The cheeky and chirpy Volvo EX30 is a creative, compact crossover that lives up to its city-car credentials.
The Swedish philosophy of “lagom” places an emphasis on balance, harmony and finesse in design.
In other words, "lagom" embodies the Goldilocks Principle of “just right”.
With the compact Volvo EX30, this concept of “just right” isn’t just limited to the electric city crossover’s form, but also extends to its functions.
More intriguingly enough, its holistic motoring experience even spreads to the driver and its occupants, as it inculcates a calm, Zen-like approach to driving where everyone actually enjoys the commute.
See also: Cupra Tavascan VZ Drive Review : Rebel Rouser
The EX30 may have been launched in Singapore almost a year ago, but we’re only getting our hands on the brand’s best-selling compact crossover now. And as they say, it’s better late than never.
See also: Audi A5 advanced TFSI 150 kW Drive Review : Familiar Favourite
By this writer’s reckoning, if ever there was a current model that best embodies Volvo’s Nordic chic philosophy, it has got to be the EX30 city-car.
A city-car is more than just a compact car, because it is all about intelligent cabin packaging to create a compelling car for the urban jungle that offers larger-than-life function to accommodate up to five occupants and their shopping.
Furthermore, these cheeky cherubs have to be agile and adroit at navigating narrow city streets, where there’s an emphasis on the low- to the mid-range over outright speed.
Most importantly, city-cars are also defined by an effortless cool, and because they don’t try-too-hard to impress (and yet they do!), they manage to surpass the masses of “pick-me” candidates.
For more lifestyle, arts and fashion trends, click here for Options Section
In keeping with the legacy of iconic city-cars such as the original Mini, Beetle and 500 (pictured above), the latter-day incarnations of such cars have to be spunky and funky enough to spark joy in the drudgery of the daily drive.
The Japanese brands too, have turned their diminutive kei-cars (a class of city-cars in Japan) into a masterclass of interior packaging, where panache and practicality intersect in a creative manner to make sense of the limited cabin space.
From the more recent electrified genre, there have been the odd gems amongst the masses of homogeneous models, with the BMW i3 and Honda e hatchbacks proudly flying the city-car banner under which the Volvo EX30 now operates.
Visually, the EX30 wears the modern Volvo aesthetic cues, including the stylised Mjölnir head-light elements.
Beyond its distinct light signature, the EX30’s design boasts classic city-car proportions with characteristic minimal overhangs, as the 19-inch wheels are pushed out to all four corners to maximise cabin room.
The coherent brand identity transcends the badge on its nose, which also means you can park the entire Volvo range together and see that they are related.
Now, you can’t say this for some of the new EV entrants to Singapore, but it also depends on whether you regard such vehicles as cars, or gadgets.
We like how the well-balanced EX30 is engineered for a broad spectrum of motorists to be able to get in and drive without much fuss. There’s no barrage of features and functions to fuss and fiddle with, and the car is ready to go when you are.
Besides, it’s enjoyable discovering the car’s various features, and it isn’t frustrating like some of the other contenders in the market.
Moreover, unlike some of the other ICE-derived EVs on the market, the EX30 is built on a bespoke EV platform, and even powers on the moment you strap in and depress the brake pedal.
The EX30 unlocks and awakens to life with a glittering razzle-dazzle of its “Hammer of Thor” head- and tail-lights as the key-holder approaches.
With its gorgeous baby blue seats, the airy cabin is a stellar example of contemporary Nordic charm and features all the ingredients for a rolling good time.
The EX30 boasts a humongous panoramic roof, fuss-free minimalist styling, quirky Easter eggs and a speckled finish (inspired by the starry Scandinavian winter sky) that tastefully elevates the sustainable materials used.
Apart from pairing our phone’s Spotify playlist with the car, the other feature we selected was “One Pedal Drive”, something we feel is an integral element in every EV’s drive experience.
Smooth one-pedal driving by using an EV’s brake regeneration requires finesse and anticipation. All of this can all be achieved with a little practice and becomes second nature very quickly, so this says a lot about the drivers who never learn to do it properly.
Besides, if you don't even "one-pedal", are you even living the EV life?
Thanks to the calm and unstressed motoring experience, driving the EX30 is low in effort, but huge on fun.
Apart from sufficient accommodation for up to five occupants, there is a myriad of storage bins and charging points littered throughout the cabin in an intelligent application of “form following function”.
Best of all, these can be covered and concealed when not in use, (like the cupholders/smartphone holder that slides out from the centre armrest) which helps create an impression of space in the cabin.
We especially like the glovebox, which pops out from the centre of the dash for both driver and passenger to use. This makes a lot more sense to us than a conventional one for just the passenger.
The EX30’s excellent driver ergonomics allow quick access to the car’s features via the 12.3-inch touchscreen and a column-mounted transmission shifter. There’s also great visibility all-round, which allows the enthusiastic driver to place the car accurately.
There’s a quality to the materials used and finish that is indubitably Volvo, and this continuity and pedigree is something we appreciate about legacy brands.
It is also refreshing that the single-motor EX30 never pretends to be anything other than a competent city-car. Even so, there’s a verve to its rear-drive dynamics that puts a twinkle in this enthusiast’s eye.
With a 0-100km/h time of 5.3secs, it will even muster a formidable punch from standstill to keep some sportscars honest, and yet it’s not so powerful as to make you worry for your driving licence.
The EX30 may be content to cruise sedately in the CBD for the most part, but when ragebaited, can hit hard with a punch that is more boisterous than beige.
Thankfully, Volvo never tries to tout the EX30 as a performance machine. Because of this, the ride quality and occupant comfort is engineered to be composed and holistically damped, and doesn’t degenerate into jarring or crashy over poor surfaces.
ICE and electrified models by a legacy brand like Volvo inherit its respective pedigree and design language, which is a refreshing contrast from the brands that lead only with technology and a cheap sticker price.
In the realm of EVs, folks are too fixated on specifications and tend to miss the forest for the trees. Every new EV will be better, faster, charge quicker, travel further, so buy what you need, when you need and at a depreciation you can stomach.
Given the relative price of smart gadgets versus COE/tax-loaded EVs, chasing the latest technology isn’t as fulfilling for the wallet for the latter in the Singapore context, especially considering an EV’s shelf-life and potential residual values.
One can never keep up with the pace of technology, and it is technology that takes the lead for many EVs, which is why some enthusiasts regard them as appliances first, automobiles second. A coherent brand identity and design continuity are exactly why electrified cars from the legacy brands still hold an appeal for car enthusiasts.
So despite its one-plus year tenure on the market (arguably a lifetime in tech), there’s an evergreen quality to the EX30 such that it never feels outdated. The vivacious Volvo is a fun and emotionally-charged electric city-car that slaps hard in terms of soft skills.
We certainly see the lifestyle cachet of the EX30 appealing not just to new drivers and young couples, but also to empty nesters who appreciate the brand’s legacy and the compact crossover’s minimalist cheek.
Volvo EX30 Single Motor Extended Range
Battery 69kWh, NMC
Power 272hp
Torque 343Nm
0-100km/h 5.3secs
Top Speed 180km/h
Range ~475km (combined)
