Tough Little EV: Introducing the Volvo EX30 Cross Country

It’s the Scandinavian electric off-roader. Volvo has taken its EX30 compact electric crossover and given it the rugged treatment that buyers of every crossover on the market seem to love.

The EX30 Cross Country is more than just good looks, too, adding some extra ground clearance and tires better suited to rough conditions to help boost its capability in rough terrain.

25 Years of Swedish Off-Roading

Volvo has been building Cross Country models for more than 25 years. It launched the first one at the start of the crossover and SUV craze in 1997 by taking Subaru’s Outback lead and making it a bit fancier.

The first one took Volvo’s then-popular V70 wagon and bumped the ride height an inch and a half, added some cladding, and made a few other small changes. It was a hit, and Volvo hasn’t stopped building Cross Country models since.

This one starts with an EX30 Twin Motor. That’s the super-quick 422-horsepower, 400 pound-feet of torque version of the EX30 that, in standard form, delivers a 265-mile estimated electric range.

Volvo follows the traditional Cross Country formula and raises the ride height. The company didn’t say how much taller it will be, but about an inch seems likely. Buyers get skid plates front and rear, and they can pick optional 18-inch all-terrain tires. Though those tires will be good on gravel, they will cut into the total range.

You’ll find more cladding on the outside, with new gray-finished wheel arches and some new plastic all the way around. Instead of a big slab of gray plastic on the nose, Volvo added a topo map of Kebnekaise, which, at 6,880 feet, is the highest mountain in Sweden. This being an electric vehicle, it’s hard not to think about how the glacier’s peak was almost 100 feet higher when Volvo started building cars.

Volvo Adds Utility, Not Just Cladding

The EX30 Cross Country isn’t just appearance parts. Volvo worked to make it functional by adding cargo solutions, including a new storage box under the center tunnel. It’s removable and can be washed, so it’s fine for muddy gear and trash. There are larger door pockets than the standard EX30, and Volvo has added a fun “Will it fit?” graphic at the back to see how your gear sizes up.

Then there are the accessories. Volvo will sell a roof basket, load carrier, and mudflaps for the EX30 CC, along with those 18-inch A/T tires. The company calls it the “Cross Country Experience” pack.

Volvo said it would detail the EX30 Cross Country’s specs later on, closer to the delayed EX30 models arriving at dealers. Pricing wasn’t announced either, but expect it to run around $50,000.

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