VOLVO EX30 TWIN MOTOR PERFORMANCE – LESS IS MORE

VOLVO EX30 TWIN MOTOR PERFORMANCE

LESS IS MORE

Recently, I’ve frequently referenced industry pub Automotive News, a weekly outlet distributed to dealers, vendors and OEM execs. And I’ll again do it this week. 

Reporting by Automotive News on February 16th cited the $50 Billion (that’s billion with – you know – a ‘b’) in write-offs taken by Ford, GM and Stellantis following the downturn in EV demand. One week earlier, AN’s Asia Editor Hans Greimel wrote a long commentary on Japan’s ‘cute’ kei cars and their lack of suitability for American roads and drivers. And this, of course, is on top of almost every media outlet reporting on the distinct lack of affordability on the new car showroom. The shouting hasn’t stopped, but Volvo’s EX30 just might provide an answer – to both EV intenders and those baffled by new car pricing – at a not-too-horrific price point.

If you’re old enough to remember Volvo as a simplistic entry in the import car sphere, your view is colored by the 3-box profiles, generous greenhouse and stone-axe specification. Back in the late 60’s I wanted my folks to buy Volvo’s 142 2-door sedan; they ultimately opted for a ’66 Dodge Monaco, followed by a ’68 Mercury Monterey. Volvos were historically one step up the food chain from Volkswagen, and one step down from Audi, BMW and – of course – Benz. 

Today, Volvo focuses on SUVs and EVs, while drawing down on its inventory of sedans and wagons. Among those EVs (an EX40, a just-launched EX60 and 3-row EX90) is its recently introduced EX30. And in its footprint and spec (and despite its BEV powertrain) it might just be the most ‘Volvo’ of all. 

The EX30’s 166 inches of overall length sits astride a wheelbase of just over 104 inches, and in the twin-motor spec of our Performance Ultra weighs roughly 4,200 pounds. In short, it’s short – what I’d call tidy. Not tidy like Japan’s kei category is tidy, but in a tight 2-car garage it slides in beside our ’06 Grand Cherokee easily, something the previous week’s Genesis G70 didn’t do. In its sheetmetal the EX30 is devoid of any affectation; this is Swedish modern, and I guarantee it will look as fresh in Trump’s 4^th term as it does today. 

Inside, that minimalistic vibe extends throughout, to an almost disarming degree. The most obvious example is the lack of a starter button. The EX30 simply reads your key; engage Drive or Reverse on the column-mounted stock and you’re off. Almost all its onboard functionality is relegated to the center-mounted screen, and if you can get past that (or your more tech-oriented spouse can) you’re on your way.

Despite the compact footprint, room for the driver and front seat passenger is generous, and while Car and Driver’s test team found the rear seat tight, my own buttocks found comfortable support, and neither legs nor head felt confined. I wouldn’t want to sit astride the rear middle seat in the EX30, but at a window sticker of between $40K and $50K, you can buy one – and that fifth passenger can buy his or her own. 

Volvo gives you a choice of a single motor with 268 horsepower and 253 lb-ft of torque, or – when opting for the dual motor configuration – a combined output of 422 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. (Both variants rely on a floor-mounted lithium-ion battery with 64.0 kWh of capacity.) In the twin motor setup you’ll reach 60 from a standing start in just over 3 seconds, and while the single motor will obviously take longer (5+ seconds), it won’t take that long. Like other BEVs, the torque comes in immediately off idle, and in either propulsion guise you’ll be home long before the ice cream melts. Or, if living in the Northeast, the g*dd*mn snow melts!

Even within a smallish EX30 is, of course, the elephant; that’s available range. Volvo claims up to 260 miles, and the ability to recharge at a DC fast charger – from 10% to 80% – in less than 30 minutes. All of that reads fine, but I didn’t find more than 210 miles of range on the twin-motor configuration, and saw the available range go down precipitously in a short drive from Santa Clarita, CA – north of Burbank – to Simi Valley. It’s not like I was gonna’ be stranded, but then, to go from 210 miles to roughly 150 in a short drive with but one grade and cool temps can be disconcerting. A Level 2 charger at home brought the EX30 back to where we wanted it to be, and I wouldn’t own or lease an EV without one. 

At this point in the EV’s evolution I still think leasing is the way to go, even on a Volvo showroom. But at roughly $500/month for a single motor EX30 the cost of admission is some 25% higher than Kia’s EV6 will cost you for that same three year term and $4000 down. 

Volvo’s EX30 not a kei car, and in twin-motor form comes close to that $50K everyone is screaming about. But the EX30 speaks to Volvo’s history, and if a Volvo enthusiast it just might speak to you. 

AND THIS JUST IN FROM AUTOWEEK: “Volvo Cars is recalling more than 40,000 of its all-electric EX30 compact SUVs worldwide over a potential battery fire risk, with US owners among those affected, according to reporting from Reuters.

The recall covers 40,323 EX30 Single-Motor Extended Range and Twin-Motor Performance models equipped with certain high-voltage battery cells. Volvo said the issue involves modules within the battery pack that could overheat, creating a potential fire hazard. The company will replace the affected battery modules free of charge.”