Review: 2025 Volvo EX30 Ultra Twin Motor Performance

I’m not sure I thought I’d ever say this – let alone commit it to paper – but the Volvo EX30 was one of my most anticipated drives of the year. A year that will see me drive the all-new BMW M5, new 4Runner and Lexus LC500 has me salivating over the chance to put a compact EV crossover through the paces. Sounds strange, right? Maybe so, but after reading the words of our esteemed editor-in-chief, Mr. Jeff Voth, and seeing the EX30 in the metal on the auto show circuit, something clicked.

Powertrain: The EX30 comes with two available powertrains: a single motor rear-wheel-drive (RWD) version with 268 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque and a dual-motor all-wheel-drive model with 422 hp and 400 lb-ft. That’s the one I tested and while it makes a little less range than the single motor (442 km v 412 km), the response from all that power makes it pretty easy to forget that 30 km deficit.

The response from those dual motors is instantaneous; a dab of the throttle returns some juicy forward progress that is a great reminder of the benefits of a single-speed transmission and direct drive to all four wheels. And it’s always like this; there aren’t any drive modes that lead to increased throttle response or what have you. You can adjust the steering weight and response if you’d like and there is one-pedal drive and a creep-on or creep-off setting, but that’s about it.

Exterior: The available power is one thing, but on the show floor or in pictures, it’s the styling that draws the eye and whoo-wee if Volvo doesn’t have a winner here. The way the two-tone wide-spoke wheels are pushed tightly to the corners, the contrast-colour roof and the slick front end make for a fantastic stance and clean, modern look. There are some nods to other models in the line-up – electrified or otherwise – such as the “Thor’s Hammer” DRLs and the way the taillights extend to the roof, but even all that is taken to a new, more modern level.

If I had one complaint, it would be that the colour offering are a little tame. The top two of the three available trims (Core, Plus, Ultra) get a Moss Yellow choice but otherwise, it’s a black and a smattering of greys and whites. Would it kill Volvo to offer us a red or a blue that isn’t a somewhat apologetic blue-grey tint?

Interior: In addition to the performance, a battery-powered vehicle gets the benefit of having an interior bereft of intrusive transmission tunnels and so forth. That means that the compact EX30 feels much more spacious than its compact footprint suggest. Sure; the wheelbase is short and you lose rear seat legroom as a result but headroom is very good all ‘round and entrance to the EX30 is made easier by how you kind of step down into the cabin.

Storage is pretty good, too; the rear load floor is nice and flat and its 322 litres of space are complimented by a frunk with six litres of space, good for wet items or a small duffel; you could fit the charge cable there, but it’s a little awkward to do so.

Infotainment and tech: The interior environs are low on clutter, and much of that is thanks to the fact that oh-so-much has been moved to the 12.3-inch central display. You have the usual – CarPlay, navigation courtesy of Google Maps, back-up camera and so on – but it’s also from here that you set your exterior mirrors, your steering wheel adjustments (sort of – more of which in a minute) and even your glove box release. It’s a lot, but it does mean that there isn’t a single button on the dash or even the doors, as the window controls have been moved to the centre console. You’ll see from the pic that there are only two buttons there, even though there are four windows. A button press turns those toggles from front to rear window controls.

That’s all fine and good, once you get the hang of it but it gets to be a little much when you consider that in order to adjust the mirrors, you have to first press a button (or two or three, depending on which menu you’re on), then buttons mounted to the wheel spoke to actually make the adjustment. Anyway, most will set the mirrors and wheel and move on but still – you also have to adjust the headlights from there and that’s something one tends to do regularly. Also: there are no auto-tilt down mirrors and even if you wanted to, you can’t manualyl tilt down the mirros becuase you can’t access the irros screen while the backup cam is active.  The most frustrating aspect, though, was how the distracted driving sensors – helmed by a camera mounted behind the steering wheel – were so eager to step in as I searched the menus for yet another control. Touch panels and screens are the way of the world these days but it doesn’t mean I have to like it, especially when it strikes me as a somewhat unfinished effort.

There are three different ways to lock/unlock the EX30, none of which involve a traditional keyfob or even a start/stop button. There’s a credit card-sized “key” you swipe on the a-pillar, a small cube that you only need to have on your person in order to unlock and start and a phone app. I like the card, even though you do have to place it in the wireless phone charger before you can select drive.

Drive: In addition to the zippy throttle response, the EX30’s short wheelbase and lack of overhangs mean it’s quite zippy through town and through corners as well. The steering response is good (and can be tuned to be more or less responsive), while the springs and dampers are tuned to keep body roll mostly in check without compromising the ride. Indeed, this is a vehicle that will likely mainly be used for around-town work (it’s not really a road trip vehicle especially when you consider the range; we saw no more than 330 km on a full charge) so it’s good that its ‘round town mannerisms are on-point.

Conclusion: There’s a lot to like about this EX30; the styling, the performance, the way they’ve carved so much interior space out of such a small package are all feathers in Volvo’s cap. I would have enjoyed my time I the car so much better, however, if it weren’t for that finicky infotainment and this obsession with tying so much to that touch display. It’s something that I’m sure owners will get used to as time wears on but at this juncture, it’s holding the EX30 experience back just that much so as not to allow it to clear the competition as much as the rest of the package suggests it should.

2025 Volvo EX30
Price as tested: $67,198
Freight: $2,770.00
Configuration: Twin EV motors/all-wheel-drive
Power/torque: 422 horsepower/ 400 lb-ft of torque
Battery (capacity): 64 kWh
Combined fuel ratings (L/100 km): 2.2Le/100 km
Observed fuel economy (L/100 km): 2.8 Le/100 km
Warranties: 5 years/150,000 km (basic)
Competitors: Audi Q4 e-tron, Mercedes-Benz EQB 250+
Website: www.volvocars.com/en-ca/