Volvo EX30 vs Subaru Outback

What's the difference?

The Volvo EX30 is impressive. Despite its diminutive stature it delivers refinement and performance worthy of a much larger car. Add in good value-for-money, outstanding safety and a solid ownership proposition and the plus column starts to fill up.

If you can live with its ‘cozy’ rear seat, relatively modest boot and centralised, screen-based media and car control set-up there should be little else holding you back from serious investigation. 

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel and meals provided.

The Subaru Outback AWD Sport XT has been a great car for my family this week. It was popular with everyone and for good reason. It has loads of space, it's easy to handle and now has the grunt under the bonnet to satisfy me as a driver. However, you are paying for that grunt with the thirsty engine and that could become tiresome with the rising costs of fuel. At this price point, I also didn't love the weird-feeling material on the seats but it still impressed with its practicality and the safety features.

My son enjoyed being in this and loved the green accents and cool 'army' green colour. It was also a great height for him to get in and out of unassisted.

Despite the lack of a traditional grille the EX30 is instantly recognisable as a contemporary Volvo and that’s down to more than a stylised version of the Swedish maker’s ‘Iron Mark’ logo on the nose.

Everything from the signature ‘Thor’s Hammer’ headlights to the chunky rear haunches, blocky indents along the flanks and characteristically curved bonnet give the game away.

Standard rims are 19 inch, however, the launch program was dominated by the Ultra grade which runs on 20s and they fill the big wheel arches nicely. 

There are five colours in the EX30 palette - ‘Cloud Blue’, ‘Vapour Grey’, ‘Crystal White’, ‘Onyx Black’ and an arresting, unique to the EX30 shade, ‘Moss Yellow’. A better name for that last one might be ‘Tennis Ball’.

The interior is strictly a leather-free zone, the cabin swathed in recycled and renewable materials such as flax (a renewable fibre derived from linseed plants), wool blend (70 per cent recycled polyester) and denim upholstery (created with waste fibres from the denim recycling process).

You can choose from four interior themes, or 'rooms' as Volvo refers to them. Specifically, ‘Breeze’, ‘Mist’, Pine’ and ‘Indigo’. And it feels cool, calm and collected inside the EX30 with soft tones dominating and rounded forms defining the multi-layered dash, seats and doors.  

As well as different colours, each interior combination features a range of sustainable materials including Nordico, a textile made from recyclables such as PET bottles and “bio-attributed material” from forests in Sweden and Finland.

Despite Volvo’s huge focus on the use of sustainably sourced and recycled materials in the EX30’s production the standard of fit and finish is high. The only small snag I spotted was slightly wonky hems on the top of the rear seat map pockets.

Design highlights are the squared-off but grippy and easy-to-use steering wheel, the huge (fixed) panoramic glass (on a bright, warm SA day overheating wasn’t an issue), the sleek brushed metal interior door handles (look great, ergonomically brilliant) and the central screen managing just about everything (media and car set-up while providing vehicle data read-outs).

The operating system is pretty quick and intuitive to use, but it can take time and multiple screens to get to simple items like the head- and fog lights, for example.

Even opening the central glove box requires pressing a haptic button on the screen. And the lack of a physical console dial for quick audio adjustment is irritating, although there’s a +/- rocker switch on the steering wheel. 

Feels like it’s best to set everything (climate, lighting, audio, etc) before getting mobile.

Subaru has been pushing for sharper robust shapes lately and this is no different. It's a large car being 4870mm long and 1875mm wide but it still feels like a station wagon with that 1670mm height!

Everything is proportional and well sculpted with a long nose being complemented by sharper accents, like the rear tail-lights that jut out.

There are some areas of interest, like the green accents on the roof rails and black plastic body moulding, that tie in nicely with the contrasting green stitching of the interior trim.

The interior is pleasing to look at with the two-tone synthetic leather trim throughout, tapered cutaways in the dash and doors, plus stacks of soft touchpoints.

The only thing I don't really like is the 'water-resistant' material in the middle of the seats. It feels very synthetic and I wonder how it will wear over time.

Overall, it's a very handsome car, inside and out.

Measuring a fraction over 4.2m end-to-end, a little more than 1.8m wide and less than 1.6m tall the five-seat EX30 is city-sized. And even though the wheels are pushed out to the corners the 2650mm wheelbase is far from limo-like.

That said, the low-key, low-level dash design provides plenty of breathing space up front and headroom for the driver and co-pilot is excellent (helped in no small part by the Ultra grade's panoramic roof providing extra height ). 

Move to the rear, however, and the limitations of the car’s overall footprint are apparent. Again, headroom is fine, but sitting behind the driver’s seat set for my (183cm) position toe- and legroom are marginal. And getting in and out of the back seat is an aggravating exercise thanks to a narrow door aperture and shallow opening angle.

The back seat will technically accommodate three adults but, despite the flat rear floor, you wouldn’t slot your worst enemy into the centre position on anything other than a super-short, emergency trip. 

Cabin storage is plentiful, though, with long, wide bins in the front doors capable of accepting large bottles, a broad centre floor tray with a flip-open lower level, an angled phone shelf (the left side providing wireless charging) a small-ish glove box and a multi-stage sliding unit in the tunnel console incorporating two generous cupholders. 

The rear door bins are also a good size and there are small map pockets on the front seat backs. But there’s no fold-down centre armrest which rules out dedicated rear cupholders.

To offset that somewhat there’s a slide-out drawer, complete with moose and pine forest graphics down the side, under the rear of the front console/centre armrest as well as a small oddments space near the centre-mounted window controls.

Connectivity and power runs to a pair of USB-C jacks in the front, another two in the rear as well as a 12-volt outlet in the boot.

Speaking of which, boot volume is 318 litres (VDA) which is passable for a car this size, expanding to 904 litres with the 60/40 split-folding rear seat lowered.

The boot floor is a two-level set-up providing space underneath for charging cables or maybe wet and/or grubby things if you’ve been to the beach or on an outdoor adventure. There’s also a small but handy ‘frunk’ under the bonnet.

There are four tie-down hooks for securing loose loads in the boot but don’t bother looking for a spare tyre. Your only option is an inflator/repair kit. 

If you’re keen on towing, the rear-wheel drive EX30 single motor is rated for a 1400kg braked trailer (750kg unbraked), the all-wheel-drive twin-motor stepping the braked figure up to 1600kg. 

I love how roomy the interior is. Taller occupants will be singing its praises (from both rows).

The 213mm ground clearance also makes this the perfect height to get in and out of, for my six-year old all the way to my 72-year old father. No grunts or complaints were heard this week!

Individual storage is great with a large glove box, middle console with a shallow shelf, two cupholders and drink bottle holders in the first and second rows plus double-sleeved map pockets in the second row.

Boot storage is good with 522L of capacity and a level load space – perfect for sliding in a pram or luggage.

There's no underfloor storage because of the full-size spare tyre but there are little pockets on the side of the wheel arches for smaller items. You can bump up the storage to 1783L when the back row is folded flat.

Considering Subaru's sponsorship of the ski fields, I was surprised that the back row only has a 60/40 split fold configuration and not a 40/20/40, which would allow for internal stowage of longer gear… like skis. However, you do get strengthened roof racks with anchor points for bigger gear.

The amenities in each row are pretty good, too. The rear seats enjoy directional air vents, USB ports, reading lights and heated outboard seats.

I enjoyed using the tech this week, it's easy to use and looks good. My favourite combo.

The 11.6-inch touchscreen multimedia system has built-in satellite navigation and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It was ridiculously easy to connect my iPhone and I like the Bluetooth connectivity, too.

There is a USB-A and USB-C port and (unusually) an 'aux' port in the front row, but backseat passengers can also stay charged up with two USB-A ports. There are two 12-volt sockets for other charging options but basically, you're sorted with outlets.

The Sport XT will cost you $52,190, before on road costs, but you get a lot of features fitted as standard, which makes it feel like you're getting your money's worth.

Some of those features include, electric heated front seats, heated rear outboard seats, powered tailgate, dual-zone climate control, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, 18-inch alloy wheels, a full-size spare tyre and a large 11.6-inch touchscreen multimedia system.

And that's just a 'few' of the features! Even the entry-grade has great specs, if you didn't want the extra power from the turbo-engine.

As its name implies, the EX30 Single-Motor Extended Range is powered by a rear-mounted single permanent magnet synchronous motor sending 200kW/343Nm to the rear wheels via a single-speed reduction auto transmission.

And, yes, the Twin Motor Performance version adds a motor to the front axle for combined outputs of 315kW/543Nm going to all four wheels. Juice is provided by a 400V 69kWh lithium-ion battery.

To give those numbers some context the most powerful version of the 2WD Hyundai Ioniq 5 produces 168kW/350Nm, the Megane E-Tech delivers 160kW/300Nm, the Kia Niro’s at 150kW/395Nm and the Mini Cooper SE Electric sits at 135kW/270Nm. The AWD Ioniq 5 up the ante to 239kW/605Nm and the Model Y AWD is rated at 413kW/660Nm. So, this little Volvo stacks up well when it comes to powertrain specs. 

Our model has the new 2.4-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol 'boxer' engine with a maximum output of 183 kilowatts and 350 Newton metres of torque. That's a big step up in power from the previous non-turbo engine.

The continuously variable auto transmission is relatively smooth and the combo means this handles open-road and urban conditions well.

Volvo says single-motor EX30s have an estimated (WLTP) range of up to 480km with the gruntier twin motor sitting at 460km.

In terms of charging, peak DC capacity through the Type 2 CCS connection is 153kW and on a suitably rapid charger the 69kWh battery can be boosted from 10 to 80 per cent in around 30 minutes, which is pretty great.

The EX30’s 11kW on-board AC charger can top-up a depleted battery to full capacity in approximately seven hours when connected to three-phase power.

Official energy consumption for the EX30 Single Motor Extended Range is 17.5kWh/100km and 18.0 for the Twin Motor Performance.

On the roughly 200km launch drive program taking in stop-start CBD traffic, twisting B-road sections and some freeway running we saw dash indicated figures of 17.0kWh/100km for the single motor and 18.3 for the dual motor.

Not bad for a car with this much performance potential.

The official combined fuel cycle figure is 9.0L/100km. Real world testing saw my figure at 9.6L/100km but that was after heavy open-road driving this week.

Unfortunately, it's thirsty and urban-dwellers will feel that the most at the bowser, but the upside is getting the extra grunt from the turbo.

The Outback has a relatively small 63L fuel tank for its size and only takes premium fuel (95 or higher).

It’s hard not to jump into any new EV for the first time with some preconceived ideas about what it might be like to drive. That is, quick with heaps of torque, super quiet and refined but borderline uncomfortably firm in the suspension.

Well, as they say, two out of three ain’t bad, because the EX30 is indeed satisfyingly quick, quiet and refined, but the surprise is the (strut front, multi-link rear) suspension is also agreeably compliant.

We covered stop-start city traffic, the suburban sprawl, twisty rural B-roads as well as some freeway running and the EX30 acquitted itself well across the board.

Even on coarse, pock-marked backroads, and despite low-profile (245/40 x 20) Goodyear Efficient Grip rubber, bumps and thumps are felt but to an impressively modest degree. Especially when you consider how small this car is and the relatively modest length of its wheelbase.

And when it comes to the 'quick' part Volvo says the (1810kg) single motor EX30 will sprint from 0-100km/h in 5.3 seconds while the (1960kg) dual motor lowers that number to a supercar-like 3.6sec.

In fact, it’s clear the Single Motor Extended Range is all the EX30 99 per cent of people will ever need. It’s refined, urgent in the city and an easy highway cruiser.

If you’re determined to impress friends and family the Twin Motor Performance is fast enough in a straight line to narrow your field of vision and have the kids yelping in delight (or fear). But the Single Motor doesn’t hang around. 

The steering isn’t exactly the last word in road feel but it’s well weighted and the car turns into corners progressively and accurately. 

With the motor in the back driving the rear wheels the Single Motor has a traditional RWD feel, but both versions remain balanced and predictable in twisty sections if you’re pushing on a little.

The front seats are comfy and supportive, even after lengthy stints on the road, the single-pedal regenerative braking mode works smoothly and a decent 11.0m turning circle combines with good all around vision to make parking easy (even before you tap into camera and proximity sensor assistance).

Worth noting that aside from the regen braking mode the physical brakes apply smooth linear stopping power, which isn’t always the case with pure EVs.

Under the heading of random observations, the column mounted gearshift is handy while freeing up extra space in the centre console, the Harman Kardon audio speaker set-up at the top of the dash delivers high-quality sound despite its unusual location and those big interior door handles are simply the best.

I thoroughly enjoyed driving this. The engine is powerful enough to easily handle winding mountain roads, always a plus in a big family car, but the pick up is also good and you can zip across traffic or overtake when needed.

The cabin is delightfully quiet and the suspension creates a smooth ride without being floaty.

The tight 11m turning circle and accurate steering means cornering feels concise and controlled.

It's pretty easy to manoeuvre this around but you'll miss having front parking sensors in a tight car park because the nose is deceptively long.

I like how crisp the image is from the reversing camera but it's disappointing that it doesn't have a 360-degree view camera for where this Sport XT sits in the model range.

The safety features are well-stocked in this and it has items I always like to see on a family car, like LED daytime running lights, automatic emergency braking, rear emergency braking, lane departure alert, lane keeping aid, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a reversing camera and rear parking sensors, but not front parking sensors, which you'll miss.

A highlight is the 'Driver Monitoring System' which is a fantastic feature.

The system literally watches you and scans your face for signs of drowsiness and distraction. If it detects them, it will sound an alert and a pop up comes on in the instrument panel.

I tested the sensitivity a lot this week and couldn't stump it. Thumbs up.

The Outback has seven airbags, but it is missing the newer front centre airbag, which is a shame.

It's been awarded a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done recently in 2021.

There are ISOFIX child seat mounts on the outboard rear seats and three top tether child seat anchors.

The back seat is wide enough that, with the right seats, you should be able to fit three side-by-side.

There is enough room for front occupants when a 0-4 rearward facing child seat is installed.

The EX30 is covered by Volvo’s five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, with the drive battery covered for eight years, both pretty standard for the category.

Roadside assistance is provided for five years with another three years added if the car is serviced in line with the recommended schedule at an authorised Volvo dealer. Nice. 

The service interval is two years / 150,000km and the first two visits to the workshop cost $0, so the price is right for the duration of the five-year warranty.

Not only that, alternative transport options are offered and your car will be given a bath before you pick it up. Very nice.

On-going costs are always something to consider and the Outback comes with a five-year/unlimited km warranty, which is standard for the market.

You can choose either a three- or five-year capped-priced servicing plan, the services average on the more expensive side at $515 annually on the five-year plan.

Servicing intervals are pretty good at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.