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The sub-RM200,000 premium SUV market is becoming increasingly crowded these days, with Tesla, smart, Xpeng, MINI and now even Zeekr now playing in this space. In the midst of this cacophony, the Volvo EX30 created a strong first impression when it was launched in September, offering surprising value for money even by the brand’s standards.
With prices starting at RM188,888 for the base Plus variant, the EX30 is unique in that it’s the cheapest among cars wearing an established “mainstream” premium brand – everything else save for the tiny MINI Cooper SE is well north of RM200,000. The car you see here is the Ultra Twin Performance, representing a serious performance bargain at RM228,888; only the BYD Seal and Sealion 7 Performance (both RM200,500 on-the-road), as well as the new Zeekr X Flagship AWD (RM172,800) can offer better.
Volvo has managed to achieve savings in part by making it properly small (at 4,223 mm long, it’s nearly 50 mm shorter than the related smart #1, which is already on the scant side), but also by simplifying its complexity. To make the right-hand-drive conversion as straightforward as possible, the car has no instrument cluster or separate mirror controls (the latter has been moved to the touchscreen).
In fact, there are no switches on the doors at all – the window switches have been relocated to the centre (and there are no dedicated rear controls for those at the front), as has the glovebox. This enables the same dashboard to be fitted across left- and right-hand-drive markets. There are also no speakers in the front doors, just a Harman Kardon sound bar and a pair of speakers in the rear doors.
To make up for the cost-cutting, the EX30 packs a mean punch in AWD form. As the name suggests, the car is powered by dual electric motors, providing all-wheel drive and a combined 428 PS (315 kW) and 543 Nm of torque. Those are the same figures as the smart #1 and #3 and the Zeekr X AWD, but being a smaller and lighter car, it’s even quicker from zero to 100 km/h, completing the century sprint in just 3.6 seconds.
Anyway, can the EX30’s funky looks, new-age premium feel and surprisingly sporty driving dynamics enough for Hafriz Shah to overlook the penny-pinching, small size and touchscreen-heavy controls? Watch his typically thorough video review below.
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