Ice Drive: Volvo’s EX30 Cross Country adds some character to the EV mix

What is it?

Volvo’s Cross Country recipe is a simple one. Take one of the brand’s standard vehicles, give it a healthy boost in ride height, throw in some chunky body panels and ensure that there’s a semblance of four-wheel-drive ability. The end result? A car that can go a little further off the beaten track than a regular model but still has that on-road ability that most drivers want.

The Cross Country name has been a part of the Volvo lineup for decades and now there’s a new one, with the electric EX30 Cross Country. We’ve been driving it on the Swedish ice to gain some initial impressions.

What’s new?

As touched upon, a lot of the tweaks which help the EX30 transform into the Cross Country version are similar to those applied to previous generations of this more rugged nameplate. Up front, there’s a new ‘shield’ finished in matt black and etched with lines that daw inspiration from the topography maps in northern Sweden. At the rear, you’ve got new bumper inserts with the ‘Cross Country’ name embossed onto them – it’s the same feature that we’ve seen on previous generations of this model, too. There are chunky wheelarch extensions, too.

Importantly, there’s a 19mm boost in ride height coming through a combination of suspension lift and larger wheels. You can also get an all-terrain tyre as an option, which will help the EX30 to go a little further off-road than your typical EV. Volvo, however, is adamant that this car is not an out-and-out off-roader – but then, previous Cross Country cars weren’t either.

What’s under the bonnet?

You’ve only got a dual-motor setup available on the Cross Country – one motor mounted at the front and another at the rear – to provide that all-important all-wheel-drive capability. As we’ve found on the standard EX30 it’s a potent combination, bringing 428bhp and a supercar-scaring 0-60mph time of just 3.5 seconds. Flat-out, the EX30 Cross Country will manage a limited 112mph top speed.

In terms of range, Volvo claims up to 264 miles between trips to the plug, while a 175kW maximum charging speed could see a 10 to 80 per cent charge conducted in around 28 minutes when you’re hooked up to a suitably speedy charger.

What’s it like to drive?

We got to test the new EX30 Cross Country atop a frozen section of a Swedish lake, around 220 metres away from land and out over the water. Fortunately, neither the car nor the ice cracked under pressure, with the EX30 Cross Country bringing assured traction and a heck of a lot of performance. In fact, you could argue that the EX30 is a little too potent for its own good, and we might rather have a little less power and a bit more range.

As with the standard EX30, there’s a screen setup which dominates proceedings and, just like in the standard car, we’d appreciate an additional screen ahead of the driver which would make checking key information such as speed much easier. A short road drive didn’t flag any glaring issues, either, while the car’s light steering made three-point turns and smaller manoeuvres easy.

How does it look?

The standard EX30 is a great interpretation of what a modern a Volvo ‘should’ look like – to our eyes at least – and the extra features which come as part of the Cross Country setup only strengthen things further. With its beefier bumpers and chunky all-terrain tyres the EX30 is given more presence than before and there’s a great range of accessories to add in should you want it.

The roof ‘basket’, for instance, could be great for drivers looking to take more adventure gear with them, while additional holders for items such as kayaks enable this EV to fit more outdoor pursuits than you might expect.

What’s it like inside?

It’s business as usual inside the EX30. In fact, whereas there’s quite a bit to help differentiate the outside of the Cross Country from that of the standard car, there’s not too much that does the same when it comes to the cabin. There are two interior ‘themes’ to choose from – Pine and Indigo – and each gives the car’s cabin a different flavour, introducing a number of eco-friendly materials such as wool, or even recycled denim fibres recovered from old jeans. Don’t worry – they’ve been washed first.

Rear-seat legroom is a little on the tight side – particularly if you’ve got a taller passenger or driver ahead of you – while the 318-litre boot is smaller, too. However, there is an additional 61 litres of underfloor storage, which helps to improve things.

What’s the spec like?

Prices for the EX30 Cross Country start from £47,050. If you selected a ‘standard’ EX30 and upgraded the specification to an equivalent for the Cross Country – ‘Ultra’ grade – and added the twin motor powertrain, you’d be looking at £44,850, so there’s quite a decent chunk added for that additional ground clearance and styling touches.

You do get plenty of equipment to help strengthen the proposition, mind you. Since the EX30 Cross Country essentially comes in top spec, features such as a panoramic sunroof, 360-degree parking camera and a 12.3-inch infotainment display all come as standard. The on-board tech works well, too, though we’ve found some of the assistance systems on the EX30 to be a little too distracting – and it’s likely to be the same story with the Cross Country.

Verdict

The Volvo EX30 Cross Country is a pleasant example of this Swedish brand looking to blend old and new. It can trace its lineage back many years and through several models, so it’s a nice way for Volvo to acknowledge what has come before it while still moving things forward.

It does represent a premium over a standard EX30, but that has been the case with previous Cross Country models. What the change has done, however, is add some much-needed characrter which will surely impact its desirability in a positive fashion.