You only need look at how many MG 4s and Cupra Borns are on the road to get the significance of family focused EVs at £35k and under. At the same price or little more than the equivalent ICE hatch, their popularity looks set only to increase over the coming years. See the Kia EV3 as proof of the sector’s importance. That new electric hatch-SUV launched this week at £32,995; in what must be a complete coincidence, Volvo has confirmed its new EX30 Core a couple of days later. From £32,850.
Core will sit below the Plus and Ultra in the small Volvo SUV lineup, dropping the price of entry by almost £1000. But obviously this had nothing to do with the Kia’s arrival whatsoever. With a price fairly close to the Plus model, the Core keeps much of that car’s spec, with standard kit including 18-inch wheels, a rear parking camera and a dash-mounted soundbar. £32,850 or £479 a month buys a Single Motor, rear-drive EX30 Core, with 272hp and 209 miles possible thanks to a 51kWh battery. For £37,050 an Extended Range model is available, increasing battery size to 69kWh and the range to 295 miles. As can often be the case with EVs (and would typically be the way with ICE models, to be fair), it feels like the model with the headline-grabbing RRP isn’t the one that people will necessarily buy.
Still,it feels reasonably interesting that an electric Volvo is now priced at Golf money. For running the usual errands with the odd longer trip, it’s easy to see why something like an EX30 might appeal. Think of all the potential savings for a fun car. With the Core model on sale now, it’s expected on the road early in 2025. By which time there will probably be twice the numbers of rivals to think about.
