The 2026 Volvo EX30 Cross Country will arrive this fall intended to attract the adventurous types who like to haul bikes and strap at least one kayak on the roof—maybe even a tent.
The 422-hp EX30 Cross Country gets 7.5 inches of ground clearance. That’s three-quarters of an inch higher than a standard EX30. Estimated range is 227 miles.
Exterior touches include extended wheel arches, front and rear skidplates, and a matte-black front shield bearing a topographic map of a Swedish mountain range.
The Volvo EX30 compact crossover is a competent, practical, reasonably affordable all-electric vehicle that probably deserved a better reception than it got.
It should have gone on sale in the US months earlier—in a more favorable market—but Europe got the EX30 in late 2023 while US customers had to wait until the very end of 2024, largely due to Biden administration tariffs on Chinese-built vehicles, like the EX30.
By the time the Scandinavian-Chinese crossover reached US shores, the Trump administration assumed power in Washington with plans for more punitive tariffs (especially on China) and eager to do away with federal EV tax credits.
The legislative tables were turning in favor of internal-combustion cars and trucks after Volvo and nearly every other automaker had invested billions in the opposite direction.
What’s an automaker to do? Shift production for the US market from Zhangjiakou, China (a plant owned by Volvo Cars parent Geely Holding Group), to Ghent, Belgium, where the tariff hit is a mere 25%—for now, which is much lower than for vehicles from China.
And after all this, Volvo has sold fewer than 2,600 EX30s in the US so far this year. Volvo has to sell a lot more of them to make money on this small all-wheel-drive crossover. (For context, Volvo sold nearly 10 times more XC60 ICE SUVs in the same period.)
Calling All Kayakers
What else can an automaker do? Punch up the product with as many variants or trim packages as possible so the EX30 appeals to a wider pool of shoppers.
Hence, the EX30 Cross Country will arrive this fall as a 2026 model intended to attract the adventurous types who like to haul bikes and strap at least one kayak on the roof—maybe even a tent.
Pricing information should come along shortly, when the order books open up, but Volvo will market the EX30 Cross Country as a variant of the Ultra trim, which currently starts at $47,895 with destination charges.
The EX30 Cross Country gets 7.5 inches of ground clearance. That’s three-quarters of an inch higher than a standard EX30—and three inches less than a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, so don’t bank on this new Volvo for ambitious off-roading.
But a long dirt road through a meadow and over a few hills to a perfectly secluded lakeside campsite—that’s where the EX30 Cross Country excels. Like other EX30s, the Cross Country can tow 2,000 pounds, which means a small cargo trailer.
That trailer might be necessary if mom and dad are taking their two young children on a camping trip in the EX30 Cross Country. It’s a small-ish crossover, less than 167 inches long overall (more than a foot shorter than a Ford Escape), with less than 32 cubic feet of luggage room.
Needs More Range to Go Cross Country
But nothing wrecks the family fun like range anxiety. The EX30 Cross Country’s 69-kWh NMC battery (64 kWh usable) delivers a stated range of 227 miles, which might have been OK four years ago but now it’s well behind the Chevy Equinox EV and Nissan Ariya, for instance.
Perhaps Volvo determined its adventurous customers won’t stray that far from home, and that those folks would rather spend less for a vehicle with a smaller battery. (For ’26, Toyota has two batteries for the updated bZ—one larger and one smaller than the EX30’s—and both achieve higher range.)
If the priority for any EX30 intenders is range, then they can pass on the Cross Country and buy a Plus ($46,195 with destination) or Ultra model with 19-inch rims and get a more competitive 253 miles of range.
If ride, handling, and performance are front of mind, then most Volvo shoppers will find the EX30 Cross Country to stack up well with the newest EVs.
Having driven the Pure and Ultra versions, and now the Cross Country, it’s not easy differentiating ride quality among them.
They all hold the road well, steer with predictive precision, and are, of course, extremely quiet, although wind management is a bigger challenge for the Cross Country and its 0.30 drag coefficient, compared to 0.28 on the standard EX30.
Sorry, No Off-Roading
That higher drag helps explain the diminished range for the Cross Country, combined with the higher ride height (less than an inch) and the 19-inch rims wearing Goodyear Efficient Grip tires (235/50R-19) during recent test drives in Sweden.
The five-link rear suspension in the Cross Country is tuned to be softer (springs and antiroll bars) for a more comfortable ride. Volvo’s product guide described the Cross Country as “rugged” five times.
But oddly enough, we did no off-roading two hours north of Gothenburg in seaside towns where Swedes go for summer rest and to enjoy the great outdoors before the snow flies in a few months. Scandinavian off-roading must be far less intense than in the US.
Still, the EX30 Cross Country was happy to tap its 422 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque as we drove highways and two-lane roads along Sweden’s west coast. Passing is a breeze in this vehicle weighing 4,206 pounds.
All-wheel drive is standard (with a motor at the front and rear) on every EX30 for the US, but Volvo sells a rear-wheel-drive version elsewhere (with 275 miles of range) and has said it wants to bring this variant to the US as well.
The Cross Country interior is basically the same as on the other EX30s, emphasizing recycled and renewable upholstery offered in two shades—Pine (forest green) and Indigo (deep blue), both quite handsome. Seats are firm and supportive.
Priced in Line with Lexus RZ
A minimalist approach to controls allows buttons only on the steering wheel, plus two multi-purpose window switches (for four windows) positioned in the center armrest.
And you’ll need to sort through the Google-backed infotainment system to tweak vehicle functions, climate controls, entertainment, navigation—basically everything.
There are some exterior touches to signal the Cross Country, like the extended wheel arches and front and rear skidplates, and especially the matte-black front shield (in place of the grille) bearing a topographic map of Sweden’s Kebnekaise mountain range in the Arctic, with the actual longitude and latitude coordinates.
A critical question is, who wants a Volvo EX30, in Cross Country trim or otherwise? If pricing falls below $50,000, it will be slightly more expensive than well-equipped mainstream entries like the larger Ariya and bZ.
But Volvo plays in that near-luxury space, so it will likely undercut the Audi Q4 e-tron, Cadillac Optiq, Genesis GV60, and Mercedes EQB EVS, while priced more in line with the Lexus RZ.
Tariffs on imported vehicles are likely to start impacting many of these MY 2026 EVs, including the EX30, but for now there are no price changes on 2025 EX30 models, whether they come from China or Belgium.
Might be a smart time to pull the trigger. Dealers are eager to thin their inventories.
Do you expect the Volvo EX30 Cross Country to move the sales needle for Volvo’s all-electric offerings? Please comment below.
Comments