Unless you’re looking at a Hummer H2 or a Peel P50, it’s hard to get a sense of how big cars are on the internet. Case in point: The Volvo EX30. This entry-level electric crossover starts at a mere $36,145 including a $1,195 freight charge, but for that sort of money, you aren’t getting a massive amount of metal. Sure, it’s classified as a subcompact crossover, but we’ll need a bit of comparison to see just how subcompact it is.
First up, let’s compare the Volvo EX30 to the popular electric sedan, the Tesla Model 3, in the perfectly to-scale image at the top of this article. I know, these two cars don’t compete in even remotely the same class, which means it isn’t a surprise that the EX30 is smaller, albeit taller, than a Tesla Model 3. The Volvo EX30 clocks in at a whopping 18.1 inches shorter than Tesla’s popular sedan, all while being half an inch narrower and 4.2 inches taller.
Yep, that’s a massive size difference, and it’s also massive if we look at the other extreme. The BMW i3 is a favorite around here for its geeky engineering, beautiful cabin design, and nifty range extended. While the EX30 does offer some of the discontinued BMW’s style factor, it does so in a noticeably larger form. We’re talking about a vehicle 9.4 inches longer and 2.4 inches wider than a BMW i3, although it has a roofline 1.1 inches lower than BMW’s carbon fiber electric city car.
The closest comparison on length to the EX30 is the Jeep Renegade. The Volvo EX30 is a mere 0.1 inches longer than the subcompact Jeep, despite being 1.2 inches wider and having a roofline 5.5 inches lower. The composite below uses the slightly lifted Renegade Trailhawk model, but otherwise, it’s a pretty good comparison between these small crossovers.
Mind you, Jeep Renegades aren’t battery electric vehicles, so another solid point of comparison is the previous generation Hyundai Kona Electric. The Volvo is ever so slightly bigger in most dimensions, carrying an extra 1.1 inches of length and 1.4 inches of width, but the Kona is a mere 0.8 inches taller.
So what about the EX30’s size in relation to one of the most popular EVs in America, the soon to be discontinued Chevrolet Bolt EV? Well, the EX30 is 2.7 inches longer and 2.8 inches wider than the Chevrolet Bolt EV, but its roofline is 1.8 inches lower than that of the popular Chevrolet.
It’s also worth noting that the Chevrolet Bolt EUV, essentially just a stretched Bolt EV, strikes a silhouette 2.8 inches longer than the Volvo, so this Swedish crossover splits the difference perfectly.
So, what does this translate to when it comes to interior room? Well, according to a spec sheet, the Volvo EX30 offers 32.3 inches of rear seat legroom, a whopping 3.3 inches tighter than in the Chevrolet Bolt and 1.1 inches tighter than the outgoing Hyundai Kona Electric. However, front seat legroom clocks in at 41.85 inches, an extra quarter inch over the Chevrolet and 0.35 inches over the Hyundai, so front row accommodations should be spacious.
Looking at things width-wise, the EX30 only offers a technical advantage over the Chevrolet Bolt in rear seat shoulder room of six millimeters. However, an extra half-inch of front shoulder room should help the first row of the Volvo feel more spacious than that of the admittedly narrower Chevrolet.
Intriguingly, front headroom is also comparable to that of the Chevrolet Bolt EV and about 2.3 inches greater than that on the outgoing Hyundai Kona Electric, so despite the Volvo’s low roofline, there should be room for most people to wear a hat.
If you’re thinking of picking up a Volvo EX30 as a family vehicle, just be advised that it’s on the tight side [Ed Note: But I drive an i3, and it’s plenty of space for four people, and the EX30 is larger, so it’s probably fine! -DT]. However, as a city runabout with the range to tackle medium-length road trips with a claimed range of 275 miles, it’s shaping up to be perfect on paper. Then again, cars aren’t driven on paper, so we’ll have to wait for a turn behind the wheel before passing final judgement.
Still, even if it’s likely not going to be eligible for federal incentives (but perhaps state and local), more entry-level EV options are always good since that’s a vastly underserved part of the market.
(Photo credits: Volvo, BMW, Jeep, Chevrolet)
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A very important feature of a BEV is charging rate and its left out here, “Both EX30s offer DC fast charging, at rates up to 153 kW”. That aligns with the Model 3 SR+ which is 170kwh. Can’t wait to see how it works in the real world.
Too bad they couldn’t be bothered with any buttons and rather just gorilla glued a tablet to the dashboard.
I love the look of the exterior, but wish they’d spent more than 5 minutes on the interior design.
As expected, the interior is rubbish.
For $37,000 I’d like a little more care put into it than “IDK, maybe a giant tablet glued to a plastic dash?”
At least you can adjust the vanes of the HVAC vents without diving into submenus and can choose to put the vehicle in drive without relying upon an algorithm.
Everyone comparing interior dimensions: different companies seem to have differing ways (and ethical standards) of measuring things, especially headroom and interior volume. Meaning that you can’t just compare numbers to numbers here. I’ve got plenty of experience that indicates the only way I can figure out if I have enough headroom in a modern car is to actually sit in it. Inches totally count here and the numbers might as well be thrown out the window.
I pretty much only trust exterior measurements, as they are harder to fudge.
Quite interested in something like this if it drives right and looks good in person… Price/performance/form factor seem just about ideal, and the pricing is at least reasonable.
Volvo’s size specifications are here: https://www.volvocars.com/us/cars/ex30-electric/specifications/
I notice that the height is smaller than the track width so it meets SCCA requirements. Autocross in an SUV anyone?
Here’s the spec sheet for the XC40 Recharge, which I think is a better car to compare the EX30 to since many of the people in the market for this car will be current Volvo owners.
https://www.volvocars.com/us/cars/xc40-electric/specifications/
According to the specs, the EX30 is slightly smaller but not by much — roughly 4 inches in height, 3 inches in width, and 8 inches in length. Most people wouldn’t notice a difference unless they were parked next to each other.
It looks like the biggest difference is the EX30 has a much smaller cargo area, though that might not be a concern if you intend to use it primarily as a city car. Also, keep in mind that the XC40 Recharge starts at $52,450. The EX30 is definitely meant to be an entry-level car to hook young buyers into Volvo’s Recharge / Polestar ecosystem.
There are things about the EX30 I like – the size, seats and interior styling – but more I don’t – only a center screen, a glass roof, the flat unappealing color options – so it’s not something I’d consider at this time.
Eventually I know all the things I don’t like will just be how it is, but I’ll wait until I don’t have a choice.
I disagree when you say far apart as far as customer base. I mean when I sold cars and clueless customers came in wanting advice they stated I needa car to do A,B,C and for under x. Now do they ask for a SUV or passengers and cargo space? Now I educated buyer says I want x make,model, etc but less interested buyers give what? Back up those definitive statements.
Unless you’re using it ironically, please don’t use the adjective “mere” in front of car prices above $25k. If the car you’re writing about isn’t some fancy luxo liner, there’s nothing mere about a $37k price, especially on a small, Chinese-built EV.
100% true, last year average car price $34,000 the year before in the high 20s now a mere arm and a leg and a lung
New car prices have not averaged in the $20’s in decades. In 2012 it was $30,570.
You are correct I was remembering the cost in the economy range not just average cost.
I would love a Tall Guy Review of these cars. I am 6’3″ with a trashed spine, so I struggle with entry/egress is almost anything but a full sized truck. My next car will be PHEV or BEV, and I would rather own an EX30 or Ioniq 5 than a Lightning.
I’m only 6’, but also with a trashed spine and even though I love my Polestar 2, it’s definitely lacking in headroom. Otherwise it’s fantastic. I’m eagerly awaiting the chance to check out this Volvo.
I wonder if I could make a you few bucks on YouTube reviewing cars for the mobility challenged. Once I finish all these home improvements…
I wonder if lowering the driver seat is easy enough to improve egress VS a new vehicle?
Funny you say that, 6’7″ here and I fit some what comfortably in a Polestar 2
Interesting – it could just be my posture or something but I’ve smacked my head on the sun visor numerous times while repositioning myself to get comfortable as I’m driving. I do like to drive in a fairly upright position, so that definitely contributes to it. My 6’ 3” son likes to lay the seat back pretty severely and I think he found it pretty comfortable to drive.
(and yes Mr Sarcastic, I have lowered the seat)
Possibly could be, I am a lot of torso and prefer to be upright as well. I usually pull the wheel all the way back and get the seat as upright as I can, but the Polestar I did have a little lean.
Depends on distribution of height. I am only 6’4″ but all torso and head. So, in my Dodge Charger I could not have a sunroof. I have headroom in my Tesla Model 3 but I have not sat in a Polestar 2 yet. I have problems in lots of cars recommended for tall people Jettas are one where I have to almost lay down in. The Model 3 seats get really low but newer cars seem to have the seats set much higher. My old Magnum RT also let the seats get real low.
I feel your pain (literally). Same height and all torso. I don’t fit in 70%+ vehicles comfortably, let alone safely.
What you need is a convertible.
Because there’s no roof to duck under – you can sit as high as you like.
At some seating heights, though, the top of the windshield will block your view.
Lower the seat.
That’s what CBS did with every Ferrari 308 used in production to get Tom Selleck inside. They removed the drivers seats from their rails and bolted the seats directly to the floor.
So it may be a bit smaller inside than my V50
Lots of comparison of exterior size. Interior size is important too, my basic test for back seats in a car is to set the fronts so that 6′ me is comfortable, then see if I fit in the back. Most cars, even those described as “subcompact SUVs”, will pass the test these days.
I was wondering how big or small is this car compared to the Chevy Bolt EUV but they are pretty similar from an exterior footprint. That means this could eat some sales from the Bolt when its “discontinued” for a couple of years before the next generation arrives
Having experience from the dealership side from both (Chevy and Polestar, basically the same Volvo dealership), Volvo treat you so nice, always loaners available, nice amenities, etc. I would love to replace my Polestar 2 with this but I need something a little bit bigger, something like a Tesla Model Y but without the weird look. Mustang Mach-E is not as big, probably the next Chevy Equinox will be the best solution for now
The Volvo is considerably smaller inside than either the Bolt EUV or even the regular smaller Bolt, with less front and rear legroom and less cargo space than the non-EUV Bolt.
Could someone please add some sidewall to those tires? Sheesh, we’ll be driving on bare rims next. This trend sucks.
Agreed, but at least it’s something we can change ourselves. I have been blessed by being able to choose the smaller wheels when I bought my car.
Amen! I went to a dealer preview event last week to see this in person and the first question I asked was if those wheels were standard. They said no they are the 20″ wheels for the top of the line model.
Definitely pushing me toward the bare bones model with only 18″ wheels.
Hmm. On the subject of range, what is it? Not anywhere I found in the article.
Second to last paragraph notes a claimed 275-mile range.
An important detail left out is charging speed, “Both EX30s offer DC fast charging, at rates up to 153 kW”.
And it has a heat pump standard to mitigate range plummeting in hot or cold weather.
That is a good add.
Wait, the Volvo is 2.7″ longer than the Bolt but offers 3.3″ LESS rear legroom and only a quarter inch more front seat legroom?
It’s almost 3″ wider but only has one half inch more front shoulder room, and only 6mm more in back?
That is some lousy packaging, and it’s not like the regular Bolt is some kind of packaging miracle like the Honda Fit was.
Agree – also curious if that’s comparing the regular Bolt or the EUV model.
It’s the regular Bolt, not the longer EUV.
more here: https://www.evspecifications.com/en/comparison/bf2a5486
And it’s not like the Volvo gives up that passenger space for cargo capacity – the Volvo is noticeably worse there too: Bolt EV: 16.6 cu. ft. cargo space with seats up, 57 seats down, Volvo: 13.6/31
Packaging is tricky and it could just be better packaging by Chevy, but also safety tends to take space and the Volvo is both, well a Volvo, and a generation newer that the Bolt, both things that typically mean more safety built in.
Meh. A generation newer means Volvo had more time and resources to figure out their packaging and they just had a noticeably inferior outcome. The Bolt isn’t even a clean sheet EV design, it’s an extensively reworked Sonic platform.
And for a whopping $10,000 higher base price, I sure hope the Volvo makes top crash test scores, because it would be disappointing if you only got 68 more hp and 16 more miles of range for $10k more while giving up legroom front and rear and cargo room both with the seats up and folded for that price and size premium. Plus the Volvo interior looks like a Tesla cheap out, with only that center mounted Ipad knockoff, no gauges and crummy plastics.
remember that whole GM telling Saab to rebadge some Vauxhall or whatever it was and they ended up building it out of thicker steel? That’s kind of the mentality I’m assuming leads to the Volvo being “not as well packaged”. Also, isn’t this Geely related?
Yes, this is a Geely S.E.A. platform car, same platform as the Geely Zeekr X and the Smart #1.
Gotta add all those sweet sweet Swedish crumple zones for safety!
Stuffed with moose fur!
A møøse once bit my sister!
It’s likely all about how different manufacturers measure legroom and cargo space.
Volvo has historically reported much more realistic figures than most other manufacturers. I found this out when looking at cargo space reviews to compare the old V70 with new V60 and V90.
Versus other manufacturers….
James Riswick at Autoblog does a series of luggage tests packing these cargo spaces with actual luggage and showcasing the truths and lies about these measured.
Uh, what?
The measurement of rear legroom etc. is not standardized. For example, different manufacturers measure rear legroom with the front seat in different positions. You cannot just look on the spec to understand actual legroom difference between vehicles.
Similarly for cargo space. One of the big factors is where rear seat angle/location can be adjusted (not just laid flat)
Super excited to pick up one of these in 3 years to replace my Leaf.
32.3 inches of rear seat legroom may be fine for David’s rear seat passengers, but I and my teenage kids think that’s freaking cramped.
Just looked it up and my 2012 Soul lists at 39 inches rear legroom. Don’t know where the front seat is when they measure that but there isn’t a whole lot of room behind me with the seat all the way back. Heck my 2011 Mustang lists at almost 30 and the seat is almost touching the rear when I’m driving
yeah, and if you have kids in car seats it can be even more cramped. Their feet aren’t on the floor, so they end up with less room for their feet than an adult would in the same car.
I can’t wait to go try this out for size. I currently have a Bolt EUV and bought is specifically because of how much rear room there is (got two kids in car seats).
If the EX30 truly loses a few inches in rear space, I will need to forego the reservation as it really wouldn’t be much of a creature-comfort upgrade from a family-utility standpoint.
You will lose some front and a lot of rear seat legroom and some cargo space.
EUV to EX30:
Front legroom drops from 44.3″ to 41.9″
Rear legroom drops from 39.1″ to 32.3″
Rear cargo space with back seat up drops from 16.3 cu ft to 14.1 cu ft
Rear cargo space, seats folded drops from 56.8 cu ft to 31.9 cu ft.
Honestly, good. I’m so tired of being surrounded by Yukon XLs and Wagoneers, inches from my back bumper and weaving around like they’re in a CRX. I have cars of all sizes, ranging from a small sports car to a large SUV (well, large when it came out, now it’s the size of most compact CUVs). I’m equally as terrified of the mother of one (in an 8 seater monster truck) sipping a coffee, texting while driving 70 in a 55, literally so close to my ass I can only see part of the front clip thru my rear window in any of them. People are constantly overbuying because “what if I have sextuplets before my lease is up?” I suppose. We need more *good* small cars and I hope they sell a billion of them.
I am both pleased and disappointed with this new knowledge. On one hand I love small cars and think we need more of them, but on the other this would be pretty hard to make work as anything other than a commuter unless you’re single or in a relationship but sans kids or doggos. I daily a Kona N which is essentially the same size as the Kona EV and it has some limitations.
Trunk space is pretty tight for a hatchback and adults are generally not happy in the back seat. I’m 5’9 and my wife is 5’7, so we don’t sit all that far forward…but even with us up front it’s still pretty tight back there. Packing the car for a long weekend type getaway and bringing along the pup and his stuff pretty much fills the car up. We could fit an extra passenger or an extra couple bags if we had to but that’s about it.
We just found out we’re pregnant (extremely rad) and I’m already a little worried that my car isn’t going to have enough space for the future occupant. Basically…this Volvo will make an amazing second car/commuter but if you’re planning on having more than 2 occupants or loading it up it’ll have limitations.
And that’s fine. EVs are most useful as second cars and commuters anyway, and this car will still rule in those capacities and I still think it’ll prove to be a game changer. Just wanted to add some perspective as someone who’s spent 18 months with something very similarly sized.
I would imagine the kids would outgrow the back seat on this after you’re already done with it and looking for the next car anyway, right? (Also, congrats!).
As an owner of a XC40 I have other reservations: Volvo tends to put very shallow seats in their smaller cars. I’m 6’3” and can only drive the XC40 a few hours max and the front edge of the seat starts digging uncomfortably into the hamstring. At 5’9” you may not have that issue but something to look at from the Swedish offerings. Though I can’t imagine the Koreans do much better. I’ve sat in a few Genesis models and not noticed that.
But I will say that Volvo does a fantastic job at designing features that maximize their spaces with really useful cargo organization and the like so it’s still worth checking out.
Counterintuitively, kids require the most space when youngest, because of the rear facing seats. (also, the most cargo space with strollers, diaper bags, etc.)
From age 2 or 3-puberty you can cram em into something pretty small, but sitting in front of an infant or toddler in a small car is miserable.
That makes some sense. While I don’t have any myself, it is an interesting logistics problem to solve for getting the right car.
Honestly, the increased size of infant car seats is an underappreciated driver of the increase in car size and discontinuation of compact vehicles the last decade plus IMO.
People whose memory of car seats is stuck in the 80s-90s (like mine was before having kids of my own starting in 2017) have a hard time grasping how much space they take up in the 2010s-20s.
I’m 5′ 10″ and cannot get the seat to my preferred position ahead of a toddler rear facing seat in my Chevy SS (unquestionably a large car). That has to go behind my 5′ 4″ wife. Once they go forward facing it’s a godsend.
How do Europeans manage?
They have kids and dogs and stuff too – but they don’t all drive 2.5 tonne AWD FamilyMobiles.
I think they just have less kids lol.
The Koreans are actually surprisingly good for the long legs set. I’m 6′ (but have the same inseam as men much taller) and lately Hyundai/Kia are rare brands where I actually fairly reliably feel comfortable (except for the Venue, that I don’t fit in.) Once drove 8 hours in my Elantra GT, comfort all the way.
Nice. It is odd how different markets design for their population when you consider global distribution and how they cater to the wider demographics.
I’m also 6’3″ (and a half, boo ya) and my Stinger had genuinely phenomenal seats. Not as good as my Mercs, but that’s to be expected. It had extendable thigh supports (I wonder if you missed this in the Genesii?) as did my dad’s G80. Hell I think my brother’s Veloster N has them (could be wrong). Its a feature I think every single car should have. Even the Parsh has them and it’s got the base seats. They make the biggest difference in seat comfort for guys our height, imo.
You’ll be fine – I’ve gotten by with a Mini & a kid for 4 years. Just say no to strollers and wear the baby. “Diaper bag” is a backpack you already own. It ain’t rocket science, there’s just a really big “stuff-industrial-complex” when it comes to kids that you have to try and ignore…
I appreciate the input, amigo
Once you figure out the car seat, and how to fit things around it, you might find the most annoying thing is telling the occasional boomer saying “hopefully soon you will be able to afford a bigger car” to bugger off
Yeah, I’ll second this that small cars are fine with a kid if you pack efficiently. We’ve got a 3 year old, and our primary vehicle is a Bolt that does over 90% of our driving. We could certainly use more trunk space for trips, but can always just strap extra stuff onto the hitch rack, like we did a couple weeks ago with the cooler and strider bike for a 7 day, 800 mile camping trip.
Depending on how the interior packaging is, the rear facing car set can be less of an issue in a smaller, better packaged car. We sold the wife’s X1 (basically the same interior as her 325xi wagon before that) over 2 years ago, and could barely fit the rear facing car seat in it with the passenger seat moved 100% forward as far as it would go- I would have to drive, since at 6’5″ I couldn’t even physically get into the passenger seat, and she was extremely uncomfortable. In the Bolt, despite being over a foot shorter, the rear facing car seat fit fine, and I could even sit in front of it mostly comfortably. With grandparents, we’ve done plenty of 4 adults+car seat trips to hike and such an hour away for the day without issues.
Just figure out how to fit the car seat, and pack around it, even the backseat footwell can be used for soft stuff (or the dog in a bed?), as the kid won’t use it. If you really want extra space for trips, consider getting a hitch and rack for extra junk.
My wife was the chief transporter of our daughter from age 0 to 12 in her 1996 Civic 2-door Hatchback – child seat and all.
It can be done.
For longer trips with the 2 doggies we would take the Corolla station wagon with a topbox.
Congratulations, Nsane!
I am happy there is at least there are more affordable EV options. Considering how many manufacturers are canceling their affordable versions, I’ll take it.
I’d love to see where it measures next to the other X model Volvos. The XC60 until this current iteration had a comically small back seat. The 90 is spacious and the 40 is pretty close to that Goldilocks zone. If its much smaller than the 40 it won’t fit 2 normal Americans in the backseat. (I own an current xc90 and briefly owned a previous gen xc60, and xc90)
If you want something of a bargain, the Lexus RZ has a $15k lease rebate in SoCal this month. I get mine today. It’s a great car (if you don’t mind not having a glovebox) but not the best EV out there.
Its the perfect second car, you have to get it in black or dark grey so the black plastic trim blends in. Or white if you want to drive around in a panda…