Volvo continues to develop the electric range under the wing of the Chinese Geely Auto. By 2030, the Swedes want to completely abandon the internal combustion engine, so the accuracy of the prime ministers is high: at the end of last year, the Polestar 3 and Volvo EX90 crossovers were presented to the public, and the premiere of the Polestar 4 cross-coupe took place at the Shanghai Motor Show in April. Now the second EX- the model that became Volvo’s smallest crossover.
The EX30 is built on the same SEA platform as other Chinese holding crossovers – Zeekr X and smart #1. But the wheelbase has been shortened by 10 cm (to 2650 mm), so the overall length of the new Volvo is only 4233 mm: this is immediately 192 mm shorter than the XC40. In terms of width (1837 mm) and height (1555 mm), the EX30 is not much inferior to the hydrocarbon model. Like the older model EX90, the “thirty” is partially made of recycled metals: the share of recycled steel is 25%, and aluminum – 17%. The clearance is indicated in two states – equipped (177 mm) and with a driver in the cabin (165 mm).
Trunk volume is a modest 314 liters (904 liters with the rear sofa folded). The front compartment is quite modest (7 l) and is only suitable for a charging cable. The drag coefficient is 0.28. The suspension is made according to the standard scheme for cars of this class: “MacPherson” in front, “multi-link” in the back. Adaptive dampers and air suspension are not available for the EX30.
If Zeekr and smart still have a small dashboard screen, then the new Volvo does not have it at all: everything is in charge of the central 12.3-inch tablet in the manner of the Tesla Model 3, and there will also be no projection display. The Android software screen will offer built-in Google services, 5G connectivity, and over-the-air updates, but the firmware will be different for the Asian market.
The central tunnel has been reduced to an armrest with two cup holders: the air conditioning system is controlled through the screen, and the transmission mode selector is installed on the steering column. For extra room in the door pockets, the speakers of the Harman Kardon system have been moved to the front panel: there are five of them at once. Recycled materials were used for interior trim (you can’t order natural leather trim even for an extra charge, but you can choose wool), including denim and PET. A full set of electronic assistants will be available by default. The equipment will also include a panoramic roof, adaptive cruise control and valet parking.
At launch, the EX30 will be available in three versions. The first two – with a single electric motor on the rear axle (200 kW / 272 hp, 343 Nm) – differ in battery. In the initial version, it is lithium-iron-phosphate, with a useful capacity of 49 kWh (power reserve – 344 km in the WLTP cycle), and in the Long Range modification, it is lithium-ion, with 64 kWh (480 km). The long-range version picks up the first “hundred” a little faster (5.3 vs. 5.7) and will be supplied with a three-phase charger with a power of 22 kW instead of a single-phase one for the basic version (11 kW). The maximum charging power of a lithium-ion battery is also higher than that of a lithium-iron-phosphate battery: 153 kW versus 134.
At the top of the range is the Twin Motor Performance version with an additional 115 kW (156 hp) electric motor on the front axle. As a result, the output of the power plant already reaches 315 kW (428 hp) and 543 Nm – exactly like the smart #1 Brabus. The curb weight of such a Volvo is 1963 kg (against 1860 kg for single-engine versions), but acceleration to “hundreds” takes only 3.6 seconds – almost a second faster than the plug-in hybrid S60 T8 Polestar Engineered. However, the top speed of all versions is limited to 180 km / h: this is one of Volvo’s measures to reduce road deaths. Power reserve – 460 km.
The EX30 will only be produced at the Geely factory in China. Prices have already been announced that will surely make Volkswagen bosses think: in Europe, the model will appear at the end of this year and will be available for 36,000 euros (4,000 cheaper than the base ID.3 currently costs), and the US debut is scheduled for early 2024- th with a starting price of 35 thousand dollars. The Swedes also showed an off-road modification Cross Country with a plastic body kit, black decor, wheels with a diameter of 18 or 19 inches and increased ground clearance. It will also go on sale next year.
Volvo EX30 Cross Country
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