Volvo EX30 review

In the BBC show Who Do You Think You Are?, celebrities trace their family trees, often with surprising results. And, similarly, when you take a closer look at the Volvo EX30, you discover it's related to some models you might not have expected.

Specifically, this small electric SUV uses the same underpinnings as the Smart #1 and Smart #3. How come? Because Volvo is owned by Chinese car maker Geely these days – and Geely also has a stake in Smart.

All three models cost similar money. However, the EX30 also faces competition from a wide range of models that aren't members of its extended family, including the Ford Puma Gen-E, Hyundai Kona Electric, Jeep Avenger Electric, Kia EV3 and Renault 4.

Volvo EX30 video review

So, how does the Volvo EX30 stack up against its many rivals in key areas such as comfort, interior quality, practicality and costs?

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What's new?

- April 2025 - EX30 Cross Country variant introduced, featuring four-wheel drive, extra ground clearance, all-terrain tyres and plastic body cladding to protect the paintwork
- January 2025 - Deliveries of new entry-level Core trim begin in the UK
- December 2024 - Euro NCAP tests EX30 and awards it the full five-star rating
- August 2024 - new EX30 Core trim brings down price of entry-level model, but still comes with kit includes a dashboard-mounted sidebar, 18in alloy wheels and, on single-motor models, a heat pump

How fast is it and which motor is best?

The cheapest Volvo EX30 is called the Single Motor and isn't short on performance. Indeed, it feels properly eager when you put your foot down, and can officially sprint from 0-62mph in 5.7sec. That's much quicker than any Hyundai Kona Electric, Jeep Avenger Electric, Kia EV3 or Renault 4.

Before you run off and order an EX30 Single Motor, though, it's worth knowing that the EX30 Single Motor Extended Range can not only go farther between charges (as its name suggests) but is an even perkier performer, covering 0-60mph in 5.5sec in our tests, almost half a second faster than the Smart #1. 

The Twin Motor Performance, meanwhile, is faster still, thanks to a second motor which gives it four-wheel drive and a stonking 422bhp. That’s enough power for a 0-62mph time of just 3.6sec, which even the sporty Smart #1 Brabus can't match. The rugged EX30 Cross Country has the same output as the Twin Motor Performance and is just 0.1sec slower to 62mph.

Is it agile and is the ride comfortable?

The balance Volvo has managed to strike between ride comfort and handling is almost spot-on. The EX30's suspension is supple enough to take the sting out of the sort of bumps and potholes that are commonly found in UK cities, showing up the Ford Puma Gen-E, Hyundai Kona Electric and Smart #1 in this regard.

True, an EV3 is comfier still, and the EX30's ride can be a little choppier than that car's on motorways and fast A-roads. However, the EX30 is more composed and stable through corners, with less body lean than a Kona Electric, Avenger, EV3 or #1.

As a bonus, the EX30's steering is reasonably accurate, allowing you to place the nose of the car with confidence, although some drivers might find the steering is a little too light, even in its heaviest mode (of three).

Is it quiet and how easy is it to drive smoothly?

All EX30s are remarkably easy to drive, with well-judged pedal responses that make for predictable acceleration and braking. That feel that you get through the brake pedal makes it much easier to smoothly come to a stop than in the Renault 4 and Smart #1. 

Alternatively, if you don’t want to use the brake pedal very much, you can select the one-pedal driving mode, which slows the car reasonably quickly as soon as you lift off the accelerator pedal. 

The EX30 is a fairly hushed high-speed cruiser, too, with only a small amount of wind and road noise making its way inside.

What’s the range and efficiency like, and how quickly can it charge?

The battery of the Single Motor model has a relatively small 49kWh usable capacity. The result is an official range of 209 miles, but in the real world you can expect 130 to 170 miles, depending on the temperature and how heavy you are with your right foot.

If you plan to do long journeys fairly regularly, then, it's worth paying extra for the EX30 Single Motor Extended Range. This has a 65kWh capacity battery, which gives it a significantly longer official range of 295 miles.

No Jeep Avenger or Smart #1 can match that, although the Hyundai Kona Electric 65kWh is capable of 319 miles and the Kia EV3 81.4kWh a whopping 375 miles. An EX30 Single Motor Extended Range managed 242 miles in our summer range test.

The Twin Motor gets the same 65kWh battery as the Extended Range, but the extra motor and added weight mean the official range drops to 280 miles.

As for charging speeds, the smaller battery in the Single Motor has a maximum rate of 134kW, meaning a 10-80% top-up can take as little as 26 minutes. The bigger battery (in the Extended Range and Twin Motor) requires just two minutes more to complete the same 10-80% charge, assuming you can find a charger that supports its 153kW maximum rate.

“I like the EX30's one-pedal driving mode because it makes stop-start traffic effortless. It’s also smoother than the system in the Smart #1.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

What does the interior look like and is it well made?

Let's start with the good stuff. The Volvo EX30 is properly upmarket inside, especially if you go for top-spec Ultra trim, which is available with a couple of extra design options that make it feel properly special.

The cheaper variants still look and feel classy, but there is a noticeable step down in material quality. That said, any EX30 is positively luxurious compared with a Hyundai Kona Electric or Jeep Avenger Electric.

Is the driving position comfortable and is it easy to see out?

You don't sit especially high by SUV standards, but it's easy enough to get comfortable behind the wheel – despite the annoyance of having to use the infotainment touchscreen to adjust the door mirrors.

Unfortunately, you might not stay comfy on a long drive if you spec your EX30 in Core or Plus trim because there's a shortage of lower back support and you don’t get adjustable lumbar support as standard. For that, you’ll either have to add it as an option on Plus trim or go for the top-spec Ultra model, which also gets fully-electric front seats. 

There are still issues, though, because rather than dials or a digital driver's display behind the steering wheel, Volvo has decided to copy Tesla and put the speedo and trip computer information on the centrally mounted infotainment screen.

The speedo is at least at the top right of the display, but you still need to look away from the road for longer than you would if this information was either behind the wheel or projected on to a head-up display, as it is in some versions of the Smart #1 and Smart #3.

The EX30 isn't as easy to see out of as a Kona Electric, #1 or #3, with the windscreen pillars blocking some of your view at junctions and roundabouts. Fortunately, to help with parking, all versions have front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera, while range-topping Ultra models go one step further with a 360-degree bird's eye view camera.

Are the dashboard and infotainment system easy to use?

All EX30s have a 12.3in touchscreen that was co-developed with Google. As a result, you get a Google Maps sat-nav app and a Google Assistant voice-control system. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are also included.

The touchscreen is snappy enough in its response and the graphics are crisp and clear, although there are quite a lot of layers to delve through when trying to find certain functions. What’s more, some of the icons are quite small, which makes them tricky to hit accurately on the move.

And, of course, it’s far more distracting to prod and swipe a screen while driving than it would be to twist a physical dial or press a proper button to adjust the interior temperature, like you can in the Hyundai Kona Electric and Renault 4. At least the EX30’s voice-control system is quite good, allowing you to make requests that way.

“There are plenty of cubbies in the EX30, but the central glovebox is opened by pressing a tiny icon on the touchscreen, which caused problems during our range test, because we couldn't open it once the battery was flat.” – Steve Huntingford, Editor

How much space does it have for people?

You won't have any problems fitting in the front of the Volvo EX30, thanks to plenty of head room and seats that slide back a long way on their runners. Meanwhile, a couple of 6ft adults will fit in the rear seats, where the head room is decent enough and knee room respectable.

True, the Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia EV3 and Smart #1 are all more spacious in the rear. However, if you regularly need to put adults in the back of your car, the EX30 is still a better choice than a Jeep Avenger Electric, Mini Aceman or Renault 4.

The EX30's flat floor helps when carrying three people in the back, giving them loads of space for their feet. Even so, shoulder room isn’t particularly impressive, so three adults sitting side by side will feel as though they're on the Tube at rush hour.

How much room does it have for luggage?

At 318 litres, the EX30 offers about the same boot space as the #1, but less than the Smart #3. We managed to fit five carry-on suitcases below its parcel shelf – the same as the Avenger, but one less than we squeezed into the Kona Electric and EV3. It doesn’t come close to the Ford Puma Gen-E, though, which has a massive boot and swallowed nine suitcases. 

The standard height-adjustable boot floor is useful, as is the fact you can fit the parcel shelf or the charging cable under the boot floor if needed.

To maximise the EX30’s load-lugging ability, you can fold down the rear seats. They split in a 60/40 arrangement and lie flush with the boot floor when it's set to its highest position. Like the EV3, #1 and #3, the EX30 has a small storage area under the bonnet that’s just about big enough for the charging cable.

“If you raise the Volvo EX30's height-adjustable boot floor, it removes the load lip at the boot entrance, which I found really helpful when lifting in some heavy boxes.” – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

How much does it cost and what equipment do you get?

The starting price of the Volvo EX30 is about the same as a Jeep Avenger Electric, Kia EV3 and Smart #1. However, there is some unpicking to do because the EX30 Single Motor in Core trim – the cheapest version – has the small battery, so it can't travel particularly far on a charge.

You do get a decent amount of standard equipment, though, including 18in alloy wheels, climate control and adaptive cruise control. As a result, if a long range isn't a top priority, the entry-level EX30 is well worth considering.

Still, we think the mid-spec Plus trim will suit most people better. It adds lots more luxuries, including heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, dual-zone climate control and a powered tailgate. We’d pair it with the Single Motor Extended Range option.

The EX30 is predicted to lose its value at a similar rate to the #1 and more slowly than a Hyundai Kona Electric, but slightly faster than the EV3. 

Is it reliable, and how long is the warranty?

The EX30 achieved a 90.6% reliability rating in the 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey – a decent performance, but no match for the EV3, which suffered no faults at all, so scored 100%. The problems that afflicted the EX30 were mostly related to the infotainment system.

Likewise, the EV3 has the EX30 well beaten when it comes to its warranty, with Kia offering seven years or 100,000 miles of cover to Volvo's three years/60,000 miles. That said, Volvo does match Kia in covering the battery for eight years or 100,000 miles – whichever comes first.

How safe is it, and is it easy to steal?

The EX30 achieved the maximum five-star rating when it was crash-tested by the safety experts at Euro NCAP in 2024. Looking deeper into the results, the EX30 got full marks for protecting children in the back during a crash and was also good at protecting adults in the front. 

As a bonus, Volvo gives you plenty of standard kit to help you avoid an accident in the first place, including automatic emergency braking (AEB), blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic-sign recognition and a system that alerts occupants if they start to open a door when a cyclist or car is approaching.

Security features include a sophisticated alarm system with remote notifications. Meanwhile, the Volvo Cars app includes location services and the ability to lock and unlock the vehicle digitally.

“The Volvo EX30 in Plus trim comes well equipped, but I was surprised it lacks the standard heat pump, panoramic glass roof and head-up display you’ll find in the equivalent Smart #1.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Car Editor

Buy it if…

- You’re looking for a car that strikes an excellent balance between ride comfort and agility

- You want a small car that feels expensive

- You have a taste for minimalist interior design

Don’t buy it if…

- You find touchscreen-based controls frustrating

- You regularly carry tall adults in the back of your car

- You need a really long range between charges 

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