Another electric off-roader has joined the party. It’s not exactly a brand you’d traditionally think of when it comes to hitting the trail, but Volvo’s latest wants to tackle terrain that’s a little tougher than your typical compact crossover can handle.
The Volvo EX30 Cross Country is the first electric to get the Swedish car company’s CC badge, and it comes with some upgrades that will be useful the next time you need to hit a gravel road, along with rugged-looking design details.
Volvo EX30 Cross Country Doubles Your Choices for Small Rough-Road EVs
Rugged crossovers are as common as opinions and, well, you know. If you’re looking for gas power, that is. Nearly every model from every brand offers one, with the upgrades ranging from real functional suspension and driveline changes to just a little bit of dark plastic around the wheel wells.
On the electric side, the options are much smaller. Larger adventure vehicles like the Rivian R1S and the Hummer EV SUV give you plenty of capability, but if you want something smaller, your only choice so far is the Hyundai Ioniq 5 XRT. At least until Subaru decides the Solterra deserves the Wilderness treatment or maybe when the Uncharted arrives.
Now there’s a second. The Volvo EX30 Cross Country was announced earlier this year, but it’s just now showing up at dealers in the U.S. With a starting price of $48,150, it’s going to be significantly cheaper than the slightly larger Hyundai, which is $55,500 before freight and fees.
Taller, Tougher, More Practical
The Volvo EX30 Cross Country starts by jacking up the standard EX30. It’s just three-quarters of an inch, but that can sometimes be enough to get you where you need to go. Especially when you’ve got skid plates underneath protecting some of the soft bits. Mark it down as 7.5 inches of ground clearance total, and think of this as better-suited to bad weather and forest roads, not trails.
Volvo has retuned the suspension, not just raised it. Softer anti-roll bars and springs should give the EV a little more articulation. More importantly, it should give more rough road comfort. The available 18-inch all-terrain tires should deliver more off-pavement traction and durability.
Of course, there will be more exterior cladding. The wheel arches get bare plastic, as do the front and rear of the vehicle. Up front, Volvo has added a new topographic map to the “grille.” The map shows the Kebnekaise, the highest mountain in Sweden.
There are some other cross-country features like a “Will it fit?” graphic and a new storage box in the tunnel. The door pockets are bigger, too. And Volvo will have special accessories like a cargo basket for up top.
Your Only Options Are Paint and Fabric
If you want to order a 2026 Volvo EX30 Cross Country, you won’t get many choices. It is only sold in Ultra trim, which comes with the glass roof, loads of driver assists and camera views, a heat pump, and plenty of luxury bits and bobs. You can, at least, pick from a blue interior or a wool blend option in green.
The only power option is Volvo’s Twin Motor Performance setup, which delivers 422 horsepower from its dual motors. The total estimated range is 227 miles, and the 0–60 is just 3.5 seconds. For reference, the Hyundai makes 320 horsepower and gets 259 miles of range.
The new EVs should be at dealers now, following delays to the EX30 related to “changes in the global automotive landscape” earlier this year.
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