The Volvo EX30 Cross Country just debuted as a more rugged version of the Volvo EX30 electric subcompact crossover. Volvo says the EX30 Cross Country is “an experience, not just a car,” but it’s really just an EX30 wearing hiking boots.
The Cross Country treatment to a Volvo model involves standard all-wheel drive, a little extra ground clearance, and dark cladding on the wheel arches and lower body of the car. A cool additional touch on the EX30 Cross Country is a stylized topographical map of the Kebnekaise mountain range in Arctic Sweden applied to the front “shield” of the car where the grille would normally be.
“We launched our first Cross Country car over 25 years ago, and this concept of durable and all-weather cars is core to the Volvo brand,” said Volvo Cars CEO Jim Rowan. “In Sweden we face harsh winters, but we also like to make the most of them by getting out and exploring our amazing nature, even when it’s minus 20 Celsius outside. That’s why we want to deliver a fully rounded experience, not simply a car, to our EX30 Cross Country customers.”
The Volvo EX30 first debuted back in the summer of 2023, and we got a glimpse of a Cross Country version back then. The EX30 is Volvo’s smallest EV, with a single-motor variant rated at 268 horsepower and a dual-motor version with 422 horsepower. Since the dual-motor powertrain is required to get AWD, that will presumably be the standard powertrain in the Cross Country model.
“We know that more and more people are seeking ways to get closer to nature,” says Rowan. “This is why with our new Cross Country Experience, we aim to create an entire ecosystem around those models, supporting our customers as they embrace adventure.”
The regular Volvo EX30 is available to order now in the U.S., but only with the dual-motor powertrain, which starts at $46,195. The single-motor version is priced from just $36,245, but it’s unclear when it will be available in the States.
Until the 2026 Chevy Bolt EV comes out, the closest GM rival to the Volvo EX30 is the bigger and similarly priced Chevy Equinox EV. However, GM doesn’t currently have any off-road-oriented electric crossovers on the market, so it has no direct rival to the EX30 Cross Country. If the off-road trend continues, maybe we’ll see a Bolt EV Activ or Z71 one day.
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