It’s hard not to like Volvo’s new EX30 compact crossover, its smallest SUV. And I did this, mainly, while driving it for the first time on bumpy UK roads.
It’s a smart electric car with a contemporary look, a range of up to 476 kilometres, good performance and acceleration, a smart and tidy interior, flexible space (including folding seats and a small front trunk or ‘frunk’) and some clever touches. .
But he’s also a flawed genius. Because despite my enjoyment, there are still some irritating issues that I hope the Swedish car firm, owned by automotive giant Geely, fixes in the Chinese-made SUV.
Volvo has removed physical buttons and knobs and put too much emphasis on the iPad-style dashboard’s single vertical center screen.
As a result, there is no driver information screen behind the wheel. So I had to look away from the road to the car’s central screen to check the speed limit or keep an eye on the sat nav map.
Flawed genius: Volvo’s EX30 lacks a dashboard behind the steering wheel
Adjustment of the side mirrors is also done through the screen. This is surprising for a car company that has built a reputation on safety.
This key flaw aside, I enjoyed the EX30, priced from £33,795. I drove the 272bhp rear-drive model which cost from £38,545 and which accelerated from rest to 62mph in 5.3 seconds and had a range of 296 miles.
The most powerful version with two 428 hp motors costs from £42,045 and accelerates from rest to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds.
Volkswagen Multivan has the slowest depreciation
New cars lose value the moment they leave the dealership. But the degree of depreciation varies greatly between models.
A new report from WhatCar magazine? When looking at cars under £50,000, based on three years of ownership and 36,000 miles, the seven-seater Volkswagen Multivan is said to have the best performance with the slowest depreciation, retaining 62 per cent of its value while falls from £48,340 to £29,975. a fall of £18,365.
First place: Volkswagen Multivan has the slowest depreciation, retaining 62 per cent of its value as it falls from £48,340 to £29,975
It is followed by the Renault Scenic E-Tech, which retains 60.7 percent of its value and the Honda Civic Type R (60.5 percent).
Those that depreciate the most are the Vauxhall Mokka Electric, which retains 27.9 percent of its value, and the DS3 E-Tense (28.5 percent).