11/06/2026
VOLVO EX30 CROSS COUNTRY ULTRA
Electrifying performance is but one virtue
I’m always at pains to advise car buyers to avoid buying early production models, whatever the make, and that applies most especially in more recent times as the use of what I’ll loosely term “processors”, proliferates. If you spend any time Googling “recalls”, you’ll be amazed how often software updates come up. I raise this matter because very early examples of the all-electric Volvo EX30, according to reports from Britain, were so problematic that many irate owners permanently returned their recently acquired cars to the importers in terms of non-compliance with local purchasing regulations.
Happily, the passage of time and a concomitant commitment by Volvo to rectify early “wrongs” has seen the EX30 wafting along in much calmer conditions with owners’ faces mostly wreathed in smiles rather than furrowed brows. With this in mind, the arrival of a relatively freshly minted EX30 was anticipated with even greater than usual interest, more especially as it carried a “Cross Country” badge that turns this compact SUV into something of a lifestyle vehicle rather than a bush wacker per se.
No one tries harder to avoid dirt roads more than me, so such a concept is frankly not up my street, but raising ground clearance by 19mm (12mm + 7mm tyre contribution) and adding a roof rack doesn’t actually force anyone to go where others fear to tread, so hats off to the makers for thinking off the straight and narrow in terms of model composition. After all, some people like to telegraph their penchant for traversing terrain off the straight and narrow.
The reality though is that raised clearance and a (optional) roof basket aren’t the only tweaks behind the CC badge. Aside from reprofiled wheel arches and some interesting topographical reproduction of a mountain range in Sweden embossed into a black nose panel insert along with a corresponding plain black panel attached to the rump, the real difference is out of sight and takes the form of suspension tweaks intended to make this Volvo more amenable to occupants’ posteriors when traversing non-sealed roads. I also suspect that the fitment of 235/50R19 Goodyears with the letters SUV stamped on the sidewalls may also contribute to a more pliant ride.
Where things don’t change is in the fitment of electric motors up front and down the back which telegraphs that the CC drives through all four wheels. And how. Those Twin Motors are fed by a 69kWh battery and deliver peak outputs of 315kW/543Nm to drive the 4.233m/1 960kg SUV with most unusual vigour through the seamless single speed transmission. All that grunt is fed selectively to the wheels that can utilise the energy most efficiently, all of which translates into an exhilarating 0-100km/h time of around 3.6 seconds! Top speed is a controlled 180km/h.
Quite whether this Porsche 911-rivalling get-up-and-go is necessary is another matter. What really matters is that rapid progress is so utterly effortless and achieved with so little fuss that a mental re-set is needed for those who are familiar only with conventionally powered vehicles. Consider too that all that torque will make mincemeat of towing large loads.
Now for the more debatable side of electric propulsion which relates to range anxiety and charge times. Volvo talks of a WLTP consumption rate of 15kWh, but that figure could only be attained on a continuous downhill run! After a week of relatively restrained use in mixed conditions of urban and open road running, a figure of 19kWh seemed most common, but to ensure I obtained a good spread of real world figures, I alighted early from my warm bed on a cold and windy winter morning in Somerset West to find out just how thirsty this Swedish all-rounder would be in rush hour traffic.
The truth was revealing. Over 27km of backed-up traffic and innumerable standstill situations, the toll extracted in continually moving 1 960kg away from rest was obvious as the screen readout revealed a consumption of 25kWh. So, regard the maker’s claim of “up to 460km” range as optimistic and look to a real world spread of 350km to 400km. Those figures are not unduly restrictive to be frank and let’s not overlook the fact that Volvo provides buyers with home charger installation support (valued at R 7 500) as well as 2 years of public charging of up to R6 000 per annum.
A home system should provide a full charge overnight, while in my experience, a rapid public charging unit in my home town achieved 100% charge from 55% in under an hour. Absolutely no problems were experienced in setting up this session with a pre-paid card.
If I revelled in the smooth and effortless power delivery of this under-cover rocket ship, that mildly tweaked and raised suspension was unexpectantly another star of the convincing show being laid on by this compact Volvo. Past experience suggested that the basic settings of the regular Twin Motor EX30 delivered a slightly-too-firm ride but this iteration, allegedly set up for operations on dirty surfaces, delivered a thoroughly satisfying ride on sealed surfaces of varying quality.
Frankly, I think too much attention has been paid by manufacturers, mainly from Germany, into fitting their steeds with springs so stiff an anvil seems soft, and with tyre walls so shallow that even a pebble is enough to disturb loose fillings. Invariably, the description “Nurburgring” crops up, but the fact is that 99.99% of motorists don’t go near that hallowed ground (where I have to admit I have enjoyed many exhilarating laps except for the one when I took a trip through the kitty litter!) so unless the car in question is fitted with digital chassis control that allows damping rates to be altered, ride discomfort is the order of the day.
In this case, I thought the SUV looked a tad over-tyred, an unusual observation, but the use of 50-profile rubber telegraphed that the chassis engineers did not have the Nurburgring in mind! Indeed, few cars in my more recent experience have offered such a superbly balanced ride. By “balanced”, I refer to achieving a near-ideal compromise between comfort, roll control and rebound control. The CC is endowed with a mildly firm feel but the harshness that normally accompanies inherent stiffness is blunted by a beautifully judged initial pliancy that ensures road surface irregularities don’t send shockwaves through the bodyshell, nor do they trigger sudden vertical movement that occupants would feel through the seat cushions.
To that controlled comfort, you can add respectable roll control, near flawless straight-line stability and reassuring roll dissipation as well as underpinnings that go about their business remarkably quietly. Given the lack of mechanical commotion, clunks and thumps from the suspension would normally be easy to detect, but not here, albeit that wretched roof basket tried hard to drown out any opposition!
This dynamic goodness is enhanced by the excellent traction that’s a function of four driven wheels and by power steering that’s as sweet as you’ll find for the simple but vital reason that it’s endowed with a progressive increase in resistance as speed rises. That means effortless at parking speeds and slightly meatier at speed but without the irritating off-centre resistance and dead weight feel that plagues rather too many cars from the Orient. Somewhere in the depths of the touchscreen is a setting captioned “Steering Assist”” but I didn’t try and find out what this meant as the steering was just fine with that setting turned on.
On the braking front, it’s a fact of life that brake feel can be variable with EVs as a result of conflict with the regenerative system. In the Volvo’s case, that regen can be turned off or set to LOW or HIGH. I used the middle setting and found it perfect for dealing progressively with the numerous descents in my area and with the process of slowing for red lights when only a light touch of the pedal was needed to come to a full stop. Otherwise, the pedal feel was remarkably normal for an EV.
Other points to raise on the driving front include the useful and switchable “Creep” mode which allows for trickle movement without using the accelerator, and also the three driving modes titled Range, Standard and Performance. Again, I stuck to the middle setting, seeing little need for the hotter input given the huge performance already on hand!
I’ve expended lots of words on the dynamics of this Volvo for the good reason that on-road performance in every aspect was top notch despite the fact that the CC, on paper at least, should be a tad compromised given the raised clearance and softer settings accompanied by SUV-specific tyres.
As for the aesthetics and comfort/practicality, I have covered these aspects in earlier reports of regular EX30s, so I’ll curb my verbosity without bypassing significant matters.
Here goes. In terms of external fit and finish, the Vapour Grey paintwork showed off a pleasing gloss as well as some orange peel on vertical surfaces. Panel fit was good throughout which is a significant achievement given the relative complexity of the bonnet and tailgate pressings. The doors opened easily and closed with a reassuring thunk, but I did find the functionality of the cheap-looking remote control to open and close the vehicle was erratic. It’s held up to a specific marker on the driver’s door pillar and strikes me as being a tad too clever for its own good. And while I’ve got in mild whinge mode, I have to question why Volvo is so stingy with its unremarkable paint colour options. Just five colours are listed for the CC, the Vehicle Identity Plate of which declares: DESIGNED BY VOLVO CARS OF SWEDEN: ASSEMBLED IN CHINA.
As for the interior, it’s deliberately minimalist and might just be singled out by some for looking a tad austere. Seating, powered by electrics up front, is swathed in a synthetic material offset by coarse fabric inlays applied to the upper part of the backrests. Praise the heavens, this CC’s interior was lifted by the use of a mid-grey tone for the primary seating area and by a pale patterned fabric applied to the door panels and dash roll. When will Saffers work out that coal mine black is just the pits – literally!
Volvo beats its chest over the use of recycled cladding in this model, and I assume this applies in the main to the dark-coloured door cards which frankly I thought looked and felt a tad sub-par for a car commanding a six-figure purchase price. I guess that synthetic seat covering is also mildly disappointing in that it lacks texture and aroma, but it certainly looks very neat and tidy as the seating surfaces looked as though they’d never been sat in thanks to the absence of material stretch, or ‘bagging’ as I call it. Also appreciated was the total absence of any trim squeaks and rattles. And the luggage area is sensibly trimmed all-round in decent grade carpet, albeit the seat-up volume of 318L (expandable to 1 000L) is on the tight side as is the rear passenger space which nonetheless will accommodate two adults without too much compromise. And being a Volvo, there’s a full array of airbags in all the right hidden places. Oh, I nearly forgot – there’s also a small “frunk” in the nose that will accommodate a soft bag or two.
The primary reason for the relative austerity of the cabin lies in Volvo’s insistence on using a touch screen for every function you can imagine, right down to opening the central dash cubby and the tailgate and to displaying the car’s essentials, including speed. It’s not that the screen is slow and unresponsive – it’s just that it’s overburdened with too many functions that demand too many inputs from the driver.
Just as an example, the settings menu includes: DRIVING; CONTROL; SOUND; CONNECTIVITY; CHARGING; PROFILES; PRIVACY; GOOGLE and SYSTEM, not to mention all the sub-menus built into that lot. That includes embedded wifi in the form of a 5G system provided by Vodacom for three years, as well as an amazing array of sound options together with Google Services, Android Auto, Apple Car Play, Bluetooth and a 360-camera system. The last mentioned is really useful as hefty rear pillars are somewhat obstructive. And the rather substantial array of driver assistance nannies can become irritating, albeit most can be silenced if you know where to go on the 12.3-inch screen.
At R1 165 000, the Cross Country is no bargain buster but given its simply immense performance capability and its hugely satisfying driving manners, that figure is not out of line today. And let’s not forget its thoroughly comprehensive equipment levels and solid construction, all of which combine to make it one of the most pleasing driving experiences I’ve had this year.
Peace of mind comes from a 5-year/100 000 km vehicle warranty, an 8-year/160 000 km battery warranty and a 3-year/60 000 km maintenance plan. But don’t overlook probable heavy depreciation and a slight worry that more software glitches might just be hiding away as seems to be rather too common with most EVs globally.
RICHARD WILEY
