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Volvo EX30 2025 review: Twin Motor Performance Ultra long-term | Part 2

2025 Volvo CX30

And just like that I’m now two months into ‘owning’ a 2025 Volvo EX30 Twin Motor Performance Ultra. Safe to say it’s been a challenging but rewarding journey thus far.

If you haven’t yet read the first instalment of this three-part EV Guide long-term review, be sure to check out the link below. It includes a proper introduction to the fully electric small SUV, including highlighting its steep learning curve.

But as promised, in this second look at the Swedish model I will share my thoughts on its exterior and interior designs, and deep-dive its practicality. Let’s get to it!

Scandinavian design shines through

I love the look of the EX30 inside and out. Yes, the practicality of some of Volvo’s design choices here is questionable at best (more on that later), but there’s no denying that it’s an attractive package.

Up front, the EX30 sets the tone for its minimalist approach with its grille-less nose, although it does feature a debossed version of Volvo’s signature sash, which naturally intersects its badge.

In the flanking positions are the LED headlights, which have the Swedish brand’s Thor’s hammer signature. Their ‘pixelated’ style is quite cool and similar to that of Hyundai’s Ioniq EV line-up.

2025 Volvo EX30 2025 Volvo EX30

The bumper below is quite detailed, but has a sharp, angular design that’s somewhat reminiscent of the bonnet above, which is heavily creased in all the right places. I like it all.

Around the side, the EX30’s short overhangs and relatively long wheelbase quickly come into focus. While an EV signature, they really suit this small-scale application, making it feel even more like a pocket rocket.

The intricate bodywork continues with the well-defined wheel arches, which house my Twin Motor Performance Ultra test vehicle’s aerodynamically focused 20-inch alloy wheels.

2025 Volvo EX30 2025 Volvo EX30

In between, the black plastic cladding carries around from the front and rear, but it has a nice texture to it, so it’s not nasty looking or feeling. More black elements come in the form of the roof and side mirrors, which complete the two-tone paintwork. And yes, extra points to the trainspotters out there for noticing the discrete EX30 badging on the C-pillars.

At the rear, the EX30 looks most like a Volvo thanks to its vertical LED tail-lights, which are split by body colour in this instance. It also doesn’t hurt that there’s large VOLVO lettering on the tailgate. While not an actual light bar, two gloss-black accents nicely connect the lighting.

Overall, the EX30’s exterior is undeniably Volvo, even if it is also quite clearly an electric car. Nicely done.

2025 Volvo EX30 2025 Volvo EX30

Inside, the EX30 takes the minimalism to the next level with a dashboard that forgoes an instrument cluster altogether. I’ve covered this perplexing omission extensively in the first instalment of this EV Guide long-term review, so please read that monologue if you haven’t already. Either way, you get a clean design that’s only interrupted by the 12.3-inch central touchscreen, which has a portrait orientation and is partly ‘floating’.

The surrounding air vents continue the vertical theme with their three-slat design, the centre of which is coloured to match the accents used in the middle of the dashboard and door inserts. They’re a pleasing shade of blue in my test vehicle.

One last thing about the dashboard, it uses soft-touch plastic for its upper section, with a similar material also applied to the front and rear armrests and door shoulders. And while the lower plastics used throughout are of the hard variety, they also have a recycled look and are textured when touched. It’s a good way of doing ‘cheap’ without feeling cheap.

2025 Volvo EX30 2025 Volvo EX30

Then there’s the ‘squircle’ steering wheel. It’s undoubtedly a bold choice and a divisive one at that, but I don’t mind it day to day. Yes, it’s definitely not as smooth as a traditional round item, but I haven’t found myself thinking about it that often.

Another key design element is the massive panoramic sunroof. It looks impressive inside and out, but its lack of a standard sunblind is criminal in scorching hot climates like Australian summers. Unfortunately, this is something we see in EVs far too often. You can buy a sunblind from Volvo for about $250.

Speaking of the sun, it has a nasty habit of reflecting off the chrome Harman Kardon badge on the upper dashboard’s soundbar. This provides a persistent and bright reflection on the windshield on sunny days, which can be quite distracting.

2025 Volvo EX30 2025 Volvo EX30

Playfully practical – mostly

First things first, the EX30 is on the smaller end of the small-SUV scale, measuring in at 4233mm long (with a 2650mm wheelbase), 1836mm wide and 1549mm tall.

Those dimensions make the entry-level Volvo EV a great size for city driving and parking. However, they don’t lend themselves well to practicality – but pleasingly this model is very space efficient.

Up front, there’s no traditional central storage bin, but what you do get instead is an even more useful centre console, which is headlined by a large, open cubby that’s positioned low down. It can be made much deeper by flipping up its rubberised lid, with two USB-C ports within.

2025 Volvo CX30 2025 Volvo CX30

Above and ahead is another open cubby, with this one housing the wireless smartphone charger on the left, while the right can accommodate another device.

Behind all of this are two cupholders, which are hidden within the central armrest. A push in fully reveals them, with another push in hiding one of them, while a third push in will make them completely go into hiding again.

The window switches are above, but there’s only two of them, with a capacitive button allowing you to map them to the rear doors instead. I wish there were four separate controls instead, but you can’t have it all, I guess.

2025 Volvo CX30 2025 Volvo CX30

Separate capacitive buttons are used for unlocking and locking the vehicle. They too are a little hit and miss when used.

The glovebox is centrally located for better packaging between left- and right-hand-drive configurations, but it can only be opened via a dedicated button on the central touchscreen. Why isn’t there a handle to pull instead? Either way, this storage area is oddly shaped but large enough for the driver’s manual and some other bits and bobs.

While we’re on the topic of the central touchscreen, I’ve already covered some of my gripes with it in part one of this EV Guide long-term review, but while the Google Android Automotive multimedia system that powers it is very slick, it has some very annoying user interface (UI) quirks, chief of which is the large parking-sensor pop-up that cannot be dismissed when triggered. It means not being able to operate a very important chunk of the display. Point being, you can forget about being able to control Google Maps and other key functions. Please fix this, Volvo!

2025 Volvo CX30 2025 Volvo CX30

The front door pockets can accommodate a couple of regular bottles each – but not large ones. They are nicely lined with the aforementioned cloth upholstery, though, which helps to stop items from rattling around.

In terms of miscellaneous thoughts in the first row, the indicator stalk doesn’t hold position when indicating left or right, making it harder than it needs to be to do so, let alone disengage when need be. There’s also no sunglasses holder or illumination for the vanity mirrors. Both are a bit of a shame.

In the second row, the door bins aren’t even large enough for any bottles, a problem that’s made worse by the fact that there’s no fold-down centre armrest with cupholders.

2025 Volvo CX30 2025 Volvo CX30

Rear occupants do, however, get dedicated window switches at the rear of the centre console, flanked by two USB-C ports.

There’s also a surprisingly deep but not tall storage space below, with the much larger cavity further below including a removable tray.

Speaking of trays, there are two more open ones on the sides of the outboard seats, although I’m not sure what you’d use them for other than a place to chuck coins or the like – yes, physical money, I know.

2025 Volvo CX30 2025 Volvo CX30

There’s a very small central tunnel, meaning the floor is otherwise flat, which is always good news for feet. Speaking of which, toe-room is decent behind my 182cm driving position, as is legroom, with about an inch on offer. But the downside is that your knees end up being quite high due to the raising of the floor to accommodate the battery pack.

That said, I do get two inches of headroom. But it’s worth noting that the EX30 is really more of a four-seater, as the fifth seat is really only for emergencies. You have to really dislike someone to ask them to sit in the middle. And that’s before you even consider the plight of the flanking passengers.

  • 2025 Volvo CX30 I Seats 2025 Volvo CX30 I Seats
  • 2025 Volvo CX30 I Seats 2025 Volvo CX30 I Seats

Despite this, three top-tether and two ISOFIX anchorage points are on offer for fitting child seats. While I haven’t tested this personally, it’s safe to assume that there will be challenges doing so, so I would highly recommend testing it out yourself with your own equipment if need be.

In the boot, a modest 318L of storage capacity is on offer, with that volume expanding to 904L when the 60/40 split-fold rear bench is stowed, an action that’s easy to do from behind thanks to the easy-to-reach manual release latches. When configured as such, the boot floor remains flat so long as the false floor is in place.

Speaking of the false floor, the space below it is nicely packaged, allowing you enough space to not only store the charging cables but also the parcel shelf when not in use. Very nice.

  • 2025 Volvo CX30 I Boot 2025 Volvo CX30 I Boot
  • 2025 Volvo CX30 I Boot 2025 Volvo CX30 I Boot

Elsewhere, you get four tie-down points and two bag hooks. You are also treated to a 12V power outlet, but a higher-output vehicle-to-load (V2L) option is sadly missing in action. Also on the wish list is a vehicle locking control for the power tailgate. As it stands there’s only one button for closing.

Being an EV, the EX30 also has a frunk with 7L of storage capacity. While relatively small, it’s a useful thing to have on hand – and shockingly not all EVs offer one. It is opened via a latch in the driver’s footwell. It’d be nice to have a dedicated button on the key fob or even on the central touchscreen.

Efficiency games 2.0

In my second month of ‘owning’ the EX30 Twin Motor Performance Ultra, my energy consumption averaged out at a very familiar 17.9kWh/100km, this time over 739km of driving, most of which took place within the confines of the urban jungle, a little of which was spent hauling around payloads up to 600kg (hello, Bunnings).

Factoring in the EX30’s battery pack’s useable capacity of 64kWh, that equates to a real-world driving range of 358km, which is once again 20 per cent short of the WLTP claim. Like I said last time, that’s not a bad result given my heavy right foot. But I’ll have to be gentler next month!

Speaking of which, in the upcoming third and final part of this EV Guide long-term review, I’ll finally share my driving impressions of and deliver my final verdict on the EX30 Twin Motor Performance Ultra. Until next time!

 

Acquired: October 28, 2024

Distance travelled this month: 739km

Odometer: 7190km

Average energy consumption this month: 17.9kWh/100km

$66,290 - $80,819

Based on 5 car listings in the last 6 months

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