Volvo EX30 - long-term-review

Shock! A modern electric car can accelerate faster than an old naturally aspirated V8 Ferrari supercar. In other equally shocking news: Britain’s roads are in awful condition!

Of course it makes for a great headline and is fairly obvious – heck, a modern hot hatch could probably do the same – but it does underscore an important question: what’s the point of a small, ‘affordable’ Volvo bestowed with so many horsepowers it’ll outrun pretty much anything on the road today?

That’s what we’re here to find out. Gone is the luminous yellow EX30 we’ve thoroughly enjoyed the company of for the past six months – a colour so luminous my poor, startled neighbour described the hue as ‘sudden’ – and in comes the big-but-still-quite-small EX30 Cross Country.

The Cross Country is only available in Twin Motor guise – one e-motor on the front, one on the back axle – matched to the bigger 69kWh battery and filled with the most amount of horsepower Volvo can stomach. It produces 422bhp and 400lb ft of torque, allowing a 0-62mph time of 3.7s. No, we do not know why either, but holy moly is it fast.

The V8 Ferrari in question? We’re referencing an old 360 Challenge, which claimed 3.9s back in the day. Pointless comparison aside, 3.7s in a small electric hatchback is what my neighbour would also politely call ‘sudden’. Not a bad range estimate, either, Volvo claiming up to 280 miles – down from our old Single Motor Extended Range car’s claimed 295-mile range.

First impressions? It already feels a bit more ‘premium’ than the Single Motor car, chiefly thanks to a few very important touchpoints. Firstly, the ride’s better than the Suddenly Yellow one – Volvo’s raised and tweaked the suspension (and fitted knobbly tyres) for the Cross Country, and it breathes so much more fluently on Britain’s awful roads.

Secondly, the seats are altogether more comfortable than the old ones – they feel firmer, offer better lumbar support and with better (electric) adjustability, can be made to fit more comfortably. Very important, this.

The fitment of a panoramic sunroof as standard also adds an air of quality to the cabin - space, or the feeling of it, being the ultimate luxury of course - opening it up nicely. The Suddenly Yellow car now feels suddenly cave-like in comparison.

Does it need all this speed? Well, it’s certainly eye-opening, frequently comical and quietly lairy if the roads are greasy. But not once did we ever suddenly emerge from the yellow car and think, ‘hmm, bit wheezy, that, could do with an extra 154bhp’. Plus, it’s £5k more expensive than the yellow one, and a full £9k more expensive than the base Single Motor car.

And at a starting price of £42,360, it’s veering out of ‘affordable’ (relatively speaking) territory. Looks ace, though, and it is fun…

*Ignore the stats right underneath the image gallery - that's for the Single Motor Extended Range car we've had up until now, and our servers won't let us change it. Blame The Stig...