2026 Volvo EX30 Cross Country Review
The rugged(ish) 2026 EX30 is still great to drive and still infuriating to use.
James Riswick
The 2026 Volvo EX30 Cross Country adds a bit more all-weather and weekend-adventure capability to Volvo's smallest and least expensive electric vehicle. Basically, it looks like it got a makeover at REI. Thankfully, it's still a joy to drive. Unfortunately, it's also still a pain to use due to a cabin that, while handsomely adorned with interesting, high-quality materials, suffers from poor functionality and money-saving measures.
The EX30's Cross Country makeover includes a cool, matte-black nose with topographic etchings of the Kebnekaise mountain range in Sweden, dark fender cladding, and a small ride-height lift. It also comes standard with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system and skid plates.
While I didn't find the driving experience suffered from the EX30's rugged Cross Country add-ons, the range does. That might make the SUV's weekend-adventure abilities moot. Ultimately, though, I can't recommend any EX30 given how difficult it is to use some basic functions.
James Riswick
About the 2026 Volvo EX30 Cross Country Review Vehicle
The Cross Country is technically a trim level of the 2026 EX30. It starts at about $48,000, including the destination charge to ship the crossover to a dealership from its assembly plant in Ghent, Belgium.
My Cross Country test vehicle's only option was a set of 18-inch wheels wrapped with all-terrain tires, which Volvo has not priced at the time of publication. Volvo provided the vehicle for this EX30 review and paid for meals during the evaluation period.
James Riswick
The EX30's High-Style Cabin Brings High Frustration
There's no shortage of SUVs with copious black trim, black contrasting roofs, and even fully blacked-out fascias. The EX30 could be a cliché, but most of that trim has a matte finish, and the grille's topographic details add more visual interest than just a big hunk of black plastic. Maybe it's still a cliché, but it's an attractive one.
Inside, I think everything Volvo's color and materials designers accomplished was a resounding success. The upholstery blend of Nordico simulated leather and either green or navy blue textile looks and feels expensive. Stylish, too. The air vents and metal door pulls are similarly high-quality, high-style pieces. The rest of the cabin materials are also top-notch.
That's the good news. Now for the not-so-good news.
The steering wheel volume controls aren't explicitly labeled and often don't respond. The other volume control is inside a pop-up window on the touchscreen infotainment system. So are all the climate controls. There is no instrument panel — your speed, range, and selected gear are shown at the top of the touchscreen.
Adjusting the driver's seat requires using a single square control with a button in its center that cycles through functions, which are indicated on the touchscreen. Adjusting the mirrors requires the touchscreen and the poorly labeled haptic buttons on the steering wheel.
Moreover, there are only two window switches, located on the center console. To operate the back windows, drivers will need to toggle to the "rear" button. The windshield wiper stalk is unlabeled; you have to look at the touchscreen to see what setting you've selected.
Maybe you'd get used to some or all of this stuff. After all, human beings can get used to some awfully obtuse and unpleasant things. That doesn't make them good.
James Riswick
Once I figured out how to adjust my seat, the EX30 Cross Country proved to be yet another comfortable and supportive Volvo with ample adjustments that are especially well-suited to taller drivers (I'm 6-foot-3).
But there was virtually no legroom remaining behind me. That's a statement of fact rather than a complaint, though. Small cars have small back seats, and that's OK. With average-height folks up front, I'd be perfectly happy to ride in the back seat, which features commendable under-thigh support and headroom.
A standard panoramic glass roof aids the latter, but it's only tinted. If you want to avoid a sun-scorched cabin, you might consider the $200 accessory sunshade that must be physically removed and stored in a bag when not in use. Not great.
James Riswick
As for the EX30 Cross Country's cargo area, it's definitely on the small side, but it's also far bigger than Volvo's measly 11.2-cubic-foot official measurement suggests. That's less than a Mini Cooper 4 Door's 13.1 cu-ft, but judging by pictures, it's tough to comprehend how the EX30's cargo area is smaller than that. I suspect this meager cargo volume is the result of Volvo using a different measurement method than the industry norm.
Putting aside the questionable volume, the area itself expands by lowering the floor and thereby eliminating the sizable underfloor stowage. If you're trying to get the most out of that expanded storage, you'll need to find someplace else to stash the extra-large charge cable, and it won't fit in the small under-hood compartment. But the resulting space can be pretty useful. Removing the rigid cargo cover would expand things even further.
As for cabin storage, there's more bad news. The only proper cupholders are shallow and not that grippy. My metal water bottle was flopping around, and so was my phone. The upright wireless charging pad is annoyingly placed at ankle level and lacks bumpers to keep a device in place. There are no door bottle holders and there isn't an under-armrest storage bin either. Instead, there's a two-tiered gutter of sorts with a modicum of covered storage in the lower tier that houses USB-C ports. It's not grippy, so whatever you put in there will slide around. The glovebox is located under the touchscreen, because of course it is.
James Riswick
The EX30's Touchscreen Is Good for Infotainment Functions
The 12.3-inch touchscreen features a Google-based interface with built-in Google Maps, access to the Google Play app, and Google Assistant voice controls. Volvo includes a four-year subscription to those services. Unfortunately, Google Assistant only supports infotainment-related features, so you can't tell it to recline your seat if you've lost patience with the uni-knob. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity is also standard.
Generally speaking, this tech interface is laid out in an agreeable manner. There are basically two home screens: one with a selection of icons and another with much of the screen devoted to Google Maps or Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, with a pair of tiles below for current audio content and your phone. It makes sense and is easy to understand — at least for infotainment elements.
James Riswick
The EX30 has the expected advanced driver-assistance systems. Among them is a well-executed adaptive cruise control that can be easily turned off and on with a dedicated steering wheel button — finally, something easy! This system performed well, though you do need to keep a hand on the wheel.
An obnoxious feature, however, was the driver-inattention-warning system that consistently chastised me to pay attention to the road ahead. Twice it did so while I was looking forward. Every other time was because I was looking at the touchscreen to complete a simple task that — given the inherent design of the controls — necessitated looking at the display.
James Riswick
Skip the Volvo EX30 Cross Country's All-Terrains
The EX30 Cross Country's Twin Motor Performance powertrain delivers 422 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. This EV weighs just 4,151 pounds, so that output is enough to rocket it to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds. It feels every bit as fast as that sounds.
Better still, the EX30 Cross Country is quite nimble, with quick, responsive steering that I suspect would provide more feedback if my test car had all-season tires rather than all-terrain tires. I didn't detect an encumbrance on ride or road noise (both were good), but on balance, I can't imagine an owner really needing the all-terrains unless they're frequently driving in mud. Otherwise, I don't think they're worth the degradation of grip and range.
Speaking of which, the EX30 Cross Country's EPA-estimated range is 227 miles with an estimated efficiency of 99 MPGe in combined city and highway driving with its standard 19-inch wheels and all-season tires. The all-terrains on 18-inch wheels slash the estimated range to 203 miles and efficiency to 89 MPGe combined.
Nevertheless, I did better, averaging 105 MPGe on an altered 80-mile version of my typical evaluation route that includes interstate, rural highway, mountain road, and suburban driving. Theoretically, then, the EX30 Cross Country can exceed its estimated range.
James Riswick
Is the 2026 Volvo EX30 Cross Country a Good Electric SUV?
The 2026 EX30 Cross Country is wonderful to drive, and its rugged add-ons increase its versatility. Its design and cabin materials are Volvo at its finest. But the screen-heavy nature of the controls made them frustrating to use, resulting in an EV that falls short of expectations.
Written by humans.
Edited by humans.
James RiswickJames Riswick has been testing and reviewing cars since 2007, serving as an editor at Edmunds and Autoblog, and contributing to Autotrader, Car and Driver, AutoGuide, Auto Express, and Capital One Auto Navigator. You name it, he's almost certainly driven it. He has attended an auto show every year since he was 2 and has wanted to be an automotive journalist since high school. He owns a babied 1998 BMW Z3 2.8 in James Bond blue, a silver 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350 Wagon (his idea of a three-row family vehicle) and a 2025 Cadillac Optiq because his wife would rather drive something from this decade.
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