Volvo is entering something of a new phase, and this new EX30 is in the vanguard. Not merely is it on course to become a fully-electric brand by 2030, it's also spreading its wings to become less Swedish-centric, and more of a true global car manufacturer. Being owned by Chinese car-making giant Geely doubtless helps, as it means that Volvo can leverage Geely's vast industrial base to build the EX30 in China. That unquestionably helps to keep the car's cost down and means that you will be able to buy one - starting early next year - for a price of just €38,596.

That's an arrestingly low price for a car with a Volvo badge, and one that puts it right in amongst the likes of the Jeep Avenger and Renault Megane E-Tech Electric, and which undercuts significant others such as the Volkswagen ID.3 and the Tesla Model 3.

In part, Volvo has hit that price point by fitting the EX30 with a choice of batteries - not just in terms of energy capacity, but the chemistry of the battery. The base model uses a 49kWh (usable) lithium-iron phosphate battery, which is cheaper to build and potentially more robust than traditional lithium-ion packs. It's not as energy-efficient, though, so the range of that basic EX30 is just 344km - competitive with the Megane, but behind the Jeep and many others.

If it's range you want, Volvo offers a bigger battery, a 64kWh unit, which is based on more familiar lithium-ion chemistry. With the same 272hp electric motor as the basic version, this Extended Range model offers up to 474km of range on one charge - capable of facing down such rivals as the BMW iX1 and the incoming new MINI Countryman Electric. The battery can be charged at up to 175kW on DC (it's limited to 150kW for the smaller, more affordable battery) and there's the option to increase the 11kW AC charging rate to a more useful 22kW.

There is a third variation on the EX30 theme - the Twin Motor Performance variant. This gets two motors (obviously...), four-wheel drive and the ability to crack a 3.4-second 0-100km/h sprint.

In the metal

On the outside, all EX30s look fundamentally the same. Volvo has produced a clean, relatively simple look defined by a blunt front end and fairly generic crossover rear - though that's livened up by neat LED lighting effects. The pixel-style front lights can flip and twist in all sorts of interesting patterns, while there's neat inset Volvo script in the rear lights that's only visible when they're switched on. While the EX30 is a fairly plain shape, it's crisply executed and there are some strong colour options, such as Cloud Blue (which varies from a flat grey to a baby blue, depending on the available light) to the striking Moss Yellow.

Inside is the EX30's trump card, for its cabin looks and feels far nicer than you'd expect of a car with its starting price tag. In fact, it feels better than many more expensive models. Little touches, such as the precisely judged squishiness of the front seats, and the fact that the interior door handles are metal, not plastic, really lift the cabin and overall quality is excellent, even though these were pre-production cars we were testing.

There are some unusual touches, such as the big dashboard and door trim panels that are made of variations on the recycled plastics theme. Some of these look better than others, but they do help the EX30 to achieve an impressively low claimed full-lifecycle carbon emissions figure.

Were it not for the visual and tactile warmth of the various surfaces, the EX30's cabin would be quite stark as there are almost no physical buttons at all. Only the column stalks and a couple of individual buttons (such as the hazard switch, mounted on the roof) are real while everything else - from heating and ventilation to opening the glove box - is controlled through the 12.3-inch portrait-style screen in the centre of the dash.

There's no driver's instrument panel, nor a head-up display for the windscreen, which raises a safety-related eyebrow or two, but Volvo's adamant that the single big screen is safe to use, and it also helps keep the car's carbon footprint down.

At the top, there's a permanent display of your speed, your gear selection (you use the right-hand column stalk to pick D, N, R or P), whether you're using active cruise control, and the general road situation surrounding the car.

The next panel down is usually reserved for the navigation screen, which natively uses Google Maps. Below that there are displays for music and phone controls, and below that another always-on display featuring shortcut buttons for the home screen and the air conditioning controls.

It all looks good, and the software is impressive, but we found that some basic actions - adjusting the air conditioning, adjusting the stereo volume and especially adjusting the door mirrors - take too many clicks and too much attention to really feel safe. Would more familiarity speed that up? Doubtless so, but then physical buttons for commonly-used functions would be quicker again...

The front of the cabin is very practical, with good-sized door bins (lined with soft material so stuff doesn't rattle about) and a large open storage area between the seats. That area has its own shallow lidded section with two USB-C sockets, and there are two slide-out cupholders in the big centre armrest. There's also a wireless phone charging pad at the base of the dashboard.

In the back, while passengers get a handy slide-out storage area in the centre console for themselves, space isn't all that great. If you're trying to fit four big adults in the EX30, rear legroom is going to be very tight. While headroom is fine (thanks in part to the fact that the big glass roof doesn't have a roller blind), the rear floor is quite high, so your knees and feet are also quite high up. At least those in the back do get decent door bins, and their own pair of USB-C sockets too.

In the boot, there's 400 litres of space if you're prepared to load it to the roof, or 318 litres if you're loading up to the luggage cover. There's a small, but useful, seven-litre space in the 'frunk' too.

Driving it

It says something about the development of the motor car that this relatively humble, electric, family-oriented, compact crossover has as much power and torque as a mid-nineties Porsche and can scamper to 100km/h in just 5.3 seconds. It's an almost absurdly quick car when you compare it to the sort of performance you'd get from a petrol, hybrid, or diesel-powered equivalent. Thankfully, the brakes feel up to reining it all in and the one-pedal driving setup, which uses largely regenerative braking, is well calibrated and can bring the EX30 to a complete stop in traffic.
In spite of the power on offer, the official range seems about accurate. Setting off, and against Volvo's 474km one-charge claim, we were seeing an indicated 450km on a fully-charged battery and the state of charge seemed to go down in line with how we were driving. On a mixed route of hilly country roads, more flowing main roads and motorways, along with some snarled up in-town traffic, we averaged 18kWh/100km with the air conditioning going, which seems decent enough (it helps that the Extended Range and Performance models get standard heat-pump systems).

The EX30 has exceptionally light steering. Its feel and weight can be adjusted using the touchscreen (again, lots of menus to get through to find that bit) but in none of the three modes does it feel anything other than light and quick. That's good in many ways - the neat, small, square-ish steering wheel feels great to hold and the speed and lightness of response are just about perfectly judged for nipping into gaps in town. The EX30's relatively trim dimensions and good visibility help here too, as does the excellent surround-view camera system.

On the open road, it's no driver's car - the steering always remains too light for real enthusiasm - but it's agile and sweetly balanced, with a good compromise between body control and bump absorption. The weight - 1,785kg at the kerb for this Extended Range model - means that the initial agility will give way to dogged understeer if the corner is long enough and you're driving too quickly, but for most people most of the time, the EX30 will feel pleasantly slick to drive. Just avoid the optional 20-inch wheels. The ride, fine on the 19-inch rims, gets too bumpy around town on the bigger alloys.

Refinement is excellent, with little tyre noise and only a faint wind rustle around the frameless door mirrors at motorway speeds.

What you get for your money

While entry-level Irish pricing for the Volvo EX30 starts at €38,596 net of grants and rebates, our Extended Range EX30 in Ultra trim will cost €51,095 - which means that it doesn't get any VRT relief, so just the €3,500 SEAI grant applies. For that, you get a lengthy standard equipment list, including the 12.3-inch touchscreen, two-zone climate control, heated front seats and steering wheel, adaptive cruise control, front and rear park assist, 19-inch alloy wheels, two-tone roof, ambient cabin lighting, wireless Apple CarPlay connection, built-in browser and apps with four years unlimited data, a 360-degree camera system, the big glass roof, power front seat adjustment and 22kW AC battery charging.

Summary

We need to try the new Volvo EX30 out at home to see how well it copes with cold conditions and long motorway runs, and to see how easy that singular screen is to use in more familiar surroundings. That said, though, it's hard not to be impressed by the new Volvo - it's coming in at a sharp price, with a great cabin and impressive range and efficiency if you trade up to this Extended Range model.