Volvo EX30 will add a Cross Country variant next year

MILAN --- At the unveiling of its new EX30 in Italy on Wednesday, Volvo confirmed it'll introduce a Cross Country variant of this electric SUV next year. Not only will this be Volvo's first fully electric Cross Country, it'll also mark the first time this treatment is applied to one of the carmaker's crossovers or SUVs.

You can expect an updo similar to Volvo's other Cross Country cars, with a higher ride height and purposeful cladding around the wheel arches. Volvo says the EX30 Cross Country will have skid plates protecting the front, side and rear underbody, decorative black panels on the front bumper and hatch, special Cross Country branding and a small, hood-mounted Swedish flag.

Additionally, Volvo confirms the EX30 Cross Country will come standard with 19-inch black wheels. Of course, on a rugged vehicle like this, smaller wheels and beefier tires are always a good thing, and to that end, Volvo will offer 18-inch wheels with unique tires as an option.

Volvo isn't confirming any of the Cross Country's powertrain details at this time, but we're betting it'll be based on the all-wheel-drive Twin Motor Performance EX30. (What's a Cross Country without all-wheel drive?) That means we should expect a 69-kilowatt-hour battery pack and pair of electric motors pumping out 422 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. The EX30 Twin Motor's 265-mile range might take a slight hit with the extra Cross Country add-ons, but that number is still TBD.

Like the standard EX30, the Cross Country will be available to pre-order as soon as it debuts. An exact on-sale date is still unclear, but Volvo expects the EX30 Cross Country to go production before the end of 2024.