First Drive: 2025 Volvo EX30 EV Is Too Much, Too Little, Too Late
This pricey compact electric SUV has a ton of power and neat tricks, but its single-screen setup and tricky controls make it a pain to live with
We placed our order for a Volvo EX30 in January 2024, six months after we published a preview of the new vehicle in an article headlined, “All-Electric 2025 Volvo EX30 Is Priced Under $35,000.” Based on what we’d learned about the little electric hatchback, we hoped it would be a solid entry-level option and planned to evaluate it in our vehicle test program soon.
When we finally picked up our EX30 nearly 15 months later, we cut a check to our local Volvo dealer for $48,834, including fees—an amount that’s about the same as the average new car transaction price these days, but far from entry-level. Our EX30 cost thousands more than other comparable EVs, including the Chevrolet Equinox EV (which went on sale while we waited for our Volvo), Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia Niro EV, and Volkswagen ID.4.
Photo: John Powers/Consumer Reports Photo: John Powers/Consumer Reports
Volvo aficionados who trade in an older model for an EX30 will feel like they’re visiting a favorite restaurant after a major remodel and menu change. Yes, it still has Volvo hallmarks like comfortable seats, a minimalist interior design, tons of safety features, and displays with the trademark Volvo font, but the EX30 is an entirely unique vehicle with an all-purpose, Tesla-like touchscreen instead of traditional gauges and controls, a powerful electric powertrain, a noticeably comfortable ride, and unusual interior materials. Many strangers have remarked on our EX30’s eye-catching exterior, which is painted in a fluorescent shade called Moss Yellow. If you like it, too bad—Volvo discontinued it for 2026.
You can read our initial impressions of the EX30 below as long as you’re a CR member. Once we’re done putting it through more than 50 tests at our Auto Test Center, including empirical tests of acceleration, braking, handling, and usability, we’ll share our final verdict and publish an Overall Score.
If you’re not a CR member yet, click below and join. If you sign up for the CR’s Cars email newsletter, you’ll be among the first to know when our full review is published.
What we bought: 2025 Volvo EX30 Twin Motor Performance Ultra
Powertrain: 422-hp, dual electric motors; 69-kWh battery; 1-speed direct drive; all-wheel drive
MSRP: $46,600
Options: Climate package ($500)
Destination fee: $1,295
Total cost: $48,395
