[Taboleo] EX30, No.1 in European Sales... "Achieved Both Safety and Performance"

No. 1 Premium Electric Vehicle Sales in Europe
0-100 km/h in 5.3 Seconds, 1040W Soundbar
Early 40 Million KRW Range... Outstanding Price Competitiveness

"It's still an electric car anyway." Before meeting Volvo's 'EX30,' which ranked first in sales in the premium electric vehicle market in Europe last year excluding Tesla, the thought of "what was the secret behind it" came to mind.

The EX30 sold 98,065 units worldwide in its first year, with 78,032 of those sold in Europe. As the EX30 is introduced domestically just one year after its unveiling, the question is whether it can continue Volvo's popularity. Based on Volvo's philosophy of 'making it safer, more convenient, and more enjoyable,' I test drove the EX30 on the 4th around Gimhae, Gyeongnam.

The Volvo EX30 test drive event held on the 4th in Gimhae, Gyeongnam (Photo by Oh Hyungil)

The first impression of the first model in the electric vehicle lineup 'EX' was Volvo's future. Although Volvo's distinctive 'Thor's Hammer' headlamps and diagonal grille were applied, the absence of a radiator grille gave a sense of a futuristic car. Opening the door and sitting in the seat for a proper drive, the first thing that caught my eye was the absence of a dashboard, offering an open and wide view.

Ergonomic seat technology, certified by the American Chiropractic Association for the first time in the automotive industry, was applied, making the lower back comfortable even during driving. The gear lever was changed to a column type behind the steering wheel, securing ample interior space. Physical buttons were greatly reduced to create a clean interior, and various storage spaces in the center of the front row and door panels also caught attention.

The driving response was immediate. The power from the 272-horsepower motor and the rear-wheel-based single motor extended-range powertrain, capable of reaching 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds, translated directly into a sense of speed.

Volvo EX30 Interior View (Provided by Volvo Korea)

Various safety features such as Pilot Assist, which maintains distance and lane from the car ahead to assist safe driving, lane departure mitigation, and hill descent control were standard, embodying Volvo's safety.

Notably, a new driver warning system was added that uses an IR sensor mounted on top of the steering wheel to detect the driver's movements and alert them to distractions, drowsiness, or fatigue during driving.

The Harman Kardon premium soundbar, consisting of nine speakers and a subwoofer with 1040W output, provided rich sound. Also, an independent 12.3-inch center display was applied, allowing intuitive access to navigation, entertainment, and climate control information, but the absence of a dashboard caused frequent distraction of gaze while driving.

Volvo Premium Electric SUV EX30 (Provided by Volvo Korea)

The window control buttons were located on the center console, making it inconvenient to operate the rear windows, and the lack of climate control buttons was also a downside. While the driver and front passenger spaces were spacious, the rear seat space was narrow for an adult male, making it more suitable for one- or two-person households.

Several drawbacks were offset by the affordable price. Compared to Europe, the price was lowered by about 20 million KRW for the same model, with the Core priced at 47.55 million KRW and the Ultra at 51.83 million KRW before subsidies. Applying subsidies brings the price down to the 40 million KRW range, making it one of the most affordable purchases worldwide.

Volvo EX30 Interior Sketch (Provided by Volvo)

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.