The Volvo EX30 Cross Country is Cute AND Capable

When it unveiled the EX30, Volvo made a point of highlighting how small the electric crossover was. The Swedish automaker doesn’t want you to think that means it can’t hang with the bigger SUVs on the trail, though, so it has unveiled the off-roadified EX30 Cross Country.

At an event held in a remote but still extremely stylish cabin in northern Sweden, with guests from Fjällräven — do you get it yet? It’s outdoorsy — Volvo showed off the chunky front skid plates, the wheel arch extensions, and the darkened grille that together contribute to make the EX30 Cross Country look like it’s ready to go off the beaten path. On that front grille is a minimalist representation of a topographical map of the Kebnekaise mountain range in Arctic Sweden that served as an inspiration for the little electric vehicle’s (EV) designers.

To go with the rugged looks, the automaker is also offering Cross Country Experience packages. These offer EX30 Cross Country owners the opportunity to buy discounted accesory packages that could contain things like a load carrier, roof basket, and mud flaps.

Volvo's updates haven’t gotten out of hand, though. It knows that no matter how many bits of plastic cladding it adds to the outside of the EX30, it’ll never be a true rock crawler. As a result, it says that the Cross Country version of the EV will maintain many of the clever interior features that make it a handy vehicle for the city. That means large storage compartments throughout the cabin, a “Will it Fit?” guide on liftgate at the back, and Google Built-in software running the infotainment system.

Unfortunately, Volvo has revealed little in the way of hard data. Although it says that it has lifted the ride height of the EX30 (a necessary leg up for any off-roadified vehicle), it doesn’t say by how much. Similarly, the Swedish automaker has yet to reveal what kind of impact the Cross Country modifications have had on the EV’s driving range. It did, however, reveal that the EX30 Cross Country will be able to recharge from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 26 minutes.

Volvo plans to disclose more about the vehicle in the near future, and will make the EX30 Cross Country available in Canada later this year.