Volvo EX30 Cross Country

FIRST DRIVE The Cross Country name appears on a Volvo EV for the first time. We get to grips with the jacked-up 4x4

- Alastair Crooks

THE Volvo EX30 might be the smallest car the Swedish marque makes, but we think it’s the company’s best work - as evidenced by the EV picking up the Best Small Premium SUV title at the 2025 Auto Express New Car Awards. Aiming to add another string to the model's bow, Volvo has launched a new range-topping Cross Country variant.

It's 25 years since the firm introduced the Cross Country badge to its lineup, with the V70 XC. Following an absence in the UK, Volvo has revived the badge, and the EX30 marks the first time the Cross Country name has featured on an EV. Aiming to honour its tradition, Volvo says the EX30 Cross Country has been “engineered for tackling rougher surfaces”. To back up this claim, the car comes with several tweaks to promote its off-road ability.

The production car is indistinguishable from the prototype that was revealed alongside the EX30 in 2023. There's black panelling front and rear - made up of a tough foil over the painted surface - plus matt-black plastic wheelarch extensions and a plastic front skid plate. You can also customise the car with accessories that include a Volvo-branded roof rack, mud flaps and an electric towbar.