Small In Size Big On Character

Quirky, compact and rear-wheel drive, Volvo's EX30 blends punchy EV pace with a supple, quiet ride and a minimalist cabin design and is set to be Volvo's most accessible EV in India

- By Kanaad Chatterjee

When I first set eyes on the Volvo EX30, I wondered if this EV SUV could really carry Volvo's weighty legacy. It's just over 4.2 metres long, about the size of a Creta, and yet it arrives with the responsibility of being the brand's newest gateway EV for India. Parked under a pale morning sun, the stance reads more hot hatch than hulking SUV: short overhangs, that familiar Thor's Hammer signature up front, and crisp, pixel-styled tail lamps. Quirky? Absolutely. But behind the playfulness sits a very serious little Volvo.

Quirky Scandinavian Design And Clever Details

Slide inside and the brief is obvious: radical minimalism. Copenhagen-cool, less-is-more minimalism. The EX30 deletes almost every conventional control and consolidates your world around a single 12.3-inch vertical touchscreen. There's no instrument binnacle behind the wheel; speed, range and navigation live at the centre. It looks futuristic and it opens up the dash visually, though the lack of a head-up display means you do glance sideways more than you'd like.

The surprises keep coming. There are no speaker grilles on the doors because there are no speakers in the doors. Instead, a 1,050-watt Harman Kardon soundbar runs the width of the dashboard, freeing the doors for massive storage pockets. The glovebox sits centrally under the screen and opens from the infotainment menu. Even the frameless mirrors are adjusted through the screen, using the steering wheel buttons as directional inputs. Door window switches migrate to the centre console to simplify wiring. It's all very clever, occasionally confusing, but undeniably different.