Volvo EX30 Malaysia: First public test drive event to take place on 26 to 29 Sept

The Volvo EX30 will be officially launched in Malaysia on 25 September. Interestingly enough, you don’t have to wait long to test out the new electric compact SUV yourselves as Volvo Car Malaysia (VCM) will be hosting the EX30 Driving Experience that is open to the public on the following day.

Volvo EX30 Driving Experience is not going to be a typical test drive event

To be held at KL Base (the former TUDM Air Base) in Sungai Besi, the EX30 Driving Experience will become the first public test drive event for the new Volvo EX30. Based on the information within the mini-site that VCM has set up for the event, it seems this is not going to be a straightforward test drive outing.

According to the briefing documentation on the website, VCM will integrate an interactive car ride section into the test drive journey. This section will likely highlight all the tech features within the new compact SUV.

After that, visitors can get behind the wheels of EX30 to experience its acceleration and handling on KL Base’s runway. The session will then be concluded with a test drive on roads outside the venue.

The EX30 Driving Experience will take place from 26 to 29 September from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The event’s mini-site stated that there will be 8 sessions on each day on a first-come, first-served basis.

That being said, you are already able to book your preferred slots right now through the website.

Volvo EX30 quick specs

Volvo claimed that the EX30 can accelerate much faster than a Porsche 911 Carrera. Hence, it is not surprising to see that the company said that the EX30 is the quickest car that the Geely-owned Swedish marquee has ever produced.

This is because the EX30 can go from 0-100km/h in just 3.6 seconds as opposed to a standard 911 Carrera which takes around 4.1 seconds. However, only the EX30 Twin Motor Performance variant is capable of doing this since it has a combined power output of 315kW (422hp) as well as 543Nm of torque.

As for the EX30 Single Motor variants, their 0-100km/h timing is 5.3 seconds which is still quite respectful. The electric motor in these variants has a maximum output of 203kW (272hp) and 342Nm of torque.

Regardless of their motor setup, all EX30 variants have the same top speed of 180km/h. In terms of battery, the Twin Motor Performance and Single Motor Extended Range (ER) versions have been fitted with a 69kWh NMC battery while the Single Motor Standard model features a 51kWh LFP battery.

Range-wise, the standard EX30 Single Motor can deliver a WLTP-rated range of up to 344km while its ER counterpart offers up to 476km of range. Naturally, the high output nature of the EX30 Dual Motor Performance did affect its range although still not too bad at up to 450km.

When it comes to charging, the standard Single Motor variant supports a DC charging speed of up to 150kW while the Single Motor ER and Dual Motor Performance can support up to 175kW. The standard Single Motor option comes with an 11kW 3-phase AC onboard charger as opposed to its two higher-end counterparts which are fitted with a 22kW 3-phase module instead.

Will the Volvo EX30 be priced at under RM200k in Malaysia?

Malaysia is not the first market in Southeast Asia to receive the new EV as the EX30 has already been launched in Thailand and Indonesia.

Over in Thailand, the EX30 Single Motor ER has a starting price of THB1.59 million (~RM202,118) for the Core trim as well as the Ultra trim which starts at THB1.79 million (~RM227,541). As for the EX30 Twin Motor Performance, it is only available in the Ultra trim which has a starting price of THB1.89 million (~RM240,253).

As for Indonesia, only the Single Motor models are available over there at the moment. The base EX30 Plus has a starting price of IDR890 million (~RM250,239) while the ER version which is called the EX30 Ultra in Indonesia starts from IDR1.1 billion (~RM309,284).

So, how about Malaysia? Will the EX30 be made available with a starting price of under RM200k since it is locally assembled in Shah Alam? Well then, stay tuned for more details from its launch event on 25 September.