NEW Volvo EX30 review - best new EV? | What Car?
#WhatCar #VolvoEX30 #Smart1
In this new Volvo EX30 review we tell you everything you need to know about Volvo's new fully electric SUV.
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Video chapters:
0:00 Volvo’s new EV
1:08 The new tech
2:20 Interior review
3:43 How to open the EX30
4:21 Minimalist or cheap?
5:32 Interior quality
6:58 Storage
7:29 Rear seats
8:49 Boot space and practicality
10:59 Batteries and range
12:03 Driving impressions
13:40 Charging speeds
14:11 Performance
15:41 Pricing and trims
17:03 Verdict and outro
It has amazed me that car manufacturers, put big touch screens, that control absolutely everything in these cars. If police catch you sending texts on your phone, you are in big trouble. Yet it seems perfectly fine to try and navigate your way through an iPad type device. You even have to take your eyes off the road to see if you are breaking the speed limit. Who the hell thinks this is a good idea? 😂
My old citroen picasso had a central speedo years ago! And you dont need to touch the screen very often at all.
@@julianguffogg Yes, but that Speedo in the Picasso is at eyelevel. You have to look down and to the side in this Volvo. You literally have to take your eyes off the road.
You take your eyes off the road now to see if you are breaking the speed limit unless you have a HUD
In a 1959 Mini or indeed a Morris Minor you had to take your eyes off the road to see the speed. People managed. And this Volvo has voice control for many functions. I suspect you might just be able to get used to most things. Maybe not the dopey electronic latch for the glovebox, but most things.
@@androo4519 Just because they had it before, doesn’t make it a good idea. Obviously people managed, but I also wonder how many people had accidents checking their speed, instead of looking at the road.
One of the best reviews on this car, he did mention all models come with a heat pump.. Overall a lot of good information.
Which is not the case, varies by market. Option 1: heat pump only in Ultra version. Option 2: heat pump only in extended range and twin motors regardless of trim (even in Core). We have this latter case in Hungary.
Nice graphics with explanation of range and capacity. Other channels could learn from you.
According to Volvo website Heat pump is only available in the higher spec ex30 which is the Ultra (£42,045) 🙄
I was told by a Volvo salesperson two months ago that only the top of the range model came with a heat pump and that specifying one on other models was not possible. He was quoting Volvo literature. It makes a lot of sense that all cars should have a heat pump, particularly in Northern Europe. Perhaps Volvo have listened to customer feed back.
The website still shows heat pump only on the top range spec.. Who to believe eh? It would be very poor range on the smaller battery in colder weather without one.
The extended range versions some with a heat pump
Thanks for a good and detailed review. However, I don't like piano varnish..! The plastic used in the inner ear looks nice, but in the long run I am afraid that the fine surface will not hold up nicely!!? Nice detail with the speakers in the front!! Nice that there are stalks for turn signals and high and low beam.!!
nice and the Mose lo I was wondering how you was going to fit one
Excellent concise review , thanks
Looks like Tesla is setting the example for lots of these design choices (for better or worse): 1. No driver display. Everything is controlled via touchscreen. 2. No physical glovebox button. 3. Instead of key fob, you get a key card. 4. No start/stop button which I love TBH.
The last two are fine by me, but the first one made me drop waiting for the local dealer to get this in so I could test drive it and go for something else instead.
welcome to the future maybe? lol
@@BlackPawGaming does the future need to be worse for driver attention?
Yeah, but only 4. of those make sense to me.
The first one is the biggest minus for the car which is otherwise really nice, small EV
Can't wait to get this in my garage! Perfect city car for KC. 😍
Looks clean, I like it. Good for Volvo beautiful car at a reasonable price for an ev
Would love to know how many people have actually lived with a Tesla Model 3/Y before complaining about the speed location. I find, at least, that it's actually a much better driving experience having the dash so low and such a great view to the outside with speed still in your view. Though the location does look further from the driver's eyeline in the EX30, I really don't think it's an issue at all. Same for screen controls, I find the Tesla's screen is much, MUCH easier to control than our other Citroen e-C4 where its buttons are all over the place in the cabin. Obviously it's down to the driver, but I'd stress people should actually live with a car's set-up before complaining about it. EX30 looks like an awesome car, look forward to trying one out.
Very fair, people complaining about altering the wing mirrors through the screen! Who is altering wing mirrors when moving?!
I have to agree especially as I'm tall. With a normal speedo I could never see the speedo from 40 plus mph cos its blocked by the steering wheel! Now I know in a millisecond
Agreed - it's reallya no issue if you have a Tesla for more than a week I'd say. Of course a HUD would be nice, but it feels the same as a normal instrument cluster with regard to how far I'm looking away
It's not the fabulous C30 follow up that we need, but this is still a very reasonable size for the majority of people's use cases. I'm actually very surprised that they bothered to keep physical door handles.
The C30 is not being replaced.
@@siphonsnob don't remind me. 💔
If this were a true Swedish Volvo there'd be a HUD and proper buttons to press...having to take ones eyes off the road is just dangerous. Volvo's Chinese owners seem unaware of this.
Volvo's Chinese owners don't care. It is exactly the same in the new closely-related Smart #1.
Tesla has the same too
Exactly....just a case of design(or lack of it) over function ....and safety..😢@@derekchen7855
On the configurator heat pump is only mentioned in Ultra trim
That's too bad , seems like tesla is still best choice no matter how you slice ut, heat pump is a must, in my opinion.
Nice car. Informative presentation.
Can you confirm heat pump a Volvo UK site says heat pump is only available on the Ultra spec
This the car for me atleast when I upgrade the interior to the max and also got the extended range option to. Love the car got it last week. And what a performance and a masterpiece of design✔️
Most people are right-handed so here in the UK and a few other places, the infotainment system has to be operated using our left hand. It's a good job the car has an anti-collision system because owners going to need them.
So how is that different to anything else in the past, we've always used our left hand for controls
Great review mate
I have not seen any research that the subtraction of the driver display behind the wheel reduces safety. Ideally the driver's eyes are always toward the road. The touchscreen is positioned higher toward the front windshield than what a standard infotainment screen. Will have to drive this soon to see how it feels!
There is only one pure ev to buy in the uk.... The one with a supercharger network...
Thanks from Mel in Swansea, Wales. Our new EX30 arrives in 3/4weeks time.
lack of buttons has already shown to deter customers...
Because people hate change.
@@chags3512Change for changes sake isn't always good.
On the otherhand, the car remebers your settings and you can talk to it to adjust most of the features. Younger people used to tech everywhere will have no problem with the sparse interior with few buttons. It's the future 🤖
Why?
Excellent precise review. Well done!!
Cheap?
£33,000 - think my car buying days are over...who is paying this much!
When's the last time you could buy a Volvo for £33k?
Eh!? For the type of car, spec, performance etc that’s cracking value in current times.
It is, but that's like saying "Rolexes can be bought for less than 12k now! Cracking value!" it doesn't negate the fact most people cannot afford this car. You're looking at £450-£550 a month just for the PCP. If this is the standard, very few people will be going for new cars in the next 5 years. This hikes demand for used cars and increase their prices, which means eventually nobody earning less than £50k will be able to afford a car.@@DeanoEV60
When they're on a leasing deal, the full asking price doesn't register for most people. They just see a monthly cost they can afford and ignore the true cost. It's only those of a certain generation that save the money and stump up the full cash and see £33K as an outrage.
I bought many Volvos on PCP and previously HP. I dont recall paying over £25,000 for a small car like this. I like Volvo's but the prices seem to me to be crazy. I think I need a time machine to go back to the 2000's! (This, of course, is jeaoulsy as I just cannot fathom modern car prices).
Seen them in shopping centers along with the hybrid model they look great.
Absolutely great presentation man ! Good job. Great looking car, that doesn't come cheap and heaving everything controlled by a central screen and no screen for the driver, is a big NO for me!
The HK soundbar is available on the upper trims. What does Volvo give at the entry level though? What other sacrifices does a buyer have to make when buying the cheapest variant?
Quite some: pilot assist, front and side parking sensors, electric tailgate, wireless phone charger, 2-zone AC, dimming mirrors, electric lumbar support in front seat, dual tone paint, and some more.
A fan of the EX30 design and offering but just BEWARE that the cheapest version does NOT have a HEAT PUMP so expect to have at least a 30% reduction of the range when running in colder climates, which is very poor considering the max range is 209 miles!!! So getting only around 140mile range for a £33k electric vehicle is shocking and no excuse and heat pumps should be standard on all EVs.
If you like Google integration and the software, then you have to mention that you can control everything via Google Assistant. So the lack of physical buttons is not a big disadvantage as you say it is. Still, I personally like EX40 because the interior is more practical, the infotainment was updated last year and google integration is the same as in the EX30.
I hoped you'd cover the safety features!
Vauxhall must be wondering if they'll sell another electric Astra after seeing this.
This is a great review. I have one on order….However I hate that speckled design in the interior…you seen different vehicles…Is the darker one the vapor grey? And is that with wool interior?
The speckled design is absolutely garbage. Also the lack of a driving display is a big loss for this model
Yes, the Twin model in the video is the standard Vapor Grey with the most expensive Mist (wool) interior. If you hate the speckled interior desing (me too), then good news, it's optional and even Core versions have something different (Indigo blue), while for the price of the speckled you can choose Pine seat color with the same plastics design as in teh Twin model in the video (or Mist/wool seat but it's more expensive).
@@Zuzoz what would your pic be?
@@robc7563 given that the Mist/wool version is not only more expensive than others, but also only available with the highly priced Ultra trim (plus considering I find the standard interior too dark), I would definitely choose Pine seats, coming with light color plastic decor.
@@Zuzoz thank you appreciate it
Why do people care about the dashboard being soft? You're not supposed to be resting on it
The windows, the way the key works, the interface all over makes this car a nightmare. Thanks... I was interested until I saw this video
This car may not be a model Y, but is certainly an attractive choice! The price is very appealing. For city commuters this is perfect.
Except the low price means only slightly more than 200 miles range. This is very much at the low end these days. So it's not quite as good as it seems, unfortunately.
They are different segments; the EX30 is a B-segment crossover (AKA a “supermini” or “subcompact” car) and the TMY is a D-segment crossover, i.e. a much bigger car designed for a different demographic, e.g. families, especially families with older children or teenagers.
This video says the heat pump is standard, the Volvo website says different
why do you never review the sound system?
All that power is ludicrous in an age of speed limits being reduced and effectively policed. I like power but these days I'm thinking something that feels good at low speeds a better option. There's also the problem than in general EVs seem quite expensive to insure so making them Ferrari fast in terms of acceleration probably means the high performance models will be rare and fast depreciating too. Having said that the EX30 does look like an attractive option.
Yeah this is a fair point, on one hand the car will alert you the second the car goes over the speed limit on the other hand they give it ridiculous power
No HVAC buttons make this a no-buy.
in my 20 years of driving, I just turn on my Car A/C and it stay like that until my car stops at destination.... I adjust my a/c speed like less than 10 times in all those years. :D
@@BlackPawGaming Can't easily do that living in Northern Europe, where Volvo will want to be selling most of these.
Great review
Any comment on the audio experience in the car?
Interestingly, the Swedish number of the car at 12:42 is no longer valid from 2019 (all registrations numbers have now XXX00X - 3 letters, 2 digits, one letter)
Wrong. Old plates are still assigned to new cars when old ones with that number are scrapped. I also think the MLB plates are always used by volvo test cars.
A very different review than Autocar, they really didn't like the centre screen and how everything is controlled through it.For me its a deal breaker when the new citroen eC3 will cost around 22K.
It is indeed a concern for many who are not familiar with voice control. I have to say that the Google integrated system works really really well (I tried). You can adjust basically every setting via voice command, eyes always on the road, so it's even safer than having physical buttons. Some people, of course, are not used to speaking to a car and find it strange.
I was thinking I would hate it but tried it today and it’s really fantastic. The stuff that you need to do going through the screen is not stuff you need to do while driving. To my surprise!
Just been to see this car at the reveal event. I drive a cupra born, the outside of the ex30 looks bigger and more chunky but the inside is much smaller! Felt very packed in, tight feeling. Rear seats are very low, my knees were up really high. Everything felt good and solid but textures lacked a quality feel compared to a couple of rental XC60's i've had in the past. The single screen was just too busy, tiny option button options. The boot is small, much smaller than my Born. Fiesta size inside. I was expecting to love and order one of these today from seeing pictures and reviews, but it took me less than 7 minutes to decide nah and leave. I have a feeling I am the 1 in a 100 that doesn't like it. The sales people all looked shocked as me and the missus walked straight out 😖I've had an ID3 and Born and you look at it and think small, sit in it feels bigger. The EX30 is the reserve, looks big and chunky get in and feels small, even the glass roof didn't remove the feeling of being packed in.
Surely the XC40 Electric is the natural competitor to the Cupra/ID3?
Amazing design and drive experience but only one screen for everything (a.c, speed rate, media, etc.) is impractical and crazy. Doesn't worth for minimalist interiors.
Speedo on the touch screen with voice control by the wife telling me I'm going too fast again. Erm, no thanks.
Why is the hood so long ?
Good review. I have a Chevy Bolt EUV which I like. The ex30 would be a potential upgrade for me, except for the lack of buttons and driver display; the lack thereof is a deal--breaker for me.
The google assistant is amazing! It controls everything and touching the screen isn’t very necessary
Agree, I won’t be buying for same reasons you mention
Does it do V2G? Minimalist saves £
It is a joke to stick that Swedish flag in the car. Where is the Chinese flag?
Dashboard looks like someone's flick a paint brush. Still a nice looking car.
Hospital toilet floor.
Yep that particular finish is the least desirable for sure, nicer looking cloth trim choices that don't cost more look way nicer.
Not on the inside!
@@vollers999 I think that's a matter of opinion. I like both the speckled material and the flax cloth.
Looks like a great car!
Looking at the Volvo website, I don’t think a Heat Pump comes with the Plus version, only with the Ultra version?
Heat pump in the UK is standard on all with the extended battery. You can't get a heat pump on the standard battery. This may change in the future?
@@darrendavies1208 Great, thanks. The Volvo website under ‘shop’ shows the heat pump under the ‘Ultra’ trim only, costing £42k+ - the extended range is £38k+ - great if it includes a heat pump.👍
What happens if the iPad is non functional or cracked following an impact? Car becomes non operational?
Good review, lots of minor negatives raised, adds up to a No for me, which I needed to know
Looks good and I am tempted, but will my Cocker Spaniel fit in the boot ok - anyone out there tested for dogs. Thanks
The heatpump doesn’t come on all models unfortunately. The LFP model doesn’t have it.
That's a shame. Range in winter will be low on the LFP model.
The interior isn’t quite the most interesting, which is a shame. It’s not minimalism, it’s cost savings really. That trend of having absolutely everything on a screen is unsafe while driving. It’s far from a luxury interior like Mercedes-Benz does. The exterior design looks good though.
Doug - would be good if you could start mentioning when cars have or don't have rear air vents. VERY important for dog owners, and many child owners too :)
Tesla has rear vents. Also A/C in rear. We have a Jack Russell. Tesla 'dog mode' has been absolutely brilliant.
It has rear vents, but they are under the front seats. You can’t redirect them at all. (My current Honda has similar rear vents)
This is a winner!
Hot hatch yes. But I don't see the need to call this an SUV, (probably a marketing decision?)
I'd have to see this in person first before reserving anything, as too much hard recycled ♻️ plastics are present.
That hidden tray looks really shallow. It looks like it could only hold pencils.
When you state 49KWH useable capacity you are putting a number out there that other reviewers aren't using in isolation from total battery size. Therefore people leave this review with a smaller number for battery comparison than they should
Someone actually and unironically saying "smart hashtag one" is remarkably grating. Regardless--companies going for the 'Tesla' look (read: the hideous, plasticky cheapness that generates the most criticism of Teslas) isn't exactly a selling point. If you're forking out tens of thousands of pounds for a car, why would you settle for a car with the interior of a glorified Fiesta?
I really wanted to like this car, but the lack of practical functionality for driver controls, and the cramped back seat make it a no-go for me. I do not understand why car manufacturers are moving away from buttons. You don't need a whole lot, just hazards, volume dial, heating/cooling. If your designers know intuitive design, this can literally be 3 buttons and two dials. I know they're trying to cut costs, but I seriously doubt this ramps up productions costs that much, especially if they're physical buttons but only work digitally. The money they saved by removing the buttons could have been used to implement a HUD, but I guess that's still reducing profit margins for them. I'd rather pay £1000 more for a few buttons.
Having a driver display should be law. These cost cutting measures are getting out of hand.
Odd nobody complained in 1959 when the Mini had only a speedo in the centre of the dash. Surely it's just a matter of training your glance.
Oh god imagine having to glance slightly to the left instead of slightly down
@androo4519 there's a reason it didn't become the norm.
Interesting how What Car’s sister publication Autocar have the verdict ‘don’t buy’ on this car, on account of the touchscreen controls that they say are unsafe to use whilst driving
Heat pump is NOT standard on base model, according to other reviewers. Probably should be standard, but it's another way they save on production costs. It will be standard in USA, because they're not bringing the base model here at all(??)
Base model is available in the Netherlands and it is without heat pomp
Smart looking, but still not sold on it over the KONA.
Has some pros and cons but indeed the Kona is significantly more spacious and better packed with extras for a slightly lower price. On the other hand, the Volvo looks great while the Kona is "exotic" to say the least, the the EX30 is much more agile/faster.
And in two years time it will be worth half as much, don’t fancy £20000.00 loss over that period!
I really lov ethe design but i hate those minimalistic trends, it should have an instrument cluster display.
Air con on how far. What about the music system how far when turned on
None of the reviewers of this car have mentioned voice control. Can the driver not simply say Hey Google, set the temperature to 22 degrees. Does anyone know?
Yes, one reviewer demonstrated the voice control thru Google for the AC and it worked perfectly.
Cheap and basic inside but still very expensive for a small BEV and everything on the tablet is a driving safety hazard !! When will manufacturers actually learn?
Any complaints with the screen can be handled with an over-the-air update. Any issues with a physical button, you have to take the car into the garage. I'm alright with the screen.
If the screen goes wrong then you’re totally stuffed!
what if your battery had died on your phone.. no entry into the car!
IF VOLVO releases the $35k version in the US and it’s the 150 miles range they will be nuking any good will they may have had for any customers! That would be a BAD idea!!
I was already to order until I found out about the boot size, may have to look elsewhere 😢
I think you're looking for the wrong type of car if you are looking for boot space
You don’t set features while driving. Everything should be set on the first day you got your car.
"So.. what is there to show you in the interior..." almost nothing at all, apparently.
It also means that Google is constantly listening to you.
really annoying because there's so much i love and so much i hate about this car
Nice but cramped in the back and the MG4 XPower is just £36,000.
Both Chinese made too
I'm sorry but those drivers window switches are crap! Why have they given the most drivers/front storage to the rear passengers? Why does such a small car have a motorised opener? Too much power on the AWD if it isnt going to handle well? Perhaps a head up display might have sold this car better?
lets not call it SUV, its a hatchback.
Quite interested at first when the price for the base model came out and it is a good looking car, but interest waned rapidly when the details became clear. Simple heat adjustments only through touch screen, mirrors the same. The excessive power for the base model is unnecessary and likely to push up insurance costs for owners. Not much space in the rear, boot quite small, a sliding rear seat, like its counterpart, the Smart#1, would have compensated somewhat for that, when not carrying passengersin the back. No heat pump on the base model. A parts bin special from China with a Volvo badge on the front. It can tow though, so thats good. Love the looks, but it goes downhill after that.
Made and developed in China.
same as 90% of any vehicles. what is the point.
@@BlackPawGaming 90% made and developed in China?
@@BlackPawGaming Wrong!
No excuse for buttons to be too small, sack the tester at VOLVO who signed them off.
34k is not cheap. 34k can get you a proper used normal car that can be repaired just about anywhere. This is small, hardly a family car especially in the rear seats, hence the "cheap".
Dash look like hospital spec Lino.
I honestly do not understanding the thinking behind not having a driver display in direct eye line? Its completely putting me off, otherwise it would be really good option for me.
Tesla sold close to 2.000.000 cars with a screen in the middle and no driver display.... My 23 Corvette C8 HTC has a steering wheel that is no round, and I love it. Tesla has a Yoke steering wheel available for several models. This is not an SUV, it is pretty much the dimensions of a VW Golf GTI, so think about it as a hatchback. You are getting a 3.4 seconds AWD car for under 40K Dollars Fit and finish of the car is superior to Tesla Volvo voice control works great (at least it did on rental XC 40) There will be aftermarket plug and play screen displays, as they are for Tesla and other EV's. Usually they are not expensive and they are not hard to install. 4 years 50K miles warranty..... For $2500 you can get an extended 10 year warranty ($250 deductible). 8 Years 100k miles battery warranty Volvo safety After a lot of research and seriously considering other cars as my daily drivers, placed the $500 deposit today.
No speedo in front of sterring is deal breaker... also you are a bit wrong with its cheaper to make door without bottoms.. there stille need to be a wireharness in the door. so the price is NOt really cheaper for them to make.. there is door motor for windows, also wire for locks, and maybe some sensores and handel heaters as well so remove the panel bottoms is NOT a cheaper thing to make.
Volvo or Polestar not more than Chinese toy , i have a 2022 electric Volvo with lot of problem , fail battery ( under warranty ) noisy electric motor , underneath rust , leak water inside like a pool , next time i will buy a Chinese car for half price
Subtítulos en español por favor
Telling its designed in sweden But build in China, makes it chinese imo
It's designed in Sweden and built in Belgium as a matter of fact.
I see the whole screen vs button argument as when the transition from keyboard cell phones to all touchscreen in the early 2000s. In the beginning people hated it and said it was a stupid idea and look where we are now. I think as tech gets better we won't need physical buttons with good voice commands and intelligent systems that work at least 99% of the time means eyes are on the road and not fiddling with a screen or knobs.
Try adjusting stuff through your touchscreen while trying to keep your eyes on the road on a bumpy, twisty road, or in heavy traffic. You have to take your eyes off the road to look at the screen to see if the adjustment occurred. Voice control? Tester didn't mention it once. Again, because of the uncertainty of whether any adjustment you sought has actually happened, you'll have to look at the screen to confirm. Whereas, a physical knob or slider you can find without having to take your eyes off the road is simple to adjust, you can physically feel the adjustment being made, and if the adjustment isn't quite right the 1st time, it's quick and easy to re-adjust. Obviously they took their cues for this centralised control from my 2013 Dacia Sandero whose window and mirror controls are all on the dash. Inspiration for centralised control probably also came from the Chinese Centralised Control Party, the overlords of Volvo😂
I did see another video and voice commands thru Google worked fine, the reviewer asked to turn on the AC while driving and even adjust the fan speed.@@francisdoran971