New Volvo EX30 vs Smart #1
The all-new Volvo EX30 was developed using the same know-how that made the Smart #1 a class leader. But can the newcomer leapfrog its relative?...
The contenders
NEW Volvo EX30 Single Motor Extended Range Plus
List price £38,545
Target Price £38,545
The smallest SUV yet from Volvo is based on the same underpinnings as the #1, but has a longer official range
Smart #1 Premium
List price £38,950
Target Price £38,950
With a plush interior and punchy performance, our reigning Small Electric SUV of the Year will be hard to beat
Like a reusable water bottle, a sustainably produced hiking jacket or a vegan-friendly backpack, the electric Volvo EX30 is both a fashion accessory and a talking point. Not only is it the smallest SUV yet from the Swedish brand, but the claim that it has the lowest carbon footprint of any Volvo to date makes quite a positive ecological statement.
But we know what you’re thinking: virtue signalling doesn’t come cheap. Well, in this case, things are different; the EX30’s starting price (albeit for a model with a relatively small battery) is very competitive. Meanwhile, even in the mid-tier Single Motor Extended Range Plus form we have here, it costs roughly the same as our reigning Small Electric SUV of the Year, the Smart #1 in Premium trim.
That social media-inspired name might be a bit cringeworthy, but the #1 will be tough to beat in most other regards; when we tested it previously, we were impressed by its punchy performance, quick charging and upmarket interior.
Then again, with Smart and Volvo both being owned by Chinese giant Geely, the #1 and EX30 actually have very similar underpinnings. And if any brand has shown it knows how to produce a highly desirable premium SUV, it’s Volvo.
Driving
Performance, ride, handling, refinement
Each car is powered by a 268bhp electric motor that drives the rear wheels. So, although the EX30 proved slightly faster than the #1 in our tests (0-60mph took the former 5.5sec and the latter 5.9sec), both are much nippier than such rivals as the Hyundai Kona Electric (7.8sec) and Kia Niro EV (7.4sec).
Unlike those front-wheel-drive models, which can easily break traction when pulling out of slippery junctions, the #1 and EX30 have no problem putting their power down on the road; when accelerating, the physics of their weight shifting rearwards pushes the driven wheels harder against the Tarmac, increasing traction.
At least as important as sprinting ability, though, is stamina. And to test this, we charged the batteries of both cars to 90% and drove a route that simulated a mix of motorway, country and town driving (at our private test track so that traffic conditions wouldn’t influence the results).
The EX30 covered 2.8 miles for every kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity it consumed, giving it a hypothetical real-world range of 179 miles from its 64kWh (usable capacity) battery – nearly 40% short of its official range. While the #1 has a slightly smaller, 62kWh battery, its superior efficiency of 3.1 miles/kWh allowed it to cover a theoretical 190 miles between top-ups – a less drastic 30% shortfall from its official figure.
With the ambient temperature hovering around 10deg C, we suspect that some of the #1’s advantage came from the heat pump it has as standard. This is a more efficient way of warming up the interior than conventional heating and has less impact on range. The EX30 does without a heat pump unless you step up to the flagship Ultra trim.
It’s a shame neither car got closer to its official range, because both are unusually relaxing cruisers. In terms of noise at 70mph, they are separated by just 0.6dB, with the EX30 marginally better at blocking out the wind rushing past and the sound of the tyres passing over the road.
While the EX30 has a slightly firmer ride than the #1, it’s still supple enough to soak up most bumps and potholes comfortably, and it’s more adept at controlling body movements over undulations. The #1 doesn’t ride badly, but it tends to thud more over expansion joints and patched-up sections of bitumen.
By wider class standards, the #1 handles very tidily, being better to drive than the likes of the Jeep Avenger. However, it doesn’t feel as sharp through corners as the EX30 and suffers more body lean. Both have reasonably accurate steering, allowing you to place each car’s nose with confidence, although some drivers might find the EX30’s a little too light, even in its heaviest mode (of three).
Like almost all electric vehicles, the #1 and EX30 have regenerative braking systems that actively slow them down under deceleration while sending energy back into their batteries to help eke out range. The EX30 sheds speed promptly and smoothly when you lift off the accelerator pedal or press the brake pedal, but that’s not the case in the #1. Its system is hesitant and inconsistent in its responses; as a result, making smooth progress is trickier.
Behind the wheel
Driving position, visibility, build quality
Inside, the Volvo EX30 embraces modernity by showcasing visually enticing recycled materials, including carpet made from recycled bottles, floor mats that used to be fishing nets, seats trimmed in a wool-blend fabric, and an optional no-cost ‘flax decor’ finish to the dashboard.
The Smart #1, meanwhile, takes a more traditional approach; it features real leather on the seats (there are no vegan alternatives here) and lots of high-grade plastic that you might find on a product from Apple. It’s hard to split the two cars in terms of quality, so it really comes down to which approach you prefer.
Rather than having a digital instrument panel behind the steering wheel (as the #1 does), the EX30 follows the Tesla Model 3’s lead by placing key information such as speed and predicted range on the central infotainment screen. The speedo is at least on the side of the display nearest the driver, but you still need to look away from the road for longer than you would if this information was directly in front of you.
It would help if the EX30 had a head-up display that projected key information onto the windscreen, but while this feature is standard on Premium-spec #1s, Volvo doesn’t even offer it as an option.
Like the Model 3, both of our contenders eschew physical dashboard controls; instead, you have to dive into the touchscreen or use voice control to do everything from adjusting the temperature to repositioning the door mirrors. It’s a pity, because being able to do these things by turning a knob or pressing a button would be more user-friendly.
In fact, the touchscreens are distracting enough that using them can trigger the driver alert systems in both cars. Each has a camera behind the steering wheel that watches your face, and if the system thinks you’re not paying attention to the road (because you’re looking at the screen), it will bong at you. While you can turn these systems off, they always default to ‘on’ the next time you unlock and start the car.
The #1’s main advantage is that it has physical switches on the steering wheel (rather than the EX30’s sometimes unresponsive touch-sensitive panels).
In Premium trim, the #1 gives you electrically adjustable seats (with adjustable lumbar support) as standard, so you can find a suitable driving position easily.
By contrast, in this Plus-spec EX30, you have to make do with a manually adjusted driver’s seat with no adjustable lumbar support. This paucity of lower back support can become irksome after extended stints behind the wheel. You’ll need to step up to Ultra spec if you want electric seat adjustment (including for lumbar support) in the EX30.
Infotainment systems
Volvo EX30
EX30’s 12.3in infotainment system was co-developed with Google, so you get the brand’s maps and assistant (one of the best voice control systems we’ve tried) as standard. The screen responds snappily and the graphics are crisp and clear, but there’s lots of layers to delve through when finding certain functions. There’s no smartphone mirroring at present, but Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will be added via over-the-air updates in the future.
Smart #1
The 12.8in infotainment touchscreen is very responsive to touch inputs. However, as with the EX30, there are no physical buttons and the system is distracting to use on the move. As standard, Premium models get a Beats sound system featuring 13 speakers and two subwoofers. It’s more bass-heavy than the Harman Kardon premium sound system in the EX30 and won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but we found it more immersive to listen to.
Space and practicality
Front space, rear space, seating flexibility, boot
No one is likely to find either of these cars short on head or leg room in the front, but the #1 is a few steps ahead of the Volvo EX30 when it comes to rear space. Not only is the Smart #1 more generous when it comes to head room, but its rear seatbacks can be reclined for extra comfort (unlike those in the EX30). Plus, its taller side windows, combined with a standard panoramic glass roof, help it to feel noticeably airier in the back. If you have children who are prone to getting car sick, this is well worth taking into account.
That isn’t to say the EX30 is cramped in the back; a couple of six-footers will find head room is decent enough and leg room passable. However, unlike in the #1, there isn’t a whole lot of space for feet under the front seats, making it less easy to stretch out. Also, because the EX30’s floor is high relative to the seat base, occupants have to adopt a raised-knees posture that affords little under-thigh support.
When you don’t need to prioritise leg room for people sitting in the back, the #1’s seats can be slid forwards to make the boot bigger – albeit not by enough to challenge the EX30 for load-lugging honours. We managed to wrangle four carry-on suitcases below the #1’s parcel shelf with the bench all the way forward, and three with it slid all the way back.
The EX30, meanwhile, can swallow five cases, plus it has a height-adjustable boot floor that enables you to create a space below your luggage for storing the charging cables. Both cars have 60/40 split rear seatbacks, but the #1 also gives you a ski hatch so you can pass long, thin items between a pair of passengers.
Boot space
Volvo EX30
Boot 318-904 litres Suitcases 5
Smart #1
Boot 273-976 litres Suitcases 3
Buying and owning
Costs, equipment, reliability, safety and security
With our duo being direct rivals, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they’re priced closely, with the Volvo EX30 narrowly undercutting the Smart #1 in the forms we’ve lined up. Once you factor in all the bills you’re likely to face during three years of ownership, the EX30 extends its advantage, saving you around £2000 thanks to its much slower rate of depreciation.
However, most EV buyers will go down the route of PCP finance, and it’s here where the #1 looks particularly tempting. At the time of writing, Smart is offering a low borrowing rate of 3.9% APR. On a four-year deal, based on a £5000 deposit and a 10,000-mile annual limit, that puts the #1 at £458 per month, compared with a punchier £521 for the EX30.
And the #1 looks like an even better deal when you consider just how well equipped it is in Premium trim. As standard, both cars get keyless entry, adaptive cruise control, heated seats and a heated steering wheel, but the #1 also has a host of other goodies, such as Matrix LED headlights (which provide superior visibility at night), a 360-degree parking camera and the panoramic glass roof and heat pump we mentioned earlier. If you want those features on your EX30, you’ll have to find an extra £3500 to upgrade to Ultra trim.
There’s hardly anything in it for company car drivers: between now and April 2027, a 40% taxpayer will have to sacrifice a reasonable £1374 of their salary to run the #1, compared with £1360 for the EX30.
Our competitors have slightly different batteries, but their maximum charging rates are almost identical (153kW for the EX30, 150kW for the #1), so a 10-80% top-up takes as little as 26 minutes for each. Using a 7kW home wallbox, a 0-100% charge takes the #1 about 10 hours, which, due to its slightly smaller battery, is 15 minutes less than for the EX30.
Both cars are too new to have featured in the most recent What Car? Reliability Survey, but Volvo ranked ninth (out of 32) in the brand league table – a strong performance but still below Kia and Hyundai. We didn’t get enough data to be able to include Smart.
As for safety, the experts at Euro NCAP have yet to test the EX30, but the #1 earned the top five-star rating. Both cars have plenty of features to help prevent an accident in the first place, including automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert
(to prevent you from backing out into the path of an oncoming car) and a system that alerts you if you begin to open a door when a cyclist or car is approaching.
Our verdict
We said at the beginning of this match-up that if there’s one manufacturer that can be trusted to produce a highly desirable premium SUV, it’s Volvo, and that certainly remains the case. The EX30 is a brilliant electric SUV that’s great to drive, well finished inside and competitively priced. It’d be a class leader if the #1 didn’t exist.
But, sadly for Volvo, the #1 does exist, and it is unquestionably a more polished product. Yes, it has a smaller boot than the EX30, and it isn’t as rewarding to drive, but it has a better thought-out interior and tonnes of standard kit, plus it’s available with more competitive finance deals. Factor in greater efficiency and a longer real-world range and the #1 clinches the victory
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1st – Smart #1
For Generously equipped; more comfortable seats; more rear leg room; attractive finance deals; superior efficiency
Against Small boot; loses value at a faster rate; low-speed ride is a bit fidgety
Recommended options None
What Car? rating 5 stars out of 5
Smart #1 review >>
Smart #1 deals >>
2nd – Volvo EX30
For Sharper handling; well-controlled ride; slightly quieter cruiser; more practical boot
Against Disappointing efficiency; very few physical controls and no separate instrument panel; Plus trim misses out on some important kit
Recommended options None
What Car? rating 5 stars out of 5
Volvo EX30 review >>
Engine Electric motor
Peak power 268bhp
Peak torque 253lb ft
Gearbox 1-spd automatic, rear-wheel drive
0-60mph 5.5sec
30-70mph in kickdown 4.6sec
Top speed 112mph
30-0mph braking 9.8m
70-0mph braking 52.4m
Noise at 30mph 58.3dB
Noise at 70mph 65.9dB
Kerb weight 1850kg
Battery capacity (usable) 64kWh
Rapid charging type CCS
Peak charging rate 153kW
Charging time 7kW home wallbox (0-100%) 10hr 15min
Charging time rapid charger, peak rate (10-80%) 26min
Real-world range 179 miles
Official range 296 miles
Efficiency on test 2.7 miles/kWh
Tyres (standard) 245/45 R19
CO2 emissions 0g/km
Specifications: Smart #1 Premium
Engine Electric motor
Peak power 268bhp
Peak torque 253lb ft
Gearbox 1-spd automatic, rear-wheel drive
0-60mph 5.9sec
30-70mph in kickdown 4.8sec
Top speed 112mph
30-0mph braking 10.9m
70-0mph braking 53.9m
Noise at 30mph 58.3dB
Noise at 70mph 65.3dB
Kerb weight 1888kg
Battery capacity (usable) 62kWh
Rapid charging type CCS
Peak charging rate 150kW
Charging time 7kW home wallbox (0-100%) 10hr
Charging time rapid charger, peak rate (10-80%) 26min
Real-world range 190 miles
Official range 273 miles
Efficiency on test 3.1 miles/kWh
Tyres (standard) 235/45 R18
CO2 emissions 0g/km
Weather conditions Damp, 6deg C
Cars pictured
Volvo EX30 Single Motor Extended Range Plus with Vapour Grey metallic paint
Smart #1 Premium with Digital White metallic paint and Eclipse Black roof
