to be.

There is Google tech built into this car to allow you to quickly get used to the usability of the media system. That means Google Maps, and there’s also the Google Assistant feature, and the Play Store to download apps from.

Otherwise you have wireless Apple CarPlay available as well, and that makes a nice touch because it didn’t used to have that.

On the steering wheel there are a number of other controls including your cruise system, and both volume and media adjustments, plus a voice control toggle. You will have to use the column-mounted gear selector to engage cruise control in the first instance. It’s a long press down to get it to come on, then you use the steering wheel adjustments to change speed, distance and mode.

There are huge door pockets with lots of space for bottles and loose items (and they’re lined, so stuff won’t rattle around too much). But one thing that older buyers or mobility-impaired customers might not love is the lack of a proper pull-handle for the door. 

Between the seats you’ll find a wireless phone charging dock, and an additional space where you could holster an extra phone, and below there is an openable section with USB ports, plus space to allow you to store some hidden items if you need to.

Between the seats you will find an extendable and hideable cupholder shelf with two cupholders, or you can push it back for it to be a single cupholder if you don’t need both in play. Or none. You decide.

What that means, however, is that you don’t have any openable centre console space between the seats, which could be an issue. 

The electric window switches are also in between the front seats, and you have to press the ‘Rear’ button if you want to wind down those back windows.

As for the back seat, if you consider yourself ‘small’ you might fit. Anyone else? Order an Uber.

That’s because this car is very small on the outside, and has a very tight back seat.

At 6’0” or 182cm tall, I only just managed to squeeze myself in behind my own driving position – my knees were stuck hard against the seat ahead, and toe room was very tight as well. Headroom for someone my size was okay but not terrific, and you don’t get grab handles for anyone in this car, which may be a problem – again, particularly for the mobility impaired.

You do get ceiling lights and a space that you could hook up a safety net to store larger items if you need to (with the rear seats down), but overall the back-seat experience is not great.

You don’t get directional air vents, and nor is there a drop-down armrest with cupholders either. There are pocket sleeves in the doors, with the same nice denim finishing too, but it isn’t a very spacious or comfortable place to be.

One thing that might actually be a turn-off for parents and kids is the lack of a cover for the glass roof – you could probably find one as an aftermarket accessory, but my daughter (in the back) and I (up front) were both unhappy on some of the trips we did in this car on a warm, sunny afternoon.

Boot space is decent for a car of this size. There is an adjustable floor section so you can lower it down if you need to, but it depends on how you configure some other elements. There are some decent amenities in that boot area, including a light and hooks.

And while there is no spare, it is a pretty practical space for a vehicle of this size, with 318 litres of capacity.

You get a Mode 2 charging cable and tyre repair kit that will need to go somewhere, if not under the boot floor then maybe in the seven-litre frunk under the bonnet.

To see how the Volvo EX30 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

The carryover performance-oriented powertrain is found applied to the new top-spec Cross Country version. 

Why on Earth does a small crossover EV like this need to have that much grunt and the ability to go that fast? It’s not a performance model. It’s supposed to be more of a soft-roader, with a premium experience. Not a rollercoaster ride.

The real reason I’m not that impressed with the huge outputs is that, in theory, the motors could have been detuned to offer still strong outputs (say 220kW/400Nm) and a drop in acceleration performance (maybe 6.0 seconds to 100km/h), which would – theoretically – improve the efficiency. Which is needed.

Because while the energy consumption claim is 19.1kWh per 100km, I saw a real-world return of 20.5kWh per 100km, meaning a real-world driving range closer to 360km, not 427km.

It’s not a heavy EV, but its energy use is. For a bit of context, I’ve driven dual-motor AWD EVs from Kia, Hyundai, Tesla, Zeekr and others with less power and torque but still strong acceleration, and seen more like 18.0kWh per 100km…

To see how the Volvo EX30 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Volvo EX30 drive?

TOO MUCH POWER.

I stand by it. 

I think this is overpowered for the sort of vehicle that it’s trying to be, and the sort of customer it’s going to appeal to.

I get it – EVs allow effortless performance, instant torque, and massive acceleration. And in the hatchback predecessor that was called the Performance Ultra, that made sense. 

But I’ve driven a few Cross Country models from Volvo over the years, and typically they’ve been powerful enough and fast enough… but not silly-fast like this one.

The power progression and the management of the pace is relatively fine, but if you are an uninitiated EV driver, there is a good chance you will quickly jab the throttle pedal in traffic and end up way further along than you were expecting to be.

Even in the most sedate drive mode – Range, which prioritises rear-wheel driveability and less of an ‘acceleration’ approach – the throttle pedal is extremely sensitive, and you will find if you quickly hit the ‘gas’ it will respond with unnecessary eagerness.

In Performance mode it’s insane. Seriously, you really need to be mindful of the throttle response and the urgency that this car will respond with.

The other pedal? Well, you can use it if you want, but otherwise there’s a Single Pedal driving mode that uses the regen braking to almost stop the car for you without brake pedal intervention.

The High setting is assertive, Low is a great middle-ground, and when the Single Pedal mode is off, it’s free-wheeling like a combustion-powered car. 

Beyond the powertrain, the EX30 is a lovely little thing.

The steering is delightful, and because it is a rear-biased setup (especially in Range mode) it has a nice balance to the way that it handles itself in corners as well. In Performance mode it will be all-wheel drive, and you will have the extra traction that you will want.

The steering is extremely responsive and has a decent amount of weighting, too. 

And with the 12mm raised suspension and higher-profile tyres on smaller wheels (19s, with Goodyear EfficientGrip 235/50 R19 rubber) the total increase in height is 19mm, meaning a bit more clearance over bumps and lumps. There is also an 18-inch wheel and tyre package with more aggressive off-road-inspired tyres, but that’ll be bad for your efficiency.

However, the previous Performance Ultra flagship was widely criticised for its sharp and uncomfortable ride, whereas this example is considerably more comfortable in a mix of situations. It still feels stiff because of the battery weight being below the floor and lots of structural strengthening, but it doesn’t buck about over sharp city bumps, and recovers well at higher speeds, too.

The driving experience here is a very positive one, and made even better by the fact there are simple controls to turn off some of the safety systems if you don’t want them on. 

Just tap the car icon at the bottom of the screen and you’ll be able to quickly turn off the driver monitoring camera if you don’t want that on (it’s not too annoying if you do leave it on), and also the lane-keeping technology can be disabled there too. 

Beyond that you do have the ability to use adaptive cruise control with stop, start and steer (Pilot Assist) capability, and also a speed sign adaptation if you want it, but personally I found myself not necessarily engaging that technology. It’s not my favourite.

To see how the Volvo EX30 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

Choose the EX30 Cross Country and you get the overhauled appearance package and equipment, in addition to a whole host of other great tech and spec.

2026 Volvo EX30 Cross Country equipment highlights:

• 19-inch alloy wheels with higher-profile summer tyres
• Front and rear skidplates
• Dark coloured front and rear body panelling
• Dark wheel-arch extensions
• Raised suspension
• Dual-motor AWD

Other standard equipment:

• Two-tone contrast roof 
• Fixed panoramic glass roof, no cover
• LED headlights and tail-lights
• 12.3-inch touchscreen with Google built in
• Wireless Apple CarPlay
• Over-the-air software updates
• Digital key (Bluetooth phone unlocking)
• Wireless smartphone charging
• Harman Kardon stereo with front soundbar
• Power tailgate
• Auto-dimming side mirrors
• 360-degree camera
• Semi-autonomous parking assist
• Power-adjustable front seats 
  • Heating
  • Four-way lumbar 
• Heated steering wheel
• Heat pump
• Dual zone climate
• Denim trim 
• Rear privacy glass (tinted windows)

Stuff that’s missing? There’s no head-up display, you don’t get a cover for the glass roof, the front seats aren’t ventilated, and there are no rear air vents.

To see how the Volvo EX30 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Volvo EX30 safe?

The Volvo EX30 achieved the maximum five-star ANCAP rating in 2024, and that score applies to all variants.

Standard safety features include: 

• Autonomous emergency braking with detection for:
  • Pedestrian
  • Cyclist 
  • Motorcycle 
  • Intersection support
• Lane-keep assist
• Lane centring assist 
• Pilot Assist semi-autonomous driving system
• Adaptive cruise control
• Blind-spot monitoring including steering and braking intervention
• Front cross-traffic alert with braking
• Rear cross-traffic alert with braking
• Traffic sign recognition
• Door exit warning
• Driver monitoring camera system
• Surround-view camera system
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Semi-autonomous parking 

It has seven airbags fitted – dual front, front centre, front side, and full-length curtain coverage.

To see how the Volvo EX30 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Volvo EX30 cost to run?

Choose this EV and you get some massive ownership benefits. There is a standard five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, and the battery pack is covered by an eight-year, 160,000km warranty – which is the class standard.

There is also five years of roadside assistance included with the car, which can transfer to a new owner, too.

And the servicing is very considerate, with intervals set at every 24 months/30,000km. Plus there’s a servicing program that spans a massive five years/150,000km, so if you do a lot of kays, it’ll be appealing. Best of all, it won’t cost you a cent to service the car for the first five years/150,000km. 

Volvo Car Australia even offers “wear & tear coverage” meaning consumables like the car’s air filter, tyre repair kit sealant, brake discs and brake pads, windscreen cleaning system, and software updates are all covered at no extra cost. Wow!

And for what it’s worth, I had someone ask me where it’s made, and the answer is China.

To see how the Volvo EX30 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Volvo EX30

There’s certainly a lot going for the Volvo EX30 Cross Country.

The appearance package, the interior finishing, and the comfortable drive experience are all big ticks. Meanwhile, the aftersales provisions could be the biggest tick of all.

But as I said, you’ll really have to get used to the amount of power and how it’s applied, because this car might be a bit of a handful for those expecting the ‘old’ Cross Country approach from the Swedish brand.

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MORE: Explore the Volvo EX30 showroom