Believe it or not, there was a time Volvo was the top-selling luxury automaker in the country. For those born in the 2000s, it might sound far fetched, but these Swedish cars were outselling BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
Today, Volvo’s hanging in there, albeit it’s not exactly the top of mind choice for many. The thing is, the brand has some rabid fans out there, and perhaps some of the most loyal ones. Those who have owned them swear by them, at least for the most part.
Also, Volvo is dead set on nailing its electrification targets, boldly stating that all its vehicles will be electrified before the end of the decade. On that part, they’ve nailed it already. Now comes the bigger challenge: full electric vehicles.
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That brings us neatly to the Volvo EX30. While Volvo has released electric cars before, this model is the company’s first true mainstream EV model. It’s received praise in Europe, but we’re curious if the acclaim applies in a local setting. More importantly, we wonder if it has the potential to attract not just new customers to the brand, but the traditionalists as well.
Styling
It’s nice to see Volvo going back to its boxy, angular roots. Okay, it’s not as angular as its models from the past, but the EX30 has a great blend of classic cues and modern touches. There’s no grille as it’s an EV, but the Volvo badge with the strikethrough is still there.
Truth be told, the look is refreshing as we live in an era of, frankly, overdesigned cars. No crazy and whacky angles here. Just clean, simple lines with no fuss. We’re also glad to see vertical tail lights at the back. If it didn’t, it shouldn’t even be badged as a Volvo.
While the company calls it a crossover, it’s more like a wagon on stilts for us. That’s not a bad thing at all. After all, Volvo is best known for stations wagons, so it’s rather ironic that we don’t get any of them locally. But we digress.
All in all, the EX30 is unmistakably Volvo for all the right reasons.
Interior
Technophobes, look away. For those who like buttons and dials in their cars won’t like this car at all. If anything, it might be enough to put off potential customers. Instead, you get a gigantic vertical screen in the middle that controls almost everything. That’s no exaggeration, either.
Volvo’s quite proud of the fact that the cabin materials are all made from recycled materials. Unfortunately, it also feels like you’re touching said materials. While it doesn’t feel cheap per se, there is a fair presence of hard plastic in the cabin. We get that the company is proud of its sustainability efforts, but we wish it felt more, well, expensive.
But in terms of design, firm believers of minimalism will love it. Like the exterior, it’s clean, simple, and there’s no fuss or unnecessary details. We also like the airy feel of the cabin, as well as the smart storage solutions. We’re particularly fond of the front cupholders that can be neatly tucked away and can also double as an extra storage bin. We’d like a screen for the instrument cluster, though. While we’re at it, a cover for the panoramic glass roof would be handy.
One might notice that there are no window switches or speakers on the doors. Instead, you get a soundbar by the base of the windshield, while window controls are moved to the center console.
In terms of space, it’s generous at the front, but a touch on the tight side for taller folks at the back. Okay, they won’t be squeezed back there but it is noticeable cozy. However, the cargo capacity is pretty good for its size. Plus, there’s a false floor that drops down for extra space.
Performance
Volvo had accidentally made a hot hatch. The local EX30 may only be a one motor, but it makes 272hp and 323Nm. It might not sound like much in an age of 300hp+ sport compact cars, but the instant power delivery of electric powertrains means this thing can get off the line with authority.
The company claims that the EX30 can fling itself to 100kph in just 5.3 seconds. We say it’s believable, and it still pulls well even in motion. There’s bags of overtaking confidence and will never leave you hanging. But another thing that impressed us was the battery consumption.
Its electric drive system uses single motor that’s mounted at the back, making it rear wheel drive. It then has a battery size of 69kWh, pretty big for a car with a relatively small footprint.
For the power and performance that it gives, the observed consumption figure of 6.5km/kWh is good, even in heavy traffic. It’s actually close to Volvo’s claimed figure of 6.9km/kWh.
Ride and handling
The news gets even better as the EX30 is surprisingly fun to drive. It helps that it’s rear-wheel drive and it’s engaging and dynamic around the bends. Granted, most folks won’t care if it’s front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive, especially in the small EV crossover/mini-wagon segment, but it does show that Volvo cares about the driving experience. It’s a pleasure behind the wheel and the only thing that stops it from being a hot hatch of sorts is the light steering. It’s good for twirling around in tight spots, though.
There’s usually a tradeoff for sporty handling, and that’s a stiff ride. The EX30 does a fine job of stranding the line between comfort and performance. At low speeds, there is a hint of firmness but it won’t send shockwaves up your spine. At higher speeds, it smoothens out and turns into a pleasant cruiser.
Extra features
It’s a Volvo, so of course there’s a barrage of safety assists that come standard in the EX30. We’d list all of them down but this section might end up being longer than the entire review. To simplify, it has semi-autonomous driving capabilities, collision avoidance that tugs the steering when absolutely needed, road departure mitigation, and even a door open alert that warns occupants of any oncoming traffic.
And now, we get to the massive 12.3-inch tablet. When we say it houses all functions, we mean it. All driving-related such as the trip meter and efficiency are all there, and the speed is displayed on the upper left corner. Air-con controls are there, and even the side mirror adjustment that you then toggle with the steering wheel touchpad.
To be honest, we think there’s just too much going on there, and worse still, you can’t have trip and economy displayed at the same time as, say, Apple CarPlay. And did we mention you need to use the screen to override the automatic headlights? Yes, if you want to turn on the headlights manually, you’ll need to dig through some menus.
We ended up glancing and using the screen more often than we’d like. It makes think all of it would be avoided with the presence of some physical buttons. Worse still, the screen tells you to keep your eyes on the road, gaslighting you to a certain extent. Well, we’d be more focused if every basic function wasn’t placed there. It’s distracting, cumbersome to use, and frankly, spoils the driving experience.
And one last thing, there’s no smart key that unlocks the doors just by touching the handle. Instead, you need to take out a key card (like in a hotel) to unlock or lock the vehicle.
Verdict
There’s a lot to like about the EX30. It drives well, rides well, and reasonably practical for its size. At the same time, we’re smitten by its performance and amazed by its battery efficiency for the punch it pulls. To top it all off, it’s a looker that brings the best of Volvo into the electric age. But we struggle to get over the user experience on the inside.
Sure, the screen is meant to keep the cabin design clutter free, but it’s at the expense of ergonomics and ease of use. It’s ironic that Volvo used to be the masters of simplicity and ergonomics with logical placements of controls in the cabin.
We don’t mind quirks every now and then. If anything, it gives the car more personality. What we didn’t like is the overcomplicating of simple functions that could literally be solved by using a button, a switch, or a dial. You have to use the screen to open the glovebox for heaven’s sake.
To sum it all up, the EX30 is great to drive, but absolutely infuriating to use.
Specs: 2025 Volvo EX30 Extended Range RWD
Price: P2,990,000
Motor and battery: AC Permanent magnet motor, 69 kWh capacity
Power: 272hp
Torque: 323Nm
Transmission: Single-speed
Layout: Rear-wheel drive
Seating: 4
Score: 7/10
