Volvo EX30 51 kWh, is the small battery version enough?

If it borrows the same Geely platform as the Smart #1, the Volvo EX30, the compact electric SUV from the Swedish brand, is clearly distinguished by its presentation, but also by its price. Even with a small battery, it plays the card of versatility, provided you do not have to make long journeys every day with 4 or 5 people on board.

Presentation

Made in China, the Volvo EX30 is currently offered with two gross battery capacities: 51 and 69 kWh. Today we are trying the smallest allocation, the 49 usable kWh of which is obtained with LFP (lithium iron phosphate) cells. At the rear, we find the permanent magnet synchronous motor which also equips the Smart #1. It develops a maximum power of 200 kW (272 hp) for a torque of 343 Nm.

The vehicle's footprint is close to that of the Renault Megane E-Tech: 4.23 x 1.84 m, compared to 4.20 x 1.86 m. At 1.55 m tall, she tops the French girl by 5 cm. Our test model was also dressed in floral yellow (+1000 euros) and had dark-tinted windows at the rear (+400 euros).

Among the three finishes Start, Plus and Ultra, the example at our disposal came with the intermediate level which brings the roof and the black mirror caps, the digital key, the electric tailgate, front and rear parking assistance, lane change assistance, dual-zone climate control, ambient lighting, the Harman Kardon premium audio system with more than 1,000 W, etc.

“In the rear seats, it’s quite Spartan”

Behind the tailgate, the trunk volume of 318 liters can increase to 904 liters by folding down the two-part bench seat backrest. A false bottom allows you to accommodate much more than the charging cables which would not hold together in the frunk 7 liters under the hood. If these spaces weren't enough, the Volvo EX30 is approved to tow a trailer up to one tonne and can accommodate 75 kg on the roof.

« In the rear seats, it's still quite Spartan », Judge Maxime Fontanier. Above 1.80 m, passengers risk finding themselves cramped both in the head and in the legs. In addition, general comfort suffers from a fairly straight backrest and a short seat from which adults' legs are very exposed: ” It will be good for traveling, but with children and not for too long distances ».

The absence of a central armrest provides flexible back support for a third person. In addition to storage (pockets in the front seat backs, and narrow door door bins), buttons for the electric windows and two USB-C sockets are available in these seats.

Also readTest – Volvo EX30: because the Volvo is good!

Scandinavian atmosphere

Moving to the front, we notice that the seat adjustments are manual, with no possibility of changing the height for the passenger next to the driver. For 610 euros, our Volvo EX30 benefits from the Scandinavian Pine interior which uses sustainable materials: mixed wool, biosourced Nordico made in part with pine oil from Finland and Sweden, recycled polyester, decorative inserts in flax fibers. This warm set is presented by the manufacturer as easy to clean.

« The joints are very well made, the doors are well held. In terms of build quality, it's like Smart #1, it's really well made », appreciates our testing journalist. At the level of the dashboard and the door panels, the padded materials alternate with plastic areas which look good, except in the less attractive lower parts.

The storage areas are rather well thought out at the front, with fairly large bins in the door panels, a hatch to accommodate sockets and cables for mobile devices, an induction charger for smartphones, a drawer under the central armrest and a very accessible glove box under the digital panel.

What is this box instead of the instrument cluster?

If the small steering wheel of the Volvo EX30 is very pleasant to hold, the sensitive keys on the piano black style are not great or responsive: “ To change the sound volume, it takes a long time and it doesn't always work very well. You really have to press hard, otherwise it doesn't react “. What is this box behind the steering wheel: a system for the head-up display? No, only an infrared device to monitor the driver's attention.

Particularly refined in the style of the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, the dashboard is free of the instrumentation display: “ Everything is done on the central screen “. Installed vertically, it works with Google Android. Coupled with a planner, the mapping can be handled very fluidly.

In the upper part we find all the main information: instantaneous speed, mileage, consumption, direction of travel, remaining autonomy, energy level in the battery in percentage, etc. : “ It's written quite small, you need to have good eyes “. With 4G connectivity provided free of charge for four years, different applications are accessible. It is even possible to follow Youtube videos. The system is compatible with Apple CarPlay.

First turns of the wheels

No need to press a button to start the compact SUV, just activate the small lever on the right and behind the steering wheel to move backwards or forwards. No 360-degree view, but a reversing camera whose images are reproduced with beautiful definition: “ We can clearly see what is happening and the system tells us the margin in centimeters thanks to the radar, it's precise and that's good ».

Maneuvering in town is also made easier by a turning circle of 10.6 m and good natural visibility provided by the three large mirrors and maintained by the bezel wiper. Barely had the Volvo EX30 been launched, Maxime Fontanier remarked “ the smoothness of the car, whether at the accelerator or the steering ».

No button to deactivate all the speed limit, lane change and driver alertness alerts at once, you have to proceed one by one from the central screen: “ We still have to press five times whereas on the Renault Scenic E-Tech, you only need to press one button ».

This electric car can also be driven in One-Pedal mode. The power of the regeneration system is then reinforced and complete stopping can be achieved without pressing the brake pedal.

Don't expect a sporty behavior

At low speed, the damping already appears quite firm: “ We're a little shaken. I felt the rear end jerk while crossing a level crossing “. The 1,841 kg machine in working order can produce powerful accelerations. 0 to 100 km is completed in 5.7 seconds, before being able to reach a maximum speed of 180 km/h: “ It works better than a Smart #1, and better than a Tesla Model Y with the same power, but heavier ».

On the other hand, you quickly realize when you take turns that the road behavior of the compact electric SUV is not sporty. We feel too much flexibility in terms of chassis support and the steering favors softness over precision: “ The roll gain is quite marked. It's soft in spring, but, at the same time, a little too hard in terms of shock absorbers “. This propulsion with very touchy ESP and which offers excellent recovery when exiting corners nevertheless holds the road very well.

As standard, the Volvo EX30 in Plus finish is equipped with 18-inch alloy wheels. The Goodyear Efficient Grip Performance SUV tires in 225/55 help to brake the vehicle powerfully if necessary: ​​“ There is grip and it hangs very well in the dry “. Overall, this electric car “ is efficient, not unpleasant to drive, but not sporty at all due to a bouncy chassis a bit like a kid ».

Consumptions and refills

On the motorway, thanks to the intermediate Plus finish, it is possible to reasonably rely on active cruise control with lane-keeping assistance: “ The Volvo EX30 doesn't wobble too much “. Up to approximately 100 km/h, soundproofing is very good: “From from 110, we start to have a little air noise, and at 130, it's a little more pronounced “. The absence of laminated double glazing explains this impression.

Under these conditions, consumption is around 21 kWh/100 km. You will therefore not have to expect much more than 200 km of autonomy if you want to maintain this pace. In mixed use, we observed 17.2 kWh/100 km over a distance of approximately 535 km, which allows us to count on a range which remains relatively limited, of around 280 km.

In a direct current station, the charging curve can increase up to 135 kW of power. But it goes down pretty quickly. Getting the battery back to 80% from 10% will take around 26 minutes under ideal conditions. To use AC terminals on the road, this electric car has an 11 kW charger.

Also readTest – Tesla Model Y Propulsion: why does it crush the competition?

A price that seems too high to us

At the entry level, the Volvo EX30 51 kWh starts at 39,100 euros. In the Plus finish at our disposal, the figures rise to a catalog minimum of 42,050 euros. With the options included in our test model, the price exceeds 44,000 euros: “ It's still not cheap, since the Smart #1 which is based on the same technical platform is accessible for 5,000 euros less in the entry-level version ».

Which leads Maxime Fontanier to compare: “ With the EX30, we are at the price of a Tesla Model Y which, certainly, benefits from the ecological bonus when it is manufactured in Germany, but which is much larger and better equipped ».

However, we find in the model of the brand of Swedish origin “ a very cute design » et « a template perfectly suited to our cities “. On the battery, the warranty is 8 years or 160,000 km, compared to 3 years or 100,000 km on the rest of the car.

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