Volvo has announced pricing and UK specifications for its forthcoming EX30 small electric SUV, which will start from a highly-competitive £33,795. This means at current standings it will undercut models including the Peugeot e-2008 and Jeep Avenger, despite its premium badge. Available to order now, the first customer deliveries are expected in early 2024, and Volvo will be hoping the EX30 pushes it towards its EV sales goals.

It is Volvo’s smallest SUV by some margin, with the EX30 measuring 4,230mm in length, compared with 4,443mm for the XC40 and 4,500mm for the BMW iX1. Even the Peugeot e-2008 is longer at 4,300mm, while the Jeep Avenger comes in at 4,084mm. The new EX30 shares its Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) with the smart #1, thanks to both manufacturers being under Geely ownership.

Despite its small stature, the EX30 has incredibly short overhangs, giving it a wheelbase not far off the XC40 – it is 52mm shorter. It’s also instantly recognisable as a Volvo, thanks to its chiselled lines and prominent rear shoulders, ‘Thor’s Hammer’ headlight design, and C-shaped rear LED light clusters. However, a traditional grille has been replaced with a body-coloured panel fitted with a large Volvo badge, in a similar style to the EX90. The car in Volvo’s beauty shots also features a blacked-out roof, door pillars and lower bodywork cladding to help hide its height. Alloy wheels will be offered in sizes from 18- to 20-inches in diameter and five colours.

There are some big changes inside, both to save space and hit such a competitive price tag. The EX30 doesn’t have a driver’s instrument display, with all information instead provided by a 12.3-inch portrait central touchscreen – in a similar fashion to the Tesla Model 3. This runs Google-based software, but you’ll be able to connect Apple devices as well as Android smartphones from the off. Instead of the typical door-mounted speakers, there’s a soundbar spanning the dashboard to improve interior storage. 

Three powertrains will be offered in the UK, with even the entry-level Single Motor providing 268bhp and a 51kWh battery, while a Single Motor Extended Range (£38,545) will have a 69kWh battery and the range-topping Twin Motor Performance (£40,995) adds a front motor for 0-62mph in a Volvo-record-setting 3.6 seconds, sticking with the same battery. The Single Motor uses a lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery to help keep costs down, and Volvo’s own testing figures show a range of up to 213.8 miles. The Extended Range version should manage up to 298.3 miles thanks to its nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery. Charging speeds peak at 134kW for the LPF battery and at just over 150kW for the NMC pack, for a 10 to 80% top-up in 26 minutes.

Trim levels in the UK are Plus and Ultra, with the former coming with the 12.3-inch display, a Harman Kardon audio system with soundbar, dual-zone climate control with air purification, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel for “quick and efficient warming”. A reversing camera and rear parking sensors are also fitted for convenience, along with Pilot Assist adaptive cruise control and steering assistance to keep the car in its lane. Ultra adds more driving aids, a 360-degree camera view, semi-autonomous parking, a panoramic sunroof, and 20-inch alloy wheels. The on-board charger is also upgraded from 11kW (AC) to 22kW. An entry-level Core model will arrive later in 2024, bringing the price down even further.