2007 Volvo C30 Review

Specifications

Volvos Own Hot Hatch?

Ive got to admit Im a bit excited about an upcoming trip. OK, I travel a lot as it is, but unlike some of my colleagues who write for glossy magazines (I have a few of these but nothing regular) that need long lead times for printing purposes, my newspaper, magazine and online publishers dont really need much more than a week with my story in order to put out the finished product, so I dont get to go on many long-lead programs which, in the case of luxury brands, are often in Europe. Maybe its my involvement in television that made the difference (just started doing TV this summer), but for the second time this year Im off to Europe to drive a new car.

Yes, Im intrigued by the car too. Im a big hot-hatch fan, especially those that are put together like tiny luxury cars such as MINIs Cooper S, VWs new GTI and the awesome Mazdaspeed3, but of these three competitors only the new C30 will have a luxury badge fixed to the grille and rear decklid. Well, maybe Volvo isnt seen in the same circles as Audi, BMW, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz, not to mention Lexus and Infiniti, but the Swedish marque has been working hard to raise its image beyond the stodgy professor roots it planted way back when its cars were square and especially slow.

Now Volvo designers create cars with more curves per square foot than most rivals and enough get-up-and-go to qualify for true sport sedan, sport wagon and sport utility status. Not only do the cars zig as well as they zag, but the brand has also finally entered the real luxury league with its new Yamaha-built V8 in the XC90, now also offered in the updated S80 luxury sedan. So, with all this work trying to remake its image in the likes of pricier German and Japanese luxury marques, why enter the hot-hatch segment with a GTI-fighter?

Thats an easy question to answer… small, less expensive cars add volume, burgeoning an automakers bottom line, as well as create an easy entry point for new buyers. Way back during the last decade BMW did this with its 318ti Compact, although it was less well received as Volvos C30 should be, while Audi more recently entered the market with its fabulous A3. Should I even mention Mercedes-Benzs B-Class? While its not nearly as sporty as the others, it does open up the top-tier brand to the proletarian class, even though its value proposition is questionable at best.

What will make the C30 a success is its styling. It looks superb, paying homage to the brands P1800S of the past; spiritually if not directly. Its clean lines and sporty fastback profile should lure in up and coming money makers, such as professionals early into their careers and junior sales and marketing types looking to make an entrance - you know who Im talking about. My guess is that itll be popular with more than this stereotype, however, as its expected sub-$25K price tag will get it on the list of those looking for a fashionable inner-city commuter, something that can be loaded to the hilt with luxury goodies but still wont use a tankers load of fuel with each trip to the office.

Due to their efficiency and convenience, hatchbacks are more popular than ever. It only makes sense, what with more and more people crowding into our cities every year and higher fuel prices than ever before, small, practical three- and five-doored cars are the way folks are turning. It wont hurt Volvos chances for success that Volkswagens GTI, although brilliant in execution, is a bit hum-drum in the styling department, or for that matter the once dominant Honda Civic Si doesnt even exist in hatchback form. Even the ultra-fun MINI Cooper S isnt a true competitor to the C30, due to its tiny dimensions.

Also on Volvos side is a history of building some of the safest cars anywhere, although in this class safety wont be as big a seller as it is with the XC90s crossover segment… unless an especially large number of moms and dads buy C30s as rewards for their college graduating kids. Those parents might not like the fact that it can accelerate so quickly. As with the S40 and V50, the C30 has two powerplants available, both of which are in typical Volvo 5-cylinder form. Base models are powered by a 2.4-liter inline-five that makes 168 horsepower and 170 lb-ft of torque. Thats enough to give the premium compact a decent edge over the Volkswagen Rabbit 2.5, but it still trails the likes of the Audi A3 in top-trim.

On the contrary, if performance is a motivational factor in purchasing the C30, go for the T5. Its larger displacement engine has a low-pressure turbocharger that delivers 218 horsepower and an even more impressive 236 lb-ft of torque. Pared to a six-speed manual gearbox, the C30 T5 is capable of hitting 60 mph in under six and a half seconds. Volvos “Geartronic” five-speed automatic gearbox is available as an option. The smaller I-5 pairs with a five-speed manual or a five-speed automatic.

I also wouldnt be surprised if Volvo steps up the C30s performance with a high performance R model; the C30 Design Concept that showcased the production car was powered by a 260 horsepower version, which would allow it to run with Audis A3 3.2 V6 and the Mazdaspeed3.

Volvo hopes to sell 65,000 C30s per year, making up a large portion of the Swedish brands goal of 600,000 cars annually. As the President and CEO of Volvo Cars; Fredrik Arp commented, “The new C30 is a cool car.”

Im inclined to agree, but will leave my final analysis to the test drive. I leave for Barcelona tomorrow, to visit Volvos design center, and then go on to Mallorca to course through the mountainous island from behind the wheel of what appears to be the sportiest car to arrive from Sweden in quite some time. Hmmm… before I go I think Im going to download a few episodes of The Saint to watch on the plane in order to get into the spirit of the moment.