Volvo outdid Subaru

Volvo has a new small pure electric compact crossover coming out soon called the EX30, and from early reviews it's going to be a killer small city EV, about a foot and a half shorter than most crossovers while having similar interior space, and can run for 200-250 miles on a charge. It's also the cheapest EV Volvo has ever released, starting around $35k in the US and coming out next spring.

Earlier this year Volvo also showed off their "Cross Country" concept version, which is a term Volvo has used for the past couple decades on several of their models that are more rugged, off road-y versions of regular Volvo wagons and crossovers.

The moment I saw it, I thought what a cool car, but I also thought isn't this what a 2025 Subaru Crosstrek should be, pretty much exactly? A small city car that can handle some dirt and gravel and make the owner feel good doing it. Did Volvo completely outdo Subaru?

A friend of mine is a huge Subaru fan, and has driven their cars almost exclusively since the early 1990s. He asked me the other day where all the Subaru EV options were and I had to admit most Japanese car brands avoided developing EVs ten years ago and are way behind the rest of the world. The only Subaru EV out today is a rebadged Toyota developed by Toyota.

As my friend says, Subaru owners like him are some of the most eco-conscious car owners out there, and he's now clamoring for a less polluting EV over a gas car, but Subaru has basically no products for him today.

I'm gonna tell him to check out the EX 30 and look for the cross country version next year.