Volvo C30 2007 review

We have experienced the responsive S40/V50 and practical XC90 four-wheel drive. The recent arrival of the C70 cabrio and S80 is evidence of a new wave of thinking in the company.

Though owned by Ford, the North American giant has kept Volvo at arm's length and it has prospered.

It expects a funky "love it or hate it" national advertising campaign to drive home the message that this Volvo is different.

The two-door, four-seater hatch, being built in Ghent, Belgium, owes quite a bit to the 2001 Detroit Motor Show's Volvo Safety Concept Car.

It embraces Volvo-ness through engineering, function and distinctive design. High active and passive safety is a given as the C30 has a five-star EuroNCAP crash rating.

Based on the S40 sedan, the hatch is 200mm shorter and significantly lighter, while sharing the same engines.

At 2640mm, its wheelbase is also the same, but the doors are 200mm longer.

This translates into the same amount of cabin space as the S40, but the C30 has deliberately been offered only as a four-seater.

From the front, it looks similar to the S40, but in profile the distinct wheel arch mouldings and sloping roof give it a coupe-like silhouette.

Volvo describes the tapered rear windows as boat-shaped.

From the back the C30 has a pronounced kink at waist height, horseshoe-shaped tail-lights and a spoiler on the upper edge of the hatch on the T5.

It is clear the Volvo designers have paid homage to the 1970s 1800ES and 480 with the C30's deep-set rear glass hatch and in-built latch.

The C30's dynamics have been polished and the ride firmed to give a sharper on-road feel.

At first, only two models will be available, the normally aspirated 2.4-litre LE and turbocharged 2.5-litre T5. But from September they will be joined by an entry 2.4-litre S and a high-end turbo-diesel 2.4-litre D5.

The five-cylinder, five-speed manual LE costs $38,450 and the six-speed manual T5 is $42,450, the same price as the D5.

Five-speed sequential autos will cost an extra $1500.

When the five-speed manual 2.4-litre S arrives, it will cost $34,450 and be pitched against the Mini Cooper, BMW 1 Series, Audi A3 and Volkswagen Golf.

The S will have a clear power and torque advantage of 125kW at 6000 revs and 230Nm at 4400 revs against the Mini's 1.6-litre, 1 Series' 2.0-litre and VW/Audi 2.0-litre four cylinder engines.

The wildcard rival is Ford's XR5, which uses the same engine as the C30 T5, is $6460 cheaper and offers four doors.

The five-cylinder D5 is clearly a performance powerplant, delivering 132kW at 4000 revs and 350Nm from 1750 revs.

Volvo expects the D5 to make up about 10 per cent of overall C30 sales, but its performance and frugal nature could sway more buyers.

Volvo claims a combined fuel economy figure of 7.0L/100km for the diesel, versus 8.7L/100km for the T5 manual. In highway mode, the diesel sips fuel about 5.5L/100km.

The D5 does the zero to 100km/h sprint in 8.5 seconds versus the T5's 6.7 seconds.

Like the S40, C30 equipment levels are comprehensive.

Standard safety gear in the LE includes six airbags, stability traction control, anti-lock brakes, collapsible pedals, side-impact protection and whiplash-protective front seats.

The T5 adds dynamic stability traction control, xenon headlights, rear spoiler and rain-sensing wipers. It has a 20mm lower ride height.

Comfort items include leather upholstery, electric driver's seat, three-spoke leather steering wheel with multi-function controls, trip computer, cruise control and eight-speaker single in-dash CD stereo.

The S and LE will be available with 16-inch alloys and the T5 and D5 will come with 17-inch alloys and 18-inch alloys optional.

The body kit also combines a 10mm lower sports suspension tune for an extra $1500.

Like the Mini, the C30 buyer will be able to individualise their car with a wide choice of interior trim.

Volvo Cars Australia managing director Alan Desselss says the C30 was not designed for the traditional Volvo buyer.

"The C30 will bring a lot of younger people into the brand who previously would not have considered a Volvo," he says.

He is right.

The C30 moves the Volvo goal-posts — again.

ON THE ROAD

THEY must be a sturdy lot around the northern NSW town of Nimbin, or too stoned to care.

The scenery is lush and mountains spectacular, but the roads must be some of the worst in the state.

Which is why Volvo Cars Australia deserves credit for launching its fresh-off-the-boat C30 hatch in the steamy sub-tropical rural north.

Despite the pock-marked collection of off-camber, narrow, dangerous byways, Volvo's newest entrant shone.

In some extreme cases the suspension did manage to bash and crash over the harshest bumps, but without unsettling the car's intended line.

The C30 rose to the Nimbin challenge and impressed with its all-round aplomb.

Granted, the T5's suspension is a tad firm as it rides on lower-profile 17-inch tyres, but this is a sporty car with sportscar pretensions.

We preferred the LE's 16-inch alloy package. The steering was perhaps not as crisp but the slightly taller profile tyres were better able to handle sudden road shocks without passing them through the cabin.

The seats are supportive and typically Swedish in ergonomic comfort.

Leather is standard on the LE, T5 and D5, but even the entry-level S's fabric trim was smart-looking.

Entry to the rear is easy thanks to the wide-opening doors.

Both front seats and seatbelts move out of the way to allow access and the driver's seat is electrically adjustable.

The dashboard is borrowed from the S40/V50 and carries over the "floating" centre console from the sedan and wagon.

We still think the centre console is a gimmick. Putting items behind it is a fiddly exercise.

Visually there is a lot to like about the C30 without losing those inherent Volvo strengths of safety and solid engineering.

It looks distinct enough to lure buyers who would normally go straight to a Mini Cooper or BMW 1 Series and the bigger engines will please performance-minded folk.

THE car's front-end styling is perhaps its weakest point, but the rear, with its deep glass hatch and groovy-looking tail-lights, adds an air of individuality.

No Volvo in recent memory has looked so good from the back.

As the C30 borrows much from the S40, including engines and equipment, the steering and overall mechanical package are good.

The C30 and S40 are built on the same body as the Mazda3 and Ford Focus, two cars that also offer excellent dynamics.

On the road, the 2.4i LE misses out on the turbo-charged urge of the 2.5-litre T5 and needs 3000 revs on the tachometer before delivering its best but the engine is smooth and responsive.

As all C30 engines are in-line five-cylinders, they deliver a distinct, almost guttural sound under acceleration.

The six-speed manual gearbox in the T5 and five-speed manual in the LE are sweet shifters. Light, precise and with short throws, they are a delight to use.

Volvo says the C30 is significantly lighter than the S40 sedan on which it is based, so performance should be better.

But without side-by-side comparisons, it is difficult to tell if the C30 is any quicker on the stopwatch.

Volvo's own figures quote a zero to 100km/h time of 8.1 seconds for the C30 2.4i LE while the 2.4i sedan manages 8.2 seconds.

All the C30s we drove had the optional $490 laminated side windows too, which contributed to a hushed interior at highway speeds.

They offer added security from opportunistic smash-and-grab thieves.

Volvo has modest sales expectations for the C30 this year, conservatively forecasting 600 to 800.

But we suspect that once word gets out about how accomplished and practical the C30 is, a queue will start forming.

Now that's something you wouldn't have said about a Volvo in past years.