Volvo EX30 in the test: Moose under the hood

AreaRead the video transcript hereunfold

Niko Bünten

“Jürgen, what are we doing in the zoo?”

Jürgen Pander

"We're looking for moose and I've already seen one back there."

Niko Bünten

“And what does that have to do with us?”

Jürgen Pander

“There are also moose hidden in the car we will be driving today.”

Niko Bünten

“And what kind of one is that?”

Jürgen Pander

»You're right.

Let's go to the parking lot.

Today we're taking the Volvo EX 30 for a spin. The Volvo EX 30 is the Swedish brand's new electric entry-level model.

The car looks compact, robust and has the cool, focused design typical of Volvo.

Technically, the car is based on an electric platform from the Chinese Volvo majority owner Geely.

Not only the EX 30 is on this platform, but also the Zeekr X or, for example, the Smart Hashtag One.

Let's take a closer look at a few design details, for example this almost completely closed front section.

Our test car rolls on 20-inch (50.8 cm) wheels, which are subject to an additional charge.

What's special about these wheels are these plastic inserts, which improve the aerodynamics and thus increase the range.

There are also these plastic planks.

On the one hand, they give the car a certain SUV character and they are made of 30% recycled plastic.

Now let's look under the front hood.

And here there is not only technology, but also a seven-liter Frunk, into which the charging cable, for example, just fits.

And under the lid here you can see a moose.

Swedish humor or local language humor.

So now let's look around the car.

We are sitting in the Volvo EX 30 in the top Ultra equipment.

It costs €12,400 extra and includes, among other things, a fixed panoramic roof, a 22 KW onboard charger, electrically adjustable front seats and a 360-degree surround camera.

But for now we'll concentrate on the essential furnishings and that's primarily this central screen arranged in a portrait format.

It is the only screen in the EX 30. There is no cockpit and no head-up display.

And on this screen, which is divided into three parts, you can always see the essential driving data at the top.

In the middle is the selected menu, for example the navigation map or the radio station search and so on.

And in the lower area there are two ledges.

You can put together certain apps yourself and there are always access buttons for the most important functions: climate control, car settings and so on.

The Google-based system works quickly and well, but it also makes some things unnecessarily complicated.

For example, if you want to adjust the exterior mirrors, you first have to go to this driving menu, then select exterior mirrors right/left and then use these steering wheel buttons here to adjust the mirrors correctly and also the glove compartment.

This can only be opened via this touch field here.

And by the way, unlike usual, it sits in the middle of the vehicle.

Volvo says: This centralization here simplifies operation and creates space left and right.

You can see it like this.

At the same time, it also applies: if you have to look over here for every piece of information and often have to fumble around here to adjust something, then that distracts you from driving.

The second big topic in the EX 30 is the topic of recycling.

The seat covers in our car, for example, consist of 30% responsibly produced wool, as Volvo calls it, and 70% recycled polyester.

And there are also recycled or natural materials in the headliner, in the door panels, on the surfaces and in the floor mats.

Depending on the equipment, these include cork, flax, old jeans or PET bottles.

In the center console, which is quite interesting, we also have a quasi-secret compartment underneath.

You can plug in your cell phones here.

And there is an interesting drawer here.

With these inserts it can also be used as a cup holder.

And it can also be adjusted this way when you're traveling alone.

This balancing act between correct and cool is demonstrated quite well by these stylish aluminum door openers and then these flimsy tabs for the ventilation nozzles.

That sums up the interior space here, this range, quite well.

So, that should have been the first impressions of the interior here.

We're going to take a lap and drive.

Niko, buckle up.

The EX 30 is available with three equipment levels and also with three drive variants.

One or two electric motors and therefore rear or all-wheel drive and two different sized batteries can be combined.

Our car has an electric motor and a larger battery.

This is called Single-Motor Extended Range at Volvo.

The car can be accelerated up to 180 km/h.

The steering can be adjusted in three stages and the recuperation in two stages.

In the stronger level, one-pedal driving is possible.

This means that when you take your foot off the accelerator pedal, the car recuperates and decelerates until it comes to a complete standstill.

It's really fun once you get the hang of it.

However, looking to the rear is less fun, because the flat rear window and the wide C-pillars restrict the view quite a bit.

The driving experience, the comfort in here, it's really great.

If you step on the pedal, the car accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds and is also quick at the charging station.

In the Ultra version, the top equipment, a 22 KW charger for alternating current is already on board.

And there is also DC charging up to 153 KW.

This means: Ideally, it takes less than half an hour for the battery to be filled from ten to 80% again.

There is still enough energy in our battery - the package weighs 405 kilograms.

But we stop anyway, we want to look around in the back and in the trunk.

When you look into the rear you immediately notice: we are sitting in a compact car.

It's not particularly spacious, but okay.

There is no armrest back here and no cup holders either.

But there are these two USB-C sockets, next to the window switches.

And there is a storage box for small items.

You can take it out and there will be a moose on it again.

Älg in Swedish and Ton means trunk, so let's take a look at it now.

The tailgate opens electrically.

And it opens a luggage compartment that holds between 318 and 904 liters, depending on the position of the rear seat backs.

The loading floor can be folded up, there is also a compartment underneath, and it can also be adjusted one floor lower, depending on how you can better stow your luggage.

Regarding the trailer load: The EX 30 can tow up to 1,600 kilograms braked and up to 750 kilograms unbraked.

So, let's do another lap now.

Numerous safety and assistance systems, Google-based operating electronics and voice control as well as a stylish Scandinavian design inside and out.

The Volvo EX 30 is a compact electric SUV with many positive surprises.

We like: The clear, imaginative design, the many recycled materials and the confident driving experience.

Negative points are that, like Tesla, there is no direct information in front of the driver.

Then, that simple operating functions are digitally complicated and once again the poor view to the rear.«

Niko Bünten

»And the price?

How much does the car cost here?”

Jürgen Pander

»The Volvo EX 30 is available from €36,590 and our test car with ultra equipment, a large battery and a few other extras costs €52,365.

The EX 30 is something of a moose among compact SUVs, or as they say in Swedish: Jet sa dyrt.«

Niko Bünten

“And what does that mean?”

Jürgen Pander

“Pretty expensive.”