2026 Volvo EX30 Cross Country Quick Spin: Personality Hire
Key Points in This Review
- Cross Country-specific changes for the 2026 EX30 include unique wheels, tires and suspension tuning.
- This version is offered in one trim, called Ultra, with dual-motor all-wheel drive.
- Overall, the EX30 Cross Country is lovely to drive, sit in and look at.
It’s tough to engineer character into an electric SUV, and it’s even more difficult if said model represents the entry point to a brand’s lineup. Volvo has managed this double threat with the 2026 Volvo EX30, which is both holistically chic and excellent to drive in spite of its place at the bottom of Volvo’s food chain. For the 2026 model year, it’s gotten even better: To semi-adventurous, active-lifestyle buyers, the new soft-roading EX30 Cross Country might just be the perfect intra-urban raceabout.
Related: Volvo Brings More Affordable EX30, EX90 Single Motor to U.S., EX40 Gains Black Edition
Yes, urban. The Cross Country’s 7.5 inches of ground clearance is jacked nearly an inch more than the standard EX30’s, but you still won’t be conquering any two-tracks that feature anything but packed dirt or snow. And that’s OK! For the same reasons the Porsche 911 Dakar and Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato are the elite choices of their breed on the deceptively craggy, steep and generally broken pavement of Los Angeles, the Cross Country’s thicker-sidewall tires and extra ground clearance mean you can crash about metroscapes with aplomb.
What’s the Difference Between a Standard Volvo EX30 and the Cross Country?
- Takeaway: The Cross Country gets exterior cladding, a softer suspension, increased ride height, available all-terrain tires and unique wheels.
When you do happen to place a wheel in the dirt, it’ll be all the better for the Cross Country’s (slightly) rough-and-tumble hardware. In addition to trim-specific wheels and tires, there’s extra body cladding around the wheel wells and front-end trim that’s textured with a topographical map of Sweden’s tallest mountain. Crucially, the Cross Country is offered solely in dual-motor configuration, so AWD is standard.
I must confess that driving this Cross Country was my first exposure to the EX30 family, but on the endless network of canyon roads I drove through Southern California’s mountain ranges, the SUV’s softened suspension and squishier all-terrain tires had little effect on its innate athleticism. If you — like me — value a balance of capability and usability, the Cross Country adds a dash of the former without significantly affecting the latter.
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How Quick is the 2026 Volvo EX30 Cross Country?
- Takeaway: With 422 horsepower and dual-motor AWD, the Cross Country has a 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds, according to Volvo.
The EX30 Cross Country’s 422 hp and 400 pounds-feet of torque allow for a silly 0-60 mph rush in 3.5 seconds — enough scoot to trench dirt roads or smear this SUV’s knobby tires against on-ramp tarmac like melted crayon. The EX30 is also the first electrified Volvo with satisfying brakes; most regenerative braking in the brand’s plug-in hybrids and full EVs is poorly tuned and unintuitive. Now, well … they’re just brakes, and that’s a compliment. The EX30 Cross Country’s brakes require no learning curve or conscious need to adapt, which cannot be said of many regenerative braking systems.
It’s quite comfortable, too, thanks to both its suspension tuning and its general interior appointments. Front-seat comfort is top-notch, while rear seating is just fine; both myself and Cars.com Road Test Editor Brian Normile found the EX30’s second-row dimensions to be cramped, apart from headroom. Oh, and speaking of the roof — please, Volvo, please incorporate the available $235 accessory shade for the panoramic roof as standard equipment.
What a cleverly packaged cabin. There’s nothing new or specific to the Cross Country, but the EX30’s ingenious cockpit scores high in the “surprise-and-delight” category, especially with its bilevel lower storage tray and a retracting drawer that hides cupholders and general stowage. Engage it from its stored position, and this section slides out with damped actuation to reveal two cupholders; push it back in, and it locks into a single cupholder configuration before allowing full retraction. Smart.
It’s a losing battle, but I still can’t get behind software-defined vehicles. The EX30’s digital architecture is less egregious than elsewhere in the industry — despite some strange decisions to nest certain settings at least two menus deep, including drive modes and assist controls. Regardless, the system is responsive and quite nice to look at, so it earns medium marks overall.
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How Much Does the 2026 Volvo EX30 Cross Country Cost?
- Takeaway: It starts at $49,445, including destination fee.
The only real issues I have with the 2026 Volvo EX30 Cross Country are its price and range. For 2026, the Cross Country comes only in the tip-top Ultra grade, which costs nearly $50,000. And with its squishier tires and suspension changes, its EPA-estimated range drops from the vanilla dual-motor EX30’s 253 miles to 227. That’s more than usable for city driving, but not quite road-trip caliber — especially if you plan to take your new soft-roading toy into the mountains.
Otherwise, the EX30 Cross Country is a darn good crossover that’s as good to drive as it is to look at and sit in. If range isn’t a real concern, spring for the Cross Country. If it is, slide into the standard EX30. Need capability and more range? Lucky you! The gas-powered 2026 Volvo XC40 has more than 8 inches of ground clearance.
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