Volvo has been producing Cross Country versions of its cars since 1997. Back then, for their first XC car, they lifted the V70 wagon to give it about an inch more ground clearance—for a whopping six inches of free air underneath. They also softened the suspension to give it a bit more articulation for off-road duty, and tuned the AWD system for slush and mud.
A quarter-century later, the first Volvo EV to get the Cross-Country transformation follows a similar recipe. The EX30 Cross Country debuted in Stockholm, Sweden, this morning, and it’s lifted, it’s a bit more buff than the base car, and we’ve come here to test it out. (More on that, shortly.)
But we should pause to recap.
The Volvo EX30 And The Road To Ruggedness
(Note: Standard Volvo EX30 Shown here)
Volvo just got going selling the base EX30 on our shores, so if you’re unfamiliar, this is a compact package about the same size as
, but with a lot more panache. It’s been a big hit already in Europe, where last year the petit Volvo trailed only the
in 2024 sales, hitting nearly 100,000 units. As it stands, the $44,990 twin motor all-wheel-drive Volvo EX30 is the starting and only option for Americans, but a cheaper, Single Motor EX30 should be on sale by spring, for $36,245. (Volvo has yet to say how much the Cross Country version goes for, but we expect more like $48,000.)
The Volvo EX30 Cross Country
In twin motor guise, both the XC and base models are good for 422 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. The XC version of this car can be shod with either taller 19-inch wheels or special 18s with off-road-specific rubber. The 64 kWh battery pack is identical in each, and Volvo claims a refuel from 10-80 percent in as little as 26 minutes on a DC fast charger. The EPA estimates 253 miles per charge for the non-lifted EX30, but the taller ride might put a slight dent in the Cross Country’s range.
|
Powertrain |
Dual-Electric Motors |
|---|---|
|
Horsepower |
422 HP |
|
Torque |
400 LB-FT |
|
0-60 MPH |
3.4 Seconds (base EX30) |
|
Battery Capacity |
64 kWh |
|
Charging 10-80% |
As fast as 26 minutes (DC Fast Charging) |
Right, taller: The EX30 has been raised 19mm (.74 inches). That yields 197mm/7.74 inches of ground clearance. That’s still slightly shy of Subaru’s Solterra, with its 8.3 inches, but still pretty decent for a petit EV soft-roader. Volvo, as they did back in the day, also adjusted the suspension of the EX30 Cross Country, for more liberal articulation over bumps and ruts.
A Familiar Appearance
Cosmetically, the Cross Country gets some signature differences. Yep, there’s Volvo’s Cross Country badging at the hatch and at the junction of the roof and the C pillar, and functional bits, such as chunky front and rear skidplates as well as overlapping, toughened blacked-out wheel arches, plus a black-out section of the hatch lid. It’s a simple but effective way to make the car look more rugged. And Volvo adds a nifty topo map embossed into a black grille. As is somehow perfectly Swedish, that map depicts the Kebnekaise range, a ridge at the spine of the nation, the apex of which is the skyscraping Mt. Kebnekaise—which stands at a pretty modest 6,880 feet.
TopSpeed’s Take
“Modest prowess” is very Volvo, though. The mission of the EX30 Cross Country, like in 1997 with the V70 Cross Country, isn’t to slay Jeep. It’s a niche player, and a fine option if you want a toughened, small EV off-roader (or just that vibe). Oh, also, we should mention the cabin is pretty sweet, too, and there’s more to come on both that, and what the car drives like, which we’re about to report on from northern Sweden later this week.
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