Drove the new Volvo EX30 this week, it was officially launched in South Africa a few months ago, and has become one of Volvos best selling electric cars. It has one of the smallest CO₂ footprints of any Volvo car to date.

It has great styling and is a very attractive looking car. Lots of admiring glances on our road tests. Lets look at the exterior styling.

The unit we had was a bi-tone black roof with white body, and it really looked good. Thor hammer signature headlamps with 19 inch diamond cut alloys, which look very stream lined. I like the Volvo badging at the rear, and the rear lights are great. Ex 30 badging adjacent to the C-pillar as well.

The cabin is surprisingly spartan, with a huge infotainment screen in the centre, that delivers ALL information re your drive etc. Comfy b-tone leather seats and loads of space inside.

The gaining entry is simple enough, with laying your key on a motif on the B-pillar, which unlocks doors. But then you have to do a similar thing with the key down the centre, which can get tricky in the dark.

Once you have waxed it, then no problem. Slot it into gear and whoosh it’s off. So be prepared. It has 314kw on tap, so this baby can really go, and acceleration is thrilling to say the least. The twin motors on each axle make it all wheel drive, so handling is great.

Be cautious about changing lanes with lane departure engaged, as the acceleration makes the steering wheel wobbly. So the 0-100 time for the EX 30 is 3.6 rapid secs.

The five-strong local line-up gives South Africans the opportunity to own a premium fully electric SUV for the price of a similarly sized internal combustion engined vehicle.

Offered in multiple configurations – allowing customers to choose powertrain options, battery types and trim levels, not to mention select from an exterior colour palette comprising a collection of vibrant hues – the new EX30 excels in areas as varied as performance, safety and sustainability.

It charges fast, too, with DC charging capacities of up to 153 kW, translating to a 10-80 percent charge in a little over 25 minutes.

Pricing

EX30 Core Single Motor – R775 900
EX30 Plus Single Motor Extended Range – R865 900
EX30 Plus Twin Motor Performance – R935 900
EX30 Ultra Single Motor Extended Range – R965 900
EX30 Ultra Twin Motor Performance – R995 900

Summation.

Probably my favourite electric car from Volvo to date. I found everything to my liking. The dimensions of the car, the superb looks, the up to date tech and safety, and the very rapid performance.

That is a double edged sword of course, and you have to balance the performance with fuel economy, or you will have constant range anxiety. Volvo tout a range of approx. 460km. With some quick driving we would have got around 360 km.

A great offering from Volvo.