2025 Volvo EX30: Small Package and Price, Big Range
Competes with: Volvo calls it a premium SUV, but in price, it fits better among mainstream EVs such as the Volkswagen ID.4, Kia Niro EV and Hyundai Kona EV.
Looks like: A teeny-tiny XC40
Powertrains: 268-horsepower, single-motor EV drive unit or 422-hp, dual-motor EV drive unit; 64-kilowatt-hour battery pack; rear- or all-wheel drive
Hits dealerships: Available for preorder now; off-road-light Cross Country variant available to order in 2024
Volvo has a lofty goal of selling only fully electric models by 2030, and the automaker thinks its newest EV will be key to this plan. The 2025 EX30 will expand its all-electric offering to four models. It will also be the brand’s smallest SUV yet.
Related: Which Electric Cars Are Still Eligible for the $7,500 Federal Tax Credit?
Familiar Exterior
The new SUV slots below Volvo’s other small SUV, the XC40; at 166.7 inches long, it’s about 8 inches shorter than the XC40. It’s also about 4 inches shorter in overall height and about 3 inches narrower in overall width.
The EX30 shares the simple looks and clean lines of the XC40. The new model also fits into the Volvo family with other obvious brand design cues, such as its hallmark Thor’s hammer headlight design and two-tone paint schemes. It will be available in five colors, including Moss Yellow, which Volvo says is inspired by lichen growing on rocks along the Swedish coast.
Minimalist Interior
Inside, the EX30 has a minimalist aesthetic. Volvo says you can choose from “four distinct interior rooms, each with their own expression,” including one which is a sleek black theme accented by some subtle white splatter on select surfaces. The EX30 also comes with a choice of five different ambient lighting themes, each of which the brand says is inspired by a different Scandinavian landscape.
The only screen in the vehicle is a large, tablet-style infotainment screen that takes up much of the middle of the dash. As with other new or redesigned Volvo vehicles, the setup uses a Google-based interface, which isn’t our favorite system.
Like other EVs, the EX30 will come with digital key functionality and an app that will allow you to access the vehicle remotely for things like accessing charging data, finding the vehicle, locking it and engaging the climate controls. Volvo says the EX30 will also be able to receive software updates over the air.
Powertrains
Two powertrain options will be available. The base model, called the Single Motor Extended Range variant, is good for 268 horsepower and uses one electric motor for rear-wheel drive. Its 64 kilowatt-hour battery features a blend of lithium, nickel, manganese and cobalt; Volvo estimates it has a max range of 275 miles, though it didn’t specify whether that’s an estimate for European or EPA testing cycles. For comparison, the 2023 XC40 Recharge Twin is good for 223 miles.
Moving up, the all-wheel-drive Twin Motor Performance trim adds a second motor to the front axle. It’s good for 422 hp and a 0-60 mph sprint of 3.4 seconds, Volvo says it’s the automaker’s fastest-accelerating car ever, with an estimated range of 265 miles.
Both models have a DC fast-charging rate of up to 153 kW. Volvo says you can charge the electric SUV’s battery from 10% to 80% in a little over 26.5 minutes at a public DC fast charger, but there’s no word yet on charge times at a Level 2 charger.
Safety and Driver-Assist Tech
A full list of features is not yet available, but Volvo says the EX30 will include a lot of standard safety features, including a door alert system that warns occupants when they’re about to open the door in front of a cyclist, scooter or runner.
The EX30 will also be available with the next generation of the automaker’s Park Pilot Assist system, which can automatically maneuver the SUV in a variety of parking spaces, such as parallel, curved, perpendicular and diagonal fishbone-style. Once a parking spot is selected, the feature will operate the accelerator, brakes and steering while the driver supervises.
Pricing and Availability
Volvo calls the EX30 a premium electric SUV, but its price tag is not. Orders are open now for the model, which will start at $34,950 (which doesn’t include destination fees) — much less than the 2023 XC40’s Recharge’s $49,345 base price (which does include the $1,095 destination).
After that, Volvo will debut a Cross Country variant, which will be available for order in 2024, with production expected to start later that year. As with other Cross Country variants of Volvo models, it’ll have more rugged looks, front and rear skid plates, specific wheels, additional ground clearance and badging.
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