With EX30, Volvo launches a difficult challenge, that of bringing the concept of premium electric into an accessible and sustainable dimension. At 4.2 metres, this crossover is not only the smallest car produced in the modern era, but also the most “digital”. It anticipates it from the outside with very essential lines and shapes and a cut of the lights that seems closer to the family feeling of Polestar than of Volvo. EX30 will soon be available in a more externally characterized Cross Country variant, but for now it focuses on the urban appearance.
The interior projects us into a new era, taking Scandinavian minimalism to the extreme in some ways and showing, as happens to more and more manufacturers, clear inspirations from the Tesla philosophy which, moreover, follows the same high tech minimalist orientation: the interior is in fact extremely simple, with dashboard and door panels that proudly display the new ecological materials but at first convey an idea of compromise not entirely in keeping with a premium brand. Above all, the button panel for the window regulators, located in the center of the central armrest, with only two buttons plus one for switchthe control to the rear windows.
The interface is decidedly “Tesla oriented”: almost all the controls are concentrated in the vertical display divided into five sections, which proves to be very intuitive and responsive. Navigation, on-board settings and secondary controls are well laid out and well managed, with screens that change depending on the conditions (gear or stop) so as to always offer the most useful icons in the foreground. The control on the right on the steering column is used to set the gear and also activate Level 2 assisted driving, which also offer active overtaking assistance. Even the opening/closing and starting operations have no dedicated controls. If the key is present, the locks are unlocked and to move, simply operate the selector directly, without the “power” buttons.
The design of the new platform proves effective in reducing and distributing weight, regardless of whether you drive one of the single-engine versions or the integral dual-engine version: high visibility and reduced visual imput from digital interface make driving relaxed and pleasant, with all the commands and settings that prove to be truly just a touch away as soon as you need them.
