Volvo’s ultra-efficient EX30 compact EV gets its first real competition, the new Smart #3

Smart #3's signature design elements include the 'floating' roof and rear light bar.

It’s time to re-sample Volvo’s EX30 and ponder on what makes it such a special car. When the EX30 was announced last year the compact, trim stance of this small SUV represented a different, more acceptable take on that most benighted segment of the car market, and after driving it on the launch in Barcelona earlier this year, these preconceptions were confirmed. It’s one of the best EVs on the market.

The Volvo EX30 has a cleaner, simpler look (Image credit: Volvo)