Volvo EX30 vs. Renault Megane E-Tech – Double test

Is the Volvo EX30 really that special?

A stocky shape between an SUV and a hatchback, large wheels, an almost square steering wheel, little legroom in the back and Google infotainment: these are similar features of both cars in this test. So you might wonder whether the high expectations surrounding the Volvo EX30 are completely justified, because in fact it was all there. Moreover, for (even) less money: the Renault Megane E-Tech is basically slightly cheaper and will remain so. if we choose the version with a large battery in both cases, although the prices are closer together. In both cases, count on just under 37 grand for the entry-level model and an amount around 40,000 euros for a version with a larger battery and ditto range.

Where do you have the most space?

Even when it comes to dimensions, these two are not that different. The Volvo is 3 centimeters longer, but the Renault is slightly wider and has a larger wheelbase. There is a difference of about 5 centimeters in height, but the question is whether that is enough to give the EX30 the ‘SUV’ designation used by Volvo. In practice, it mainly looks like a somewhat high-legged hatchback, just like the Renault, which is also more or less described that way by its makers. The French car is lucky today, because this is probably the first test in which the Megane does not have the tightest back seat. The Volvo makes it even better and combines a very modest amount of legroom with a very low bench (or high floor). Adults inevitably end up with severely bent legs and knees that are buried deep in the backrest of the front seat. The Renault is also more spacious when it comes to luggage space, but this gain comes with caveats. On paper, the Megane beats the Volvo with 440 versus 318 liters, but with the EX30 the space under the floor – 61 liters – is calculated separately and with Renault it is not. This is striking, because the Volvo in particular has a flexible double floor and you can therefore also pull the ‘cellar’ into the luggage compartment, creating one quite usable whole. The luggage compartment of the Renault is always usable, but the part under the floor is a (large) storage compartment at the back and always remains separate. Very useful for your charging cable, because the Renault does not offer extra luggage space in the front. The Volvo does, but at 19 liters it is very small and there is no way we can fit the supplied charging cable into it. Shame.

Lightning fast

Renault’s excuse for not installing a luggage compartment in the nose is that there is an electric motor there. This works well together with Tesla, Lucid and many other brands, but with the more established brands it is often difficult to create extra space above an engine. In any case: regardless of the version, the Megane is a front-wheel drive car, quite unusual in EV land. It provides a nice, relatively large luggage compartment in the back, but also means that loss of grip is likely when accelerating quickly. The Renault handles this nicely by gradually delivering power from a standstill. As a result, the Megane always remains composed and easily controllable, but it is also less fierce and fast than some other EVs. For those who are not looking for thrills, this raft is also enough. The Megane is also very manoeuvrable, steers nicely directly and has a small turning circle. Its chassis is on the sturdy side and clearly transmits short bumps without it becoming really unpleasant. The somewhat bumpy, bouncy character that we see with some other EVs is absent. Partly due to the sturdy chassis, the Megane even feels somewhat light-footed, which is certainly not natural for an EV. The Volvo also has that, but is at the same time more forgiving when it comes to bumps. Thanks to its softer, well-balanced chassis, the EX30 feels like a car from a higher class, but combined with the agility you expect from such a compact model. The seating position is very pleasant, although at most it could be noted that the pedals are just a little too close for taller people. However, this is even more the case with the Renault, which can be annoying on long journeys and reinforces the small-car feeling. The Volvo’s steering offers little feeling, but is finely balanced and sufficiently direct. Moreover, there is a lot of peace in the steering, because there is no noticeable drive response due to the electric motor located at the rear. Rear-wheel drive creates space for a much fiercer power delivery and also explains why Volvo dares to equip the EX30 with 272 hp as standard. The small Volvo, built on a Chinese Geely platform, is lightning fast even in this ‘simple’ form and takes off immediately and full of enthusiasm after pressing the accelerator pedal. Nice and useful, because that speed sometimes also provides a safety advantage when overtaking and merging. With the EX30, braking can be done without using the brake pedal if desired, because with the one-pedal function activated, the car comes to a complete stop. That could still go a little smoother for the sake of beauty, but oh well. The Renault always needs the brake pedal for the last meters and therefore crawls along like a traditional car with an automatic transmission. The Megane does have paddles on the steering wheel, which make it very easy to adjust the degree of recuperation while on the road. Speaking of energy: the Megane has a slightly smaller battery with a net 60 versus 64 kWh, but also lower consumption. In practice, this means that it is not inferior to the Volvo in terms of range (see box).

They looked closely at Tesla in Sweden

The recovery paddles are not the only controls that the Renault has and the Volvo does not. In Sweden they looked very closely at Tesla, and that resulted in an extremely minimalist interior. That looks modern, but it is of course also a matter of money. The cheapest button is not a button, so the EX30 has two window buttons with a double function, which are also placed in the middle. On the left behind the steering wheel we find a combined switch for lighting and windshield wipers, on the right a lever that, just like Tesla’s, controls the direction of travel and switches on the – otherwise excellent – ‘Autopilot’. Apart from a minimal number of buttons on the steering wheel itself, we have covered every switch in this interior. The drive to save money continues, because we also miss the lights next to the make-up mirror. Yet the EX30 interior looks more high-quality than cheap. The special, recycled materials are as creative as they are beautiful, the finish is more than neat, handles and levers feel heavy and solid and the overall impression is as you would expect from a brand like Volvo. The fairly large, upright touchscreen contains almost all functions, from climate control to the adjustment of the exterior mirrors. And the speedometer, because an instrument cluster or head-up display is conspicuous by its absence, just like in a Model 3 or Model Y. These choices also have ergonomic disadvantages. The speedometer is just a bit too far to the right, adjusting the temperature or seat heating requires several taps and switching off some overly meddlesome safety aids always requires a short trip through the menus. Moreover, we miss a consumption overview that remains continuously on screen: it can be called up, but disappears again when the navigation map comes into view. Annoying, but the small Volvo is not a constant source of annoyance. This is mainly because the system itself, running on Android Automotive, is well put together. It is fast, comprehensive and works great with your smartphone and the accounts you already have with the apps that you can install freely. This advantage also applies to the Renault, which also has such a nice Android system. In both cars, Google Maps also predicts with what percentage battery charge the destination will (not) be reached, although the calculation in the Volvo often seems very optimistic. In addition to a large, 12-inch touchscreen – not on the basic version – the Megane also has an information screen behind the steering wheel. This is nicely comprehensive and not only shows something necessary such as speed, but also consumption data and, if desired, even a complete Google Maps map. There are also buttons in the Renault, including for climate control. In terms of quality, the Renault makes a slightly less strong impression than the Volvo, but this is compensated with decoration and ease of operation.

Is the EX30 really affordable?

The promised starting price of €36,795 is one of the main reasons for the hype surrounding the EX30, which makes it relatively affordable for an EV in general and a Volvo in particular. However, a basic price is only a basic price and Volvo itself freely admits that the average EX30 costs around 45,000 euros. For this test we drove the most powerful Ultra version of the rear-wheel drive Extended Range and found the top version of the Megane to be a good match, although the price difference is significant at this high level; the driven Volvo costs over 51 grand with options, with Renault you can get it for 47,000. The equipment is quite comparable, although the Volvo has at least two things with a (fixed) panoramic roof and an electric tailgate that are not available from Renault.

Which one should you have?

The Volvo EX30 turns out not to be such a unique offering as it seemed on paper in practice. The Renault Megane E-Tech manages to keep up in many areas and is even better in some areas, for example when it comes to ease of use. The fact that the Volvo wins is mainly due to its high build quality and driving characteristics. The biggest disadvantages are space in the back, ergonomics and consumption, with the latter hopefully improving in the future.

And what about consumption?

The high consumption was already a major complaint with previous electric Volvos and that is unfortunately no different with the small EX30. More than 20 kWh per 100 kilometers is really too fast for our quiet driving style. The Renault is also not an economy miracle, but it does do better. So much better, in fact, that its range in practice can approach or even exceed the range of the Volvo. The Volvo loads faster, also in our practice.