New Volvo electric SUV undercuts Corsa

OFFICIAL All-new EX30 offers a premium cabin, recycled materials and a range of up to 300 miles, at a price that's less than an electric supermini's

- John Mcllroy

 

Orders for EX30 are open now, starting from £33,795 

Two or four-wheel drive offered, 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds

AE electric by the middle of this decade and this pint-sized SUV will play a major part. Called the EX30, it's on sale now and due to land in UK showrooms in the autumn.

The Swedish brand hopes that the car will attract former V40 owners who went to other manufacturers, as well as younger 'Gen Z' buyers and even older customers who want to downsize from models such as the XC60 and XC40.

The EX30 is Volvo's smallest SUV ever, and it draws heavily on technology developed by its parent company, Chinese conglomerate Geely. The car uses its Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA), a platform that also underpins the recently launched Smart #1.

Volvo's offering is 4.23 metres making it the most compact EV available from any of the recognised 'premium' brands. It's almost 30cm shorter than the Audi Q4 e-tron, for example, and nearly 25cm shorter than both Mercedes's EQA and Lexus's UX 300e. Its natural rival could be the all-electric version of the next MINI Countryman, although even that car is set for a growth spurt that will take it beyond the EX30's size.The SEA platform has been designed from the ground up for all-electric vehicles, and that means the Volvo's wheelbase is 2,650mm. This is only five centimetres shorter than that of the considerably larger (but combustion-based) XC40. The EX30's styling is unmistakably Volvo, with a further evolution of the firm's trademark 'Thor's hammer' lighting signature and an upright stance, complete with very short overhangs and a near-vertical rear glass area, which gives the EX30 a chunky look.