The new Volvo EX30 is a fantastic driving SUV, plagued by electrical issues.
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Fantastic ride with lots of power.
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Irritating electronics.
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The touchscreen interface is convoluted.
Ten years from now, kids will never understand the difficulty of using a key to start a car, a common trope in old horror movies. Back then, nothing was more stressful than watching a potential victim run from a bad guy and struggle with their keys. Today, the good news is that some vehicles, like the all-new 2025 Volvo EX30, don’t need such an archaic tool to enter the vehicle.
Twenty-year-olds will remember these victims reaching into their pockets, finding the right key, unlocking the door, jumping in, slamming it, then struggling to put the key in the ignition. Of course, the car wouldn’t start, leading to a frantic repetition of cranking and flicking the steering wheel, and finally, just as the bad guy reached them, the car took off with a bang and they sped off. In the EX30, once on board, all the driver has to do is press the gear lever and drive away.
But this is not always the case, and therein lies a major problem.
Volvo’s modern bugs
This scenario came to mind when I reviewed the 2025 Volvo EX30. Its key fob is bafflingly inconsistent. Sometimes he refuses to acknowledge me when I reach for the door handle, leaving me stuck for a minute or more. Other times, the car turns on and unlocks from several feet away. Once inside, there’s no need for a key to start – just sit in, put it in reverse and drive. It’s a far cry from the tactile, anxiety-inducing moments of old horror films, and it reminds us that films of the future won’t include this nostalgic element of suspense.
But this is not always the case.
One out of three times, after selecting Drive, the 2025 EX30 moves forward without a crucial element: power steering. Over a distance ranging from one to more than 10 meters, I had to fight with the steering wheel. In some cases, pushing my right foot too hard would have brought me dangerously close to the vehicle in front of me.
Additionally, the EX30 will seem to possess a mind of its own to drivers. Not only can lane keep assist not be permanently deactivated, but it also operates erratically. Dotted lines will excite him three times out of four, while solid lines will only frighten his electric soul one time out of four. The same goes for double solid lines – I tested it.
And that’s where things went wrong. On two occasions, the EX30’s central nervous system, touchscreen, remained blank for 3-5 minutes after departure. So I had NOTHING. Literally, there were no climate controls, speedometers, or turn signals to indicate turns. This is a serious problem…
Incredible power
And yet, I loved riding in the 2025 Volvo EX30.
On the other hand, the performance of EVs today is astonishing. Most EVs, including the EX30, are much faster than the average car or SUV of just a decade ago. The EX30’s instant torque and rapid acceleration would have left these old cars in the dust, let alone running from a bad guy in our favorite horror movies. It’s both a technological marvel and a testament to how far automotive engineering has come.
The EX30 tested was a single-motor, rear-mounted model. With its 268 hp and 253 lb-ft of torque, the small SUV reaches 100 km/h in just 5.3 seconds. For your information, the two-motor model requires just over 3.5 seconds… Either way, the EX30 is really fast and responsive. The ride quality, which is excellent, is in perfect harmony with the performance. Ideally combining comfort and control, the little Volvo proves agile, lively and very entertaining.
Another problem…
Autonomy is not there. The 69 kWh battery allows the 2025 Volvo EX30 to travel up to 420 km. On paper this statistic is acceptable, but in practice it falls far short of estimates. Throughout the week, after full charges, the screen never showed a battery life of more than 340 km, with a low range of 300 km one morning. Ambient temperatures were above freezing, between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius, and heating was minimal.
The EPA’s combined fuel consumption estimate of 18.1 kWh/100 km was about 6 kWh, or 33 percent, lower than the display indicated. The experienced figures will worsen as weather conditions limit the ability to use the EX30 over long distances.
Ultimately, the 2025 Volvo EX30 is a great electric SUV, but it needs to return to the shop for a serious software tune-up. Until then, I’m not sure I’ll take the risk of buying one.
