The Volvo EX30 SUV Wins Prestigious Good Design® Award 2025

Published March 2026 / By Alexandra Miles

The Volvo EX30 model has done it again, claiming yet another award under their already very well maintained (cam)belt. The small, fully electric SUV has been awarded the prestigious Good Design® Award 2025.


Popularity Rules

As one of the company’s most popular vehicles, the EX30 combines stylish Scandinavian design with a special emphasis on sustainability principles. The EX30 has the lowest carbon footprint of any fully electric Volvo and is packed with recycled and natural materials, making it a winner of the Good Design Award in the Transportation category.

The Good Design Awards are among the world’s oldest and most respected design accolades, and recognise excellence in design, innovation, and sustainability. Established in 1950 by the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design, the awards are an annual celebration of products that combine aesthetic quality, functionality, and social responsibility.

“We are honoured to see our small electric SUV recognised by the jury,” said Rekha Meena, Head of CMF Design at Volvo Cars. “The EX30 is designed to be our most sustainable car to date, without compromising on the premium experience and safety that our customers expect. Small yet mighty, the EX30’s smart Scandinavian design projects confidence maturity, and versatility, while making it instantly recognisable as a Volvo.” - Volvo team members.



An Instant Classic

Revealed to world in the summer of 2023, the EX40 has become an instant classic. Volvo Cars’ first small SUV immediately became a bestseller, expanding the company’s appeal to new customer groups and further growing its fully electric portfolio.

With a range of up to 475km and exciting drive dynamics, Volvo Cars ahs sold close to 200,000 EX30s so far. Recently, Volvo Cars announced a number of updates to the EX30, including a new entry-level powertrain option.


Creation at its Peak

Tasked with creating a car that combines a premium experience, an accessible price point and high sustainability performance, Volvo Cars designers had to rethink everything with the EX30. The guiding principle was how to do more with less; to try and get more than one use out of as many components as possible, thereby reducing the materials needed.

This allowed designers to help reduce the carbon impact of EX30, increase interior space for roominess and comfort, and reduced costs, The result is an electric car with classic Volvo principles around design, safety, and sustainability, accessible to a wide array of customers.


Superior Interiors

While the EX30 is smaller than any other Volvo car, it retains confidence, maturity and Scandinavian simplicity of its larger siblings.

To maximise interior space and versatility, the EX30 has proportions to match. The wheels are pushed to the corners, with short and equal overhangs which creates a long wheelbase and a visually planted stance, it also has qualities that attract customers to SUVs in the first place: versatility, a high seating position and a robust look.



The Drive Away

The Good Design® Award 2025 is only the latest feather in the EX30’s cap. In recent years, the EX30 has won dozens of major awards, including World Urban Car 2024; The SunCar of the Year 2023; Red Dot Best of the Best Award 2024; Car Design Award 2024; and Top Gear Magazine Eco Warrier of the year.

See more of the EX30 on Volvo Cars Christchurch, or enquire here.