After a year of writing new-vehicle reviews for TheCarMagazine.com, I’ve learned something very important: reviewing cars is a lot like defusing a bomb while someone reads you the instructions in Swedish. You’re trying to help shoppers figure out what belongs on their shortlist (or the delete list), but you can’t ever publicly say, “Hey, don’t buy this thing.” That’s journalistic suicide. You’ll be banished to the OEM penalty box faster than an NHL player who sneezes too hard near the refs.
So instead, I dance the dance. I shoulder the sacred burden of objectivity while gently, politely, and therapeutically pointing out the good, the bad, and the “why-is-this-like-this” elements of every new model. And the 2026 Volvo EX30 is a perfect example of why this job is both delightful and maddening. It’s tiny-but-big, fast-but-relaxed, premium-but-affordable-ish, and every part of it tries to punch above its weight class.
Let’s have at it.
Trim Levels, Pricing & What They Actually Mean
Thanks to CarCostCanada — the only source I need for price intel — I learned that Volvo offers the EX30 in six trims:
- Single Motor Extended Range RWD CORE – $49,950
- Single Motor Extended Range RWD PLUS – $53,600
- Single Motor Extended Range RWD ULTRA – $55,800
- Twin Motor Performance AWD PLUS – $56,600
- Twin Motor Performance AWD ULTRA – $58,800
- Twin Motor Performance AWD ULTRA Cross Country – $59,800
Now, because most shoppers see this list and go, “Okay, cool… but what’s the actual difference?” — here’s the quick, helpful breakdown:
- CORE: The essentials. Big battery, rear-wheel drive, solid range, and Volvo’s minimalist vibe.
- PLUS: Adds nicer materials, more advanced driver aids, better audio, and some upgraded convenience goodies.
- ULTRA: Volvo throws the whole parts catalogue at it — panoramic roof, better tech, more safety, more luxury touches.
- Twin Motor Performance AWD versions (PLUS/ULTRA): Much more power, all-wheel drive grip, significantly better acceleration.
- Cross Country: Same power as the AWD ULTRA but adds rugged styling cues, slightly raised stance, cladding, and a “I could go off-road but let’s not ruin the paint” personality.
Honestly? I’ve accepted that EV pricing now starts in the $40Ks and creeps upward like ivy on an abandoned building. A year ago I would’ve said, “Wow, this is expensive!” Now, after reviewing EV after EV, I just sigh and mutter, “Yep… that’s just the price now.” My spirit is broken, but at least I’m well informed.
Size: Small Outside, Big Inside
When I first walked up to the EX30, I thought, “Huh… cute. Did someone leave this out in the rain and it shrank?” It looks noticeably smaller than something like the 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 5, which is wider, longer, and overall more substantial in its exterior footprint.
But then you sit inside the EX30 and boom — optical illusion shattered. It feels legitimately roomy. Volvo’s designers pulled off a magic trick: compact outside dimensions with interior space that feels closer to a mid-sizer. Headroom is solid, seating position is upright and confident, and the cabin doesn’t close in on you the way some small EVs do.
User Interface: Simple… for Once
Volvo’s UI used to be the automotive version of IKEA furniture instructions: beautiful, Scandinavian, and impossible to navigate without swearing. But in the EX30? Everything just… works.
- Radio: easy.
- Heated seats & steering wheel, instantly found.
- Climate: right there.
- And the START/STOP button? Bless the designers — it’s not hidden behind the steering column, buried in a menu, or disguised as an IKEA lamp. It’s just there.
This shouldn’t be groundbreaking, yet here we are.
Driving: A Tiny Rocket with Excellent Table Manners
On my test drive with Chantale — who bravely clung to the “holy crap” handles — I tapped the accelerator (we do NOT say gas pedal in an EV review), and the EX30 instantly launched like I’d just angered the space-time continuum.
It only took about two seconds before I had to back off, because this thing will reach 100 km/h in 3.4 to 3.6 seconds depending on the trim. That’s “photo radar Christmas bonus” territory.
Once I settled into normal driving, the EX30 behaved like a much bigger SUV. At highway speeds, it’s stable, quiet, planted, and laser-precise. But in downtown Toronto, it transforms into something else entirely: a nimble, confident, city-slaying EV with fantastic visibility. I weaved (responsibly!) between streetcars, delivery scooters, Uber drivers treating traffic rules as light suggestions, and construction zones that seem eternal.
Bottom line: this is a phenomenal city EV. It’s small enough for tight lanes and garages, fast enough to merge anywhere, and comfortable enough for long commutes. The range — roughly 400 km — is best in urban conditions, but highway trips are no problem.
Leasing: Good, But Volvo… Push Harder
According to LeaseBusters, Volvo Financial Services is offering reasonable leases, but they’re not swinging hard enough. Only 48-month terms are available at the time of this review. Yes, that fully covers the comprehensive warranty — great — but the EX30 desperately needs a 60-month lease option.
If Volvo came out swinging with a $499/month, 60-month, zero-down (minus dealer admin fee) lease on the Twin Motor Performance AWD PLUS, they’d have lineup-around-the-building demand. People want this car — they just need the payment to want them back.
Final Thought: Can We Talk About the Name?
Volvo EX30… Infiniti EX35… anyone else seeing the potential brand-confusion landmine here? The EX30 deserves a name that stands apart, not one that makes longtime Infiniti drivers do a double take.
But naming aside, the 2026 Volvo EX30 is impressive, fast, stylish, smartly packaged, city-friendly, highway-ready, and legitimately fun. If Volvo sharpens its lease game, this little rocket could become one of the most popular EVs in the country.
James Matthews is the President, General Manager and Co-Founder of LeaseBusters. James launched LeaseBusters in 1990 and is considered one of Canada’s leading experts on new vehicle leases, lease-take-overs and vehicle lease (re)marketing. James can be reached directly at jmatthews at leasebusters.com