EX30 on the street: Fastest-ever Volvo hits the tarmac

The brand has unveiled an all-electric mini-SUV, the fastest accelerating model in its history

Volvo likens the EX30's headlights to the hammer of mythical god and latterday Marvel superhero Thor. All photos: Volvo

The EX30 comes with a choice of three battery options

The fastest EX30 can get up to 100kph from a standing start in 3.6 seconds

The EX30's sizeable touchscreen

The EX30 is undoubtedly compact

Nothing too cluttered about that interior

An early design sketch of the EX30

Small size, small carbon footprint

The fastest-charging EX30 can be 80 per cent full after 25 minutes

Volvo has just shunted its latest electric offering onto the world’s automotive stage. And if the stats associated with the new arrival are accurate, it looks to be on the sprightly side.

The car is question is a mini SUV called the EX30 and, while it takes its place as the smallest vehicle of its kind the manufacturer has ever produced, it is also the fastest accelerating model in the brand’s history as well.

Volvo says the all-wheel-drive variant will get from 0-100kph in 3.6 seconds, which is the kind of performance a lot of supercars would tip their bonnets at.

The manufacturer says the EX30 has been designed to have the lowest carbon footprint of any of its cars to date and represents a significant step forward for the brand’s sustainability ambitions.

There are three different powertrain options available, each offering different perks – extended range in one, for example, sporty in another.

The aforementioned extended range option has a battery life sufficient to see the car cover up to 480km.

It also has an impressive charge time of only 25 minutes to get to 80 per cent full.

Externally, the EX30 looks every bit the ultra-modern electric vehicle.

It’s all simple, clean lines and curves, touches which are typical of state-of-the-art Scandinavian automotive design – think Polestar.

As a brand, Volvo is synonymous with safety, and the EX30 is no exception in this department, having been kitted out with the company’s latest portfolio of driver aides.

The inside can only be described as neat, with a dominant infotainment screen centrally placed on the otherwise uncluttered dashboard.

The EX30 will arrive in the Middle East early next year, but Volvo is thus far keeping quiet about a regional price.

However, international figures suggest it will retail for just north of the $35,000 mark, which would seem to make it a lot of car for your money.