Volvo’s main takeaway for the new EX30 crossover was, well, brief. His idea was to build a small, attractive, luxury electric car with a range of more than 250 miles, priced at less than $35,000 (not including destination and government rebates). That goal was achieved as he spent two days in his cute ute at Volvo’s headquarters in Sweden. EX30 is adorable and attractive. It must also be an amazing performer. The top-spec all-wheel-drive twin-motor performance model boasts 422 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque, and Volvo says it accelerates its smallest SUV (nominal weight: 4140 pounds) from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds. Enough to do. From the passenger seat, where I first experienced the EX30 on Volvo’s test track, it felt solid and stable. “All our cars must have a distinct Volvo character,” says Egbert Bakker, the brand’s technical lead for vehicle dynamics. As he acted as our driver and guided us through a myriad of stomach-churning maneuvers, we were glad we didn’t have to eat the herring for breakfast. “And that means it has to feel predictable and controllable…
