Electric EX30 is the fastest Volvo ever

Such is the way of things these days, the EX30 is a posh small SUV that combines decent space with lightning pace and supposed to grab the attention of city dwellers looking for a posh SUV that’s easy to drive around town but roomy enough to be usable family transport.

The first part of the brief is fulfilled with ease. At 4,230mm long, the EX30 is smaller than any of its obvious rivals – cars like the Audi Q4 e-tron and Mercedes GLA – which should make it handy around town, especially when you factor in the ease of use of its electric powertrain.

The downside of this is that the EX30 – with its 318-litre boot – isn’t quite as practical as either the Audi or BMW. 

You’ll forget such trivialities when you see the cabin. Minimalist Swedish design is at the heart of the Volvo’s interior, thanks to a huge, portrait-style infotainment screen that controls most of the car’s secondary functions. There’s even evidence of smart design – witness the dashboard-mounted sound bar that supersedes door-mounted speakers, and means Volvo could make the door bins even bigger.

But while it ticks plenty of practicality boxes, the EX30 is also much quicker than it looks. You get three versions to choose from, called Single Motor, Extended Range and Twin Motor Performance. 

Even the Single Motor is good for 0-62mph in a Honda Civic Type R-ish 5.7 seconds thanks to a rear-mounted motor producing 272PS (200kW). Its 49kWh battery is good 212 miles between charges and – with charging speeds of up to 150kW – you can fill the battery from 10-80 per cent in less than 30 minutes.

The Extended Range model has – you guessed it – a larger 64kWh battery that’s good for nearly 300 miles between charges. Charging takes about the same time as the basic model. Performance is slightly improved with 0-62mph in 5.3 seconds.

It’s the Twin Motor Performance or, more specifically, its 3.6 second 0-62mph time that grabs all the headlines though. It gets front and rear electric motors that develop 428PS (315kW) and turn it into a four-wheel drive slingshot that has no issues projecting its sizable 543Nm of torque into the road.

But it is of course still very safe. To go with all the autonomous driving aids you’d expect to find in a new Volvo, the EX30 has a new safety feature that warns of cyclists when you’re opening your doors and Park Pilot Assist, which can operate the steering wheel, accelerator and brake to park the car autonomously.

Unusually, Volvo has already revealed full prices and specs for the EX30 – Single Motor models start from £33,795, you’ll need £38,545 for the Extended Range or £40,995 for the Twin Motor Performance.

In basic Plus trim, all models come equipped with a 12.3-inch touchscreen, wireless phone charging, Harman Kardon stereo, two-zone climate control, heated seats and a heated steering wheel, reversing camera, plus active cruise control and lane assist.

Ultra models ramp up the kit and are only available on Extended Range (£42,045) and Twin Motor Performance (£44,495) models. Ultra adds kit like electric front seats, a 360-degree camera, auto-park, panoramic sunroof and a 22kW onboard charger that replaces the standard model's 11kW version.