Gothenburg, Sweden - In the world of electric cars, plenty of admiring glances went the way of the new Volvo EX30 when it was unveiled earlier this week.
The new compact SUV has a lower carbon footprint than any Volvo to date and the twin-motor Performance model also happens to be the Swedish carmaker’s fastest-accelerating car of all time, with its claimed 0-100km/h time of 3.6 seconds.
It’s coming to South Africa early next year with a starting price of R775 900, and you can read more about the new model here.
But let’s take closer a look at the upcoming Cross Country version that was also teased by the carmaker during its EX30 presentation.
Volvo says the order books for the more rugged-looking Cross Country model will open in 2024, with production starting later that year.
Not only will it have more ground clearance, but the CC variant will also be set apart by black 19-inch wheels, as well as front, rear and side skidplates and black panels on the front bumper and boot lid to signify its status as the more rugged model in the range.
18-inch wheels with ‘bespoke’ tyres (which we presume will be more off-road oriented) will be offered as an option, Volvo says.
The carmaker hasn’t mentioned anything about the roof rack and spare wheel on the roof of the car in the rendering you see above, so we’ll assume they’re just for show.
“The Volvo EX30 Cross Country will build on our long Cross Country heritage, our celebrated line-up of models for customers who want a bit more adventure from their car.”
Volvo hasn’t mentioned the drivetrain line-up as yet, but it could follow the regular EX30 in offering single-motor (200kW) and twin-motor (315kW) variants, as well as standard-range and extended-range batteries. The latter offers up to 480km of range on the WLTP cycle.