What We Like ■ The dashboard has hard surfaces and is mostly made of recycled, sustainable materials; ■ It goes from 0-100 km/h in a fast 5.3 seconds. It's quick, but in Volvo fashion—smooth, unperturbed; ■ Real-world range in the city—where regenerative braking is maximum—is close to 400 km. What We Don't ■ It's not practical for a family; the rear seating area is cramped and the floor is way too high; ■ Boot space, at 318 litres, is just about modest for families; ■ It doesn't get ventilated seats, head-up display, rear AC vents.

BUT IS INDIA READY FOR SUCH HIGH-TECH EVS?

- VIKRAM CHAUDHARY

I HAVE DRIVEN cars as old as a 1920 Ford Model T, and as new as a Tesla Model X—but none confused me like this Volvo did.

Despite my years of experience inside cars, I had to Google how to switch on the EX30, how to switch it off, how to lock it, and even how to adjust outside rear-view mirrors.

What is it?

Volvo's newest EV, the EX30 is also its smallest car. Prices will be announced in September, but the company has hinted it would be about ₹40-45 lakh. It has a 69-kWh battery, with claimed driving range of 480 km (my test unit showed about 400 km of real-world range).

How's the design?

It's little, and you feel that. The EX30 looks tiny in front of its competitors such as Hyundai Ioniq 5, BMW iX1 LWB, and BYD Sealion 7.