Bangkok 2024: Volvo EX30 – small SUV, big EV deal? From RM206k in Thailand, confirmed for Malaysia
Of course, 1.59 million baht has long ceased to be RM160k. Instead, the starting price of the Volvo EX30 in Thailand is equivalent to RM206,132 at today’s exchange rate. Weak ringgit aside, 1.59m baht is quite a deal for an electric SUV with a Volvo badge.
And design. The EX30 looks cool and distinctly Volvo, although it’s very small. A dedicated EV (no ICE version, unlike XC40) riding on Geely’s Scalable Electric Architecture (SEA) platform, the EX30 is 4,223 mm long, 1,837 mm wide and just 1,555 mm tall, which is 202 mm, 26 mm and 97 mm less than the XC40, respectively. Its 2,650 mm wheelbase is 52 mm shorter than the smallest XC model.
It’s rather cramped at the back and is far from ideal as a family car compared to many EV crossovers, but the interior is minimalist with plenty of unique touches (the single line metal trim/door handle for one) and trim (we saw blue terazzo-like door cards, for instance), and Volvo has managed to avoid the EX30’s dashboard looking generic, which many EVs at the 2024 Bangkok International Motor Show are guilty of.
In Thailand, the base EX30 Core Single Motor Extended Range starts from 1.59 million baht (RM206,132), followed by the Ultra Single Motor Extended Range at 1.79 million baht (RM232,263) – that’s the car you see here. The Ultra Twin Motor Performance range topper goes for 1.89 million baht (RM245,232).
For context, the EX30 Core is the cheapest Volvo on sale in Thailand, no matter what powertrain, and the XC40 Recharge Pure Electric starts from 1.99 million baht (RM258,150).
All three variants of the EX30 come with a nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery pack with gross energy capacity of 69 kWh (64 kWh usable). The max AC recharging rate is 11 kW, which refills the battery fully 7.5 hours. DC fast charging at the max 153 kW rate will get you from 10% to 80% state of charge in 26.5 minutes.
The Core and Ultra single-motor ER variants get a rear unit with 272 PS (200 kW) and 343 Nm of torque, good for 0-100 km/h in 5.3 seconds. Top speed is 180 km/h and WLTP range is 480 km. That’s a good set of figures, which makes the Ultra Twin Motor Performance sound mad (and a bit too much?). It gets another motor in the front for AWD and a total system output of 428 PS (315 kW) and 543 Nm. 0-100 km/h is done in just 3.6 seconds and WLTP range is 460 km.
Kit wise, the Core gets 18-inch alloys, LED headlamps, single-zone climate control, manual front seats, a 12.3-inch central touchscreen that monopolises functions, an Android Automotive Operating System-based infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Volvo’s usual ADAS suite.
The Ultra single motor you see here gives a more typical premium experience thanks to 19-inch alloys, a panoramic roof, powered front seats, powered tailgate, dual-zone climate control, ambient lighting, a Harman Kardon sound system, 360-degree camera, front cross traffic alert and lane change alert. No extra kit for the twin-motor Performance – the only difference is in the powertrain.
Like what you see? The EX30 has been confirmed for Malaysia and a 2024 introduction is possible. Currently, our cheapest Volvo EV is the XC40 Recharge Pure Electric at RM278,888.
GALLERY: Volvo EX30 Ultra Single Motor Extended Range at BIMS 2024
GALLERY: Volvo EX30 official images
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