Vehicle development engineer reviews the interior design details of Volvo EX30:
In fact, in Europe, small cars have always been the darlings of the market: they are compact, take up less space, and are easy to maneuver. As environmentally friendly and energy-efficient new energy vehicles, they should be even more focused on being small. Therefore, the ID.3, which has been lukewarm in China, has been a long-standing sales champion in Europe.
However, the mindset of the people in China is different; they often consider the space utilization rate and the "feeling of home." Thus, in the populous China, 6-7 seater SUVs sell better. But you can't say that there are no good small electric vehicles in the Chinese market; for instance, BYD's Dolphin is a classic example, and it is currently well-received by foreign buyers.
But other pure electric small cars led by joint ventures have not been so fortunate, with sales that have not been able to pick up. Recently, Volvo has released a new model, the EX30, with a starting price of 200,000 yuan. If you think a 150,000 yuan smart electric vehicle is on the expensive side, what would you think of the 200,000 yuan Volvo EX30?
This time, I hope to find some different answers.
The Volvo EX30, with its main focus on the Nordic minimalist style, offers a very novel interior in the cabin, which is different from the style of other cars.For example, this door panel lacks speakers and any adjustment buttons. The decorative strip is very reasonably matched with the door handle design, with the length and width being just right, making it the finishing touch on this simple door panel. The lines and proportions between the door panel's upper frame, center insert, door pocket, and armrest are also very appropriate.
Advertisement
Storage space is one of the essential skills for a well-planned electric car. Large SUVs focus on the space utilization rate, and small apartments even more so, so every place that can store items will make you feel considerate. Japanese car models often like to design card slots or ticket holders in the sun visor area, allowing you to keep some important cards or tickets separately in this hidden corner. The Volvo EX30 has a very large design for this, with no problem accommodating an envelope for a value-added tax invoice.
Upon opening, it is surprising to find no light for the vanity mirror inside. Such a delicate car is generally more appealing to female car owners. The Aion Y at 150,000, the Dolphin at 130,000, the ID.3 at 150,000, and the smart at 160,000 all provide light sources, while the 200,000 Ji Krypton X offers dual LED sensor light sources.The Volvo EX30 does not have a glove compartment for the passenger seat, so a significant amount of storage structure is placed under the lower part of the dashboard. This lower section features a two-tier design. To access the Type-C ports, one must first lift the upper cover. The wireless charging area is designed with a steep incline, but fortunately, the part that inserts underneath provides some stability.
The storage space under the dashboard is a large, flat layer that is connected to the rear row, allowing visibility from the second row to the front, which may not be as aesthetically pleasing. At the back, there is a pull-out drawer that can be removed independently, a detail similar to the Kia EV5's approach. However, if the panel of this rear drawer could be made slightly higher, it might be more reasonable to conceal most of the exposed space.Because the glove box has been removed, a Push-Push storage box has been added below the central large screen. However, from the scene in the following picture, it can be seen that if a cup is placed in this front area, it is not very convenient to take things from the storage box. It slightly obstructs the view and affects the operation. But don't worry, the position where the cup is placed can be slid back and forth, which is a thoughtful design.
Apart from the cabin structure, the biggest novelty of the Volvo EX30 is the selection of several uncommon materials for the interior.
The two layers below the waistline of the door panel and the dashboard are decorated with materials with marble and EPP patterns, respectively. However, when actually pinched with fingers, it is found that the surface has no elasticity and is as hard as a rock, more like a thermoplastic material. It is said that this is a very environmentally friendly recyclable material, but the specific substance has not been given a more detailed explanation by the official at present.Above the waistline of the dashboard, two layers are respectively adorned with environmentally friendly fabrics and skins that are visibly appealing to the naked eye. This is equivalent to the dashboard being decorated with four different surface materials, and it seems that Volvo, which is committed to doing subtraction, has actually done addition in this area. The advantage of this approach is that it reduces the use of some decorative strip elements, unlike other cars that need to be decorated with wood grain, high gloss, and chrome elements; it only requires the use of native materials.
The design of the dashboard's air vents is quite thoughtful. The vertical shape of the central air vent perfectly flanks the sides of the central control screen, shielding the sides of the screen, so that the screen does not appear too obtrusive.
The vertical blades of the air vents have transparent materials embedded along their edges, making them more like an ambient light.It is also the combination of this central air outlet design with the central control screen that makes the screen have to be made into a vertical screen. However, this is also a traditional skill of Volvo. Except for the EM90, the rest of the Volvo models prefer to use vertical screens.
Because there are no buttons on the door panel, the control of the front and rear windows is set on the dashboard, which takes some time to get used to. The logic of the front row controlling the rear glass windows is very similar to the Volkswagen ID series, which requires activating the Rear button first, and then using two buttons to operate.
Next to the rear glass button, there are also two Type-C ports, and below there is a storage box for mobile phones.Still, due to the reduction of physical buttons, including the adjustment of the side mirrors and headlights, all need to be operated on the central control screen. Fortunately, it has a shortcut menu setting, where all frequently used functions can be placed in the shortcut menu. However, the thought of having to operate within the second-level submenus is still somewhat troublesome. Volvo, which has always emphasized safety, should ponder the subtraction of physical buttons.
If these shortcut icons had Chinese or English abbreviations next to them, it might be more reasonable, to avoid having to think for a long time about what an unfamiliar icon means.
Although it is an electric tailgate, no physical button was found on the trunk, and control still has to be done within this screen.The adjustment buttons for the electric seats have also been streamlined, with just one button capable of achieving six-way adjustment. The logic for adjusting the seat pan's front-to-back and up-and-down is quite understandable, while the backrest adjustment requires twisting the button diagonally by hand. However, it can also be seen from here that the lumbar support adjustment of this car has to be operated on the screen—its voice control system does not include the seats—so it's a bit more troublesome to adjust the lumbar support during driving.
Due to the fact that most of the space on the console is reserved for storage, the EX30 uses an electronic gear shifter, and there is no large LCD display in front of the steering wheel, only a small screen similar to that of Li Auto. However, its driving information, such as whether the gear is engaged and which gear it is in, is identified through the top part of the central control large screen. The electronic gear shifter cannot provide a clear mechanical position feedback like a mechanical gear shifter, and perhaps it would be more convenient if the letters on the gear shifter could be activated with backlighting for a hint.
In terms of seat comfort, the Volvo EX30 uses a mix of leather and fabric for the seat upholstery. The extensive use of fabric has always been a style of Volvo. The seats can be adjusted in four directions for height and come with four-way lumbar support, which are configurations that completely surpass the level of cars like the Dolphin and Aion Y. The geometric patterns left by the irregular perforations on the back of the seats echo the marble textures on the dashboard and door panels.A friend previously criticized the "King of Details" ideal car for having a stark contrast between the visible white composite layer behind the skin when the storage pocket on the back of the seat is opened, and the exterior, which looks discordant. The Volvo EX30 has adopted a more astute approach here by sewing in a double layer to cover the bottom, choosing a blue fabric for the inner layer.
Additionally, there is an extra storage compartment on the side of the rear seats.
Regarding the roof area, the Volvo EX30 has replaced the usual location for a handle with an expansion hole, which is a very European design. This can typically be seen on European station wagons and crossovers, where it can be used to secure poles, covers, and other structures, suitable for drying items during outdoor travel or securing items when the rear seats are folded down. From this, it can also be inferred that the positioning and target audience of the Volvo EX30 will lean more towards Europe, as the ID.3 and smart do not have this structure.The Volvo EX30 also features a large panoramic sunroof, which makes the cabin of the small car more transparent and gives the impression of a larger space. People from the Nordic region love sunlight, so it's a bit difficult to get them to choose a low-spec version without a sunroof.
Many bloggers have revealed that the EX30 has many hidden features. In addition to the well-known drawings on the B-side of the plastic parts, there is also a badge with the words "EX30" on both sides of the instrument panel end cap.
The handle on the trunk floor is also marked with an illustration.
On the top of the tailgate, there are size markings for moving the seats to various positions, and it also tells you what kind of items are suitable for the trunk.You might wonder how difficult or technically sophisticated it is to design these features, but in reality, it's not necessarily so. So why do we seldom see them in domestic cars, and more often in joint venture vehicles?
In my view, this is a matter of engineering culture. With the current fierce competition in the domestic car market, engineers from domestic brands are too busy dealing with issues and accelerating the pace, without taking the time to ponder on the hows and whys—when engineers from domestic brands are generally fast-forwarding to the whens. Where is there any cultural atmosphere left, let alone the time to think, "Can I do something different, something interesting?"
It's well known that the EX30 and the Zeekr X originate from the same platform. Compared to the Volvo EM90 and Zeekr 009, which also come from the same platform and are largely similar in design, I believe the Volvo EX30 is completely distinctive from the Zeekr X.
If we must make a far-fetched comparison, one of the few similarities we can find is that the rear bumper under-shield of the Volvo EX30 and Zeekr X uses the same structure.
Secondly, both the Volvo EX30 and Zeekr X have particularly large rear door panels, which makes the rear window appear smaller in terms of visibility.Additionally, I feel there are no other similarities.
Moreover, the most recognizable feature of Volvo's new energy vehicles is the use of headlights that resemble a mosaic or pixel grid. It is said that this is also one of the most likable design elements on the EX30.
In an era where every household is playing with lights, Volvo's design strength is not to be underestimated, as it can still create unique styles and characteristics.
Driving Conclusion:Volvo EX30, in addition to sharing the same platform with Zeekr X, also shares the platform with Smart #1/#3. The price range for Smart #1 is between 150,000 and 280,000, but the sales volume of this car is not very high. After all, ID.3 has been discounted several times, and the lowest configuration has dropped to 120,000, barely selling over 5,000 units per month. It is reasonable for the Smart #1, starting at 150,000, to sell over 2,000 units per month.
After the usual design comparison, I couldn't help but compare the lowest configuration of Smart #1 with EX30 to see exactly what the differences are.
In terms of range, the two cars are evenly matched, with the same power and torque, the same motor brand, lithium iron phosphate batteries, and both are rear-wheel drive. The EX30 has a better acceleration capability; in terms of wheelbase, the Volvo EX30 is 100mm shorter, offering no advantage in space; in terms of departure angle, Smart #1 has a larger angle, making it less likely to bottom out.
In other configurations, the Volvo EX30 has additional features such as fatigue driving monitoring, door opening warning, rear collision warning, lane change assistance, and supports CarPlay. However, it lacks 360-degree panoramic imaging, lane-keeping centering, electric trunk, roof luggage rack, adaptive lighting, makeup mirror illumination, folding side mirrors with reverse tilt-down, driver's lumbar support, second-row seat adjustment, rear cup holders, etc. — to get these features on the Volvo EX30, one would have to pay extra for a higher configuration.
Here, I feel that drawing a conclusion is not very meaningful, as everyone's needs are actually different. I would like to end with an open question:Compared to the Smart Elf #1, which is 50,000 cheaper, what do you think of the Volvo EX30 that starts at 200,000?
Comment