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By
ALISTAIR KENNEDY
26 March 2006
Volvo’s ongoing campaign to break out of its traditional,
largely conservative customer base has been taken to another level with
the release of its new C30 two-door coupe.
Aimed fairly and squarely at the youth market this sporty
little Volvo comes with an interesting blend of tradition and
innovation in its styling. The low, wide grille clearly identifies
C30 as a Volvo while in profile it has a fashionably modern
sloping roofline.
However it is the radical styling of the rear of the car that
will be the major talking point, and which turned plenty of heads
on our recent pre-launch test of the car. The rear is dominated by
a large glass tailgate fringed by long vertical taillights that
taper up to the roof and is like nothing else on the road. While
the styling won’t be to everyone’s taste it will certainly
make the little Volvo stand out from the crowd.
Although the C30 is Volvo’s smallest passenger car there’s
still good interior space for four adults, but four only - there
is no fifth seat belt. There’s plenty of front leg and headroom
and reasonable rear legroom although the sloping roof will
inconvenience taller passengers. All seats are large and
supportive. There’s also good, and easily accessible, boot space
although the large glass rear hatch window does leave it exposed
to prying eyes. Although our test car didn’t have one, a
removable soft cover for this area is standard.
C30 will go on sale in late-April or early-May, initially with
a choice between two five-cylinder petrol engines, one a 2.5-litre
turbocharged unit, the other a naturally-aspirated 2.4. A
2.5-litre turbo diesel will be added later this year.
The 2.4-litre C30 LE comes with a five-speed manual gearbox,
while the turbo T5, and the upcoming D5 diesel both get a
six-speed. All models have five-speed automatic with a tiptronic
manual override function.
On the road the C30 T5 is a delight to drive with precise
steering and excellent road grip. The six-speed manual gearbox is
a gem, with a small, sporty gear lever and crisp short-throw
changes.
Unfortunately we were unable to drive the naturally aspirated
model but will report on it when we’ve taken it on our normal
extended road test.
C30 has a neat, clean dashboard layout the centrepiece of which
is Volvo’s clever "floating" centre console that made
its debut in the Volvo S40 sedan. Only about two centimetres thick
the curved slimline unit can even be customised to suit the
individual owner.
Being a Volvo means that the C30 is an extremely safe vehicle.
Its comprehensive list of standard features include front, side
and curtain airbags, side impact protection system, ABS brakes
with electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist, ABS
brakes, whiplash protection system, stability control and traction
control.
Prices are $38,450 for a C30 LE five-speed manual and $42,450
for the T5. Automatic transmission adds $1500 to the price of
either model. The C30 D5 diesel is expected to sell for the same
price as the T5 while the new entry level C30 S, also due late in
2007, will sell for $34,450.
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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