New Volvo EX30 Core hits back at Kia EV3 with low £32,850 price tag

The Volvo EX30 is now available to order in an entry-level ‘Core’ specification, which has brought the starting price for the Swedish brand’s baby electric SUV down to £32,850 – reduction of more than £2,000. The announcement comes, coincidentally or not, in the same week that the rival Kia EV3 went on sale with a starting price of £32,995.

The Volvo EX30 Core is available with two powertrains: the standard ‘Single Motor’ setup offers 209 miles of range from a 51kWh battery or, for an extra £4,200, the aptly named ‘Single Motor Extended Range’ cars can go 295 miles between charges thanks to a larger 69kWh powerpack. Both versions use a 268bhp electric motor to drive the rear wheels.

By way of comparison, even the most-basic Kia EV3 has a 267-mile range because of a 58.3kWh battery, while models fitted with the 81.4kWh battery boast up to 372 miles of range. Long-range versions of the EV3 are also available from under £35,000, compared to over £37,000 for the equivalent EX30.

Standard kit with Core trim includes automatic LED headlights with active high beam, 18-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, a reversing camera and a soundbar that stretches across the dashboard. There’s also a 12.3-inch touchscreen that handles your infotainment and vital driver information, this comes with Google apps and services built-in. 

Of course, the EX30 being a Volvo, there are plenty of safety features and lots of driver assistance tech onboard too - including adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring and a collision avoidance system. EX30 Single Motor Extended Range versions also benefit from an energy-saving heat pump, which is used to warm the cabin when in the colder months, preserving the car’s driving range.

Customer deliveries of the Volvo EX30 in Core trim are expected to begin in early 2025. 

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