Volvo’s EX30 Cross Country: Swedish steel takes on South African dust in an off-road adventure

New Volvo South Africa MD Grant Locke, recently returned from 18 months in Sweden, has been brought into the position to steady the ship and ensure that the brand continues to have a strong local presence.

Only a day after his arrival, he launched the new Volvo EX30 Cross Country with at least two more scheduled in the next year or so, including the ES90 electric sedan as well as the electric EX60 SUV. 

Volvo is continuing to focus on New Energy Vehicles and insists that fully electric vehicles will very much continue to be the backbone of their offerings, while plug-in hybrids and mild hybrids will continue to be in the mix.

Cross Country moniker

That’s very clear with the reveal of the fully electric EX30 Cross Country, the first of their electric range to wear the Cross Country moniker.

It’s essentially an adventure pack added to the standard EX30 that allows it to do offroading, although not anything too serious or too deep into the bush (it’s electric, remember), but it does add a bit of swagger to the car.

Exterior

Key to that is its raised ride height thanks to a combination of suspension tweaks and 19-inch five-spoke alloy wheels finished in Matte Graphite with Matte Black aero inserts, making it 13mm higher(190mm) than its road-biased sibling.

Visual upgrades are a darker-toned front shield and boot lid, while the front fascia features artwork inspired by Sweden’s Kebnekaise mountain range. Pronounced skid plates and wider wheel arch extensions provide it with a more rugged-looking appearance.

There are five colours: Sand Dune, Cloud Blue, Crystal White, Onyx Black, and Vapour Grey. 

There’s an optional Cross Country Experience package that includes mudflaps, roof racks and all-terrain tyres at R20,000 - R30,000 depending on which options you tick.

Interior

As with the EX30, the interior is minimalistic to the extreme with virtually all adjustments, settings and information accessed via a plethora of menus on the 12.3-inch touchscreen.

It’s well equipped with a heated steering wheel and front seats, a fixed panoramic sunroof, two-zone climate control, power-adjustable front seats and a nine-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system.

There are two interior options: Pine and Indigo, and like the rest of the interior, they have been put together using recycled and renewable materials.

Power

Power is provided by front and back electric one-speed motors delivering 315kW and 543Nm while the 69kWh battery delivers a claimed range of 427 kilometres and can be charged from 10% to 80% in 26 minutes using a fast charger, provided you can find one in the bundu.

Driving

Thanks to the immediate torque on offer, the EX30 Cross Country provides a brisk take-off with a quick and steady increase in speed when you push the accelerator to the floor.

It will get to 100km/h in 3.7 seconds from a standing start with a top speed of 180km/h as mandated throughout the Volvo range.

On gravel roads, it showcases the off-road tweaks well.

The suspension is soft and compliant, making easy work of wash-aways and ruts, while the All Wheel Drive system provides plenty of confidence on sandy corners and stretches where we went above the speed that the average owner would regularly do when venturing off the tar.

Our launch car was fitted with a roof rack, and we found the whistling of the air passing through it rather intrusive, especially because it’s so quiet inside.

It’s likely, though, that once it’s loaded that this will disappear.

Fully electric vehicles in South Africa are still regarded with scepticism, accounting for only 0.24% of new car sales last year. The EX30 was our best performer with 406 units sold, so it will be interesting to see whether the Volvo EX30 Cross Country can make inroads into the leisure market.

Keeping in mind it’s strictly a “softroader”, and while our charging infrastructure is steadily improving, taking it to its intended habitat remains a gamble, so it will take some innovative arguments to convince lifestyle buyers.

It comes with a three-year/60,000km maintenance plan, a five-year/100,000km warranty, an eight-year battery warranty and five years of unlimited roadside assistance.

Additionally, owners receive two years of free public charging, a GridCars wallbox with installation, and 10GB of Vodacom data per month for three years. 

Pricing

Volvo EX30 Cross Country: R1,165,000.