Volvo EX30 Extended Range RWD Plus long-term test: EV’s space is starting to shine

Verdict

The EX30 is proof that to be successful, a family car must be more than just spacious. It also needs to use what space it has cleverly. In most ways, the EX30 hits the brief perfectly for us: it has enough space inside for us, is classy and good to drive. It’s only a software update away from filling in that missing half star above.

• Mileage: 2,079 miles
• Efficiency: 3.3 miles/kWh

When it comes to assessing a family car, one thing is paramount: practicality. And I’m delighted to say that the Volvo EX30 makes us a very happy family.

But practicality is about more than just space. Because, truth is, with just myself, my wife and our 11-year-old daughter to worry about, we don’t need a huge amount of room. We’re probably the ideal group for the Volvo: our daughter no longer needs a bulky child seat and we don’t have to carry the tons of kit a toddler needs. So, although the EX30 isn’t the most spacious car of its type, it suits us fine.

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That much was proved over the recent half-term break, when we drove up to visit friends in Northumberland. I’m more than six feet tall, but my wife and I were perfectly comfortable in the front, while our daughter had plenty of room in the back, even with the other half of the bench taken up by luggage.

Used - available now

2026 Volvo

Ex30

15,196 milesAutomaticElectric

Cash £26,900

View Ex30

2026 Volvo

Ex30

15,000 milesAutomaticElectric

Cash £21,999

View Ex30

That’s because we had to take a huge amount of stuff up north, including an inflatable double mattress and all the bedding to go with it. The boot was never going to cope with all that as well as our bags, so the surplus ended up alongside our daughter on the back seat.

However, what the boot lacks in sheer capacity, it makes up for in ease of use. Above all, it’s a nice square shape, which makes it easy to load and unload, and to make use of every one of its 318 litres. 

The removable boot floor is also handy – although I confess I’ve never actually taken it out. Instead, it has stayed in place and allowed us to pack smaller items (shoes, medical supplies and so on) safely out of the way, under the big bags without being squashed.

This good level of practicality was further demonstrated last month, while I continued to clear out my late parents’ house. I was able to take loads of furniture, electrical equipment and old storage units to recycling centres in London and Eastbourne.

Even with a fully laden car in cold weather, the 160-mile round trip to Sussex – much of which was on high-speed multi-lane roads – was comfortably within its real-world range of about 220 miles. Yet given that we’d managed the London-to-Northumberland trip with a single top-up en route, that was no surprise.

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As with so many tasks before, the way our Volvo dispatched this challenge was typical of how it has slipped effortlessly into our family life. It perfectly suits our regular blend of multiple short urban trips punctuated by occasional longer journeys. And while I know that having off-street parking and our own wallbox charger makes living with any electric vehicle easier, there are many appealing aspects unique to the Volvo.

For instance, we love the classy interior with its adjustable ambient lighting, the generally comfortable ride and decent performance – which, if I’m honest, is stronger than I ever need. Plus, thanks to the car’s light steering and compact dimensions, it’s really easy to park, which is a godsend for a family that’s based in south-west London.

Overall, the only bugbear is with the EX30’s infotainment system – although the longer I spend with it, the more I get used to its idiosyncrasies. As a result, my start-up routine always includes turning off the irritating speed alert and driver monitor, but too many functions – such as the heated rear screen – are a couple of taps further away than I’d like. And I wish the stereo would start up at a lower volume.

On the other hand, I love the inbuilt Google navigation, and this is the first car I’ve driven in which I can use the voice control with some degree of confidence; I’ve found it particularly handy when setting a sat-nav destination. A family that gets where it needs to go with the minimum of fuss is a happy one.

Volvo EX30: first fleetwatch

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A huge half term trip puts the EX30 to the test, along with the UK's charging infrastructure

Half term is always a stern test for parents, but this most recent break was also the toughest test yet for our Volvo EX30. We were staying with friends in Northumberland, meaning this 640-mile round trip would be our longest journey in the car, as well as our first time relying on the public charging network. However, apart from one glitch with chargers at Rotherham services, we had no problem keeping the car topped up.

Volvo EX30: first report

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Early signs are that our car will fully live up to its billing as our Small Premium SUV of the Year

• Mileage: 330 miles
• Efficiency: 3.2 miles/kWh

I’m not a man who enjoys a gamble, especially when it comes to cars. But I have no worries about my next family workhorse, because picking a Volvo for the job is surely about as safe as bets get. Especially when the model in question has not only an Auto Express award to its name, but also a five-star safety rating from the Euro NCAP crash-test body.

That’s the impressive double whammy that the EX30 has achieved in the past 12 months, with Volvo’s own website seemingly as happy to display the car’s Small Premium SUV of the Year Award as I am to park the winner outside my house.

I picked the car up from Volvo Cars Leatherhead in Surrey, and although the EX30 is the smallest and cheapest model in the company’s current line-up, I certainly didn’t feel I was being denied the full Volvo experience. On the contrary, the EX30 looked perfectly at home alongside much more expensive EX40s and EX90s.

I was shown around the car by sales consultant Lewis Millard. Although, given the minimalist design of the interior, he didn’t have much to show me beyond the touchscreen, which controls pretty much everything. Our car is in Plus trim, the middle of the three on offer in the EX30, and I think it’s worth the extra couple of grand it costs over the entry-level Core.

All EX30s have a premium look and feel, but that’s enhanced in several ways by taking that step up the trim ladder. Inside, I have dual-zone climate control, the top-spec ambient lighting set-up and heating for the front seats and steering wheel, for example. There’s also wireless phone charging and a Harman Kardon sound system.

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It all amounts to an upmarket experience, and I wasn’t surprised to hear from Lewis that the EX30 is currently the biggest seller at his retailer. In fact, Volvo has sold 15,000 examples this year, and I’m very much a typical buyer. The company tells me that most EX30s live in towns and cities – pretty much a perfect match, given that my home is in south west London – and I grudgingly have to admit that I follow most buyers by falling within the 50-60-year-old bracket.

The only significant way my situation differs from the typical EX30 buyer’s is that I’m not an empty-nester – my wife and I have an 11-year-old daughter in tow. As a result, the EX30’s introduction to Pringle family life has been a diet of short suburban journeys, mainly to and from school, football training and matches, and the shops.

That means I haven’t tested the car’s range at all, although it was a deliberate choice to pick the Extended Range model – as most EX30 buyers do. This can officially manage 296 miles per charge, and while that hasn’t been a concern so far, a welcome side-effect is that I’ve only had to charge the car once in its first three weeks with me.

Tougher tests will come, but for now the EX30 is settling perfectly into its role. I’m enjoying the smooth and responsive electric powertrain around town, as well as the excellent refinement – in terms of both the lack of noise inside the car, and the way the suspension deals with poor road surfaces.

The Volvo is practical enough for our three-person family, and the tech works well, too. I particularly like the built-in Google Maps navigation, Apple CarPlay has worked faultlessly for streaming music, and I easily linked the car to the Volvo smartphone app.

My only complaints so far are that – as in so many cars these days – some of the safety-assist features are a little over-eager (although I’ve programmed a button on the steering wheel to turn off the speed alert with a single press). I’m going to need a while to get to grips with the complexities of the infotainment system, too. Otherwise, I’ve certainly come up trumps with this Volvo.

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.

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