JMRCAR 
Volvo gives its smallest EV the outdoorsy treatment.
It’s probably fair to blame U.S. influence for the SUV-ification of everything. Therefore, you might assume that the new Cross Country version of the Volvo EX30, the brand’s new subcompact EV, is a sop to the U.S. market. But the promise of outdoor adventure represented by SUVs appeals elsewhere, too, and Volvo took us to the rugged west coast of Sweden—where urban Swedes indulge in camping, kayaking, and hiking—to drive the EX30 Cross Country in the environs that they claim inspired it. (There’s even a topographical map of Sweden’s highest mountain embossed into the front fascia.)
Our drive combined a smidgen of city cruising and a bit of freeway with winding rural two-lanes—tellingly, there was no off-road portion. Like other Volvo Cross Country models dating back to the seminal V70 Cross Country of the late 1990s, this EX30 might be happy to head down a gravel two-track but isn’t meant to scamper over rocks or plow through deep sand and mud. Changes from the regular EX30 are minor. The ride height is increased by 0.75 inch, resulting in 7.5 inches of ground clearance. The springs and anti-roll bars have been softened, and all-terrain tires on 18-inch wheels are available, although the cars we drove had summer rubber on 19s. Hill descent control is standard, as it is in the regular EX30. The embossed front fascia has a dark gray finish, and there’s a matching gray element on the rear liftgate. The front and rear bumpers are revised, and there’s a protective plastic surround for the wheel arches.
The EX30’s available dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain is standard here, although there’s no special off-road drive mode. Output stands at 422 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. That’s plenty. In our test of the regular EX30, the same powertrain punted the little EV to 60 mph in an almost absurdly quick 3.3 seconds. The effect is amplified here with the more softly tuned chassis, where booting the accelerator sends the nose skyward. This could be an EV hot hatch, but it’s not tuned that way. The mellower spring rates and anti-roll-bar tuning instead deliver a compliant ride, and the steering is light (even in the firmest of its three selectable modes).
There is a Performance AWD mode, which sends power to all four wheels by default—otherwise, the front motor kicks in only when needed. Oddly, Performance AWD mode can’t be combined with the highest level of brake regen, so fans of one-pedal driving must choose either-or. The two other regen modes are Low and Off, the latter permitting coasting.
The Cross Country variant doesn’t yet have published EPA range figures, but the feds rate the regular twin-motor EX30 (with 19-inch wheels) at 253 miles. European WLTP testing showed a decrease of 4 percent or so for the Cross County version. Volvo claims a 153-kW peak charging rate for the 64-kWh battery. With the same battery pack, the standard EX30 managed 156 kilowatts in our testing and required 39 minutes to refill from 10 to 90 percent.
Spending some downtime at an EV charger would provide an opportunity to appreciate the details of the EX30 Cross Country’s interior design. Note how the door handles are integrated into the metal trim piece—same for the dashboard vents. Check out the cool, dash-spanning soundbar at the base of the windshield. Our car had the Pine interior, which featured muted greens and tans; a cool blue-gray Indigo color scheme is also available. Both feature recycled materials with interesting textures, and stowage is generous.
Rear-seat space, however, is not. The rear seat has a flat floor and good headroom but is otherwise tight, with narrow access and minimal knee clearance for an adult sitting behind a six-foot driver. The EX30 Cross Country also suffers some ergonomic oddities. The squared-off steering wheel seems unnecessary, since there’s nothing to see over the rim. There’s no instrumentation in front of the driver—the central touchscreen handles everything, including the speed readout. Other misses include an onscreen touch-slider volume control, adjustment of the side mirrors via the steering-wheel buttons, and a single pair of window switches that do double duty for the fronts and rears. The standard glass roof with no shade might not be an issue in sun-starved Sweden, but buyers in the U.S. Sunbelt will want to purchase the dealer accessory shade.
