Volvo EX30 Extended Range RWD Plus long-term test

Verdict

It’s very early in my time with the EX30, but first signs are that we’re going to get along very well. It’s a good-looking small SUV that does that trick of combining chunky looks with a small footprint, while the smooth powertrain is ideal for our suburban life. I can already see why it was a winner in our New Car Awards earlier this 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.

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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.

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.

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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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