Volvo EX 30 Cross Country first impressions: Like an effortless conversation around a bonfire

Mail & Guardian

3 hours ago

Volvo EX30 Cross Country
When manufacturers take the media on car launches, they often pick a theme which they feel best represents the vehicle.
From the venue to the entertainment — and sometimes even the food — they send a message about how they want their latest car to be interpreted in South Africa.
We often ignore what the manufacturer is trying to tell us and who it is targeting. Normally, we are too fixated on the practical aspects of the new product: the looks, the technology, the power outputs and the drivetrains.
This particular launch felt the same at first, when Volvo invited the media out to Rosemary Hill, east of Pretoria.
Rosemary Hill has rooms and hosts events, but ultimately, it is a farm that offers an extraordinary journey where nature's embrace, wholesome delights and the spirit of community come together.
Volvo South Africa was revealing the EX30 Cross Country's spirit — and we were only there for the nuts and bolts of the product.
We were moved by the exceptionally attractive mix of the original EX30 with a touch of ruggedness in all the right areas. We all wanted to know the details of the vehicle. That's what we were here for, right?
We were told that it has a specially-tuned chassis and a 13mm increase in ground clearance from the original EX30. We were also told that it does 0-100km/h in 3.7 seconds and that this electric vehicle has the same powertrain as the EX30 Ultra Twin Performance Motor. That means that it pushes out 315kW of power and 543Nm of torque. It also has a range of 427km on a single charge.
Finally, we were told that it is going to cost R1 165 000.
But we still didn't understand what the car represented.
We jumped inside for an almost 70km drive around the countryside and had the most comfortable ride on gravel and road in what is a small SUV. It actually felt better suited to gravel than some vehicles that have special driving modes for the surface.
Usually, this is where the article would end, because the dinner at the launch would be a formality and I would have satisfied my need to understand the product and where it fits into the South African market.
This time it was the dinner at the launch that actually made me realise what this vehicle is all about.
The meal was served as we made ourselves comfortable around a bonfire while Dodo Nyoka graciously provided country music.
Around this bonfire were me, Siyanda Mthethwa from Reuters, Gugu Lourie the founder of TechFinancials, Nhlanha the free-spirited freelance photographer and Astrid de la Rey from HaveYourSay.
At first, Lourie, who is far senior to all of us, was telling us about his experiences in other countries. Eventually, this effortless, light-hearted conversation moved to more pressing issues like, 'How do we turn Joburg around?' and 'What is the one thing you would have changed after 1994?'
With a joke thrown in every now and then, real topics were being discussed and I began to understand that this car represents the conversation around the bonfire with country music in the background.
It was effortless, it was serious, it was fun and not everybody agreed with each other, but it was professional enough to be engaging without ever being disrespectful. The five of us were not experts on politics but our experiences helped make the conversation interesting.
That is the EX30 Cross Country. It's a futuristic and modern vehicle that considers sustainability in all aspects. The drive is effortless and the experiences it will give its owners will be eye-opening.