- Volvo has brought its Cross Country badge to the little EX30 electric SUV.
- The off-road-themed trim adds ground clearance and protective skid plates.
- Cross Country options include a roof basket and tougher all-terrain tires.
More than a quarter of a century ago Volvo’s Cross Country badge helped it bridge the gap between cars like the V70 and the SUVs its range lacked. But now for the first time with the EX30 Volvo has teamed up an SUV and the Cross Country label, bringing some extra attitude to its baby EV.
Volvo doesn’t claim the newest EX30 in any way revolutionizes off-road vehicles. Most people are going to buy the Cross Country for the way it looks, which is a lot more macho than the stock SUV. You get small black plastic arch extensions, a black panel across the back and another one on the nose that features a relief map of Sweden’s Kebnekaise mountains. There’s also a Cross Country callout on the C-pillar instead of the usual EX30 script.
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But even though this new variant is mostly about standing out in the city, it’s not entirely without substance. You get an unspecified amount of additional ground clearance, protective skid plates for the underneath, and the standard 19-inch wheels can be swapped for 18-inch versions wrapped in off-road rubber if you select the ‘Cross Country Experience’ package.
Other options included in that bundle include front and rear mud flaps, black load carriers and a roof basket that looks great but is sure to eat into the 265 miles (427 km) Volvo claims the Cross Country gets from its 69 kWh battery. That range is, to save you checking, already down from 280 miles (450 km), and there’s a performance penalty to pay, too.
The only powertrain available at launch is the regular EX30’s best-performing setup, a 422 hp (428 PS / 315 kW) bi-motor affair. Volvo quotes 3.7 seconds to 62 mph (100 kmh), which is a tenth slower than the same motor configuration in the non-Cross Country variant.
Volvo hasn’t explicitly ruled out expanding the Cross Country motor lineup in future, so it’s possible it might offer the model with the single 272 hp (275 PS / 200 kW) electric motor available to other EX30 buyers, though the lack of all-wheel drive really would undermine the credibility of the Cross Country package.
The Cross Country is only available in the EX30’s poshest Ultra trim that brings goodies like a panoramic roof, Park Pilot assistant and 360-degree camera. One of those currently costs £42,350 in the UK and $47,895 in the US, and you can expect your Cross Country off-road dress-up kit to add at least a grand.
