Peter Lyon
August 12, 2024
Volvo’s stylish electric SUV—the EX30—has been spied multiple times on Malaysian roads, elevating hype around its local launch. Now however, the car has finally been listed on Volvo Car Malaysia’s website, complete with a dedicated registration of interest page that suggests an upcoming formal introduction.
There are currently no details available as the page simply says that the EX30 is “coming soon.” If you’ve been following the news, though, you know that the firm has already stated that the small SUV would actually be making its Malaysian debut this year, so this shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.
The EX30 has already been introduced in Thailand and Indonesia. For Thailand, there are three different versions including two single-motor models with 272 horsepower and 343 Nm, and a dual-motor Ultra Twin Motor Performance edition with 428 horsepower and 543 Nm.
All specs are powered by the same 69 kWh nickel manganese cobalt battery pack, delivering a driving range of 480 km (WLTP) on the single motor variants, and 460 km on the dual-motor Performance variant. In the real world, however, expect a range of around 400km and 390km respectively.
Meanwhile, the EX30 is only available in single-motor configurations with two different battery pack options in Indonesia. The 51 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery pack powers the entry-level Plus model, which has a range of 344 km (WLTP). Meanwhile, the Ultra Extended Range variation, which has the highest range, is powered by the same 69 kWh NMC battery pack as the car in Thailand.
The EX30 has an onboard 11 kW AC charger that can be used to charge the 69 kWh model in about eight hours. For a 10-80% top-up, using a DC fast charger (up to 153 kW) reduces the charging time to 26 minutes.
The fact that the press release says that the EX30 headed for Malaysia will have “the fastest acceleration of any Volvo to date,” this hints that the twin-motor Performance model will be available. The Performance version reaches a top speed of 180 km/h, which is Volvo-standard, and sprints from zero to 100km/h in just 3.6 seconds.
The EX30 will be equipped with an enhanced safety kit that includes cameras, sensors, and radar, as well as an automated parking feature and “upgraded semi-autonomous Pilot Assist functionality” for the Malaysian market. Inside, the Volvo EX30 will offer a unique minimalist dashboard design, centred around a 12.3-inch vertical touchscreen with Volvo’s latest infotainment operating system powered by Google.
CARLIST THOUGHTS
With its sharp, futuristic looks, spartan interior and appealing road manners, this is the Volvo that EV fans have been waiting for. We are still not sure of pricing in Malaysia but we expect it to be competitive with other EVs from Japan and a little cheaper than those from Germany.
