We’re told that the average customer for a Volvo is a female (60 percent of the brand’s customers) in her 40’s from a small suburban family with an income of about $140,000 per year. With the C30, the company is targeting men in the 28 to 38 age range who make less than 100-thou annually and most of whom do not have kids. Have the Swedes found the passing lane . . . or are they driving into a cul-de-sac? Read on.
Surely, you can find your very own personal statement somewhere in that cornucopia!
As for the pre-optioned basic car: It’s 8 ½ inches shorter and about 320 pounds lighter than the Volvo S40 sport sedan. It’s a front-engine, front wheel drive three-door hatchback with seating for four. Power is provided by a turbocharged 5-cylinder engine making 227 horsepower and it generates 236 lb.ft. of torque from 1,800 to 5,000 rpm. Premium grade gasoline is recommended, but Volvo’s Dan Johnston assures us that “the car will work great on 87 octane.” Dan continues, “For max power and performance, 91 is best.” The engine is red-lined at 6,500 rpm. A six-speed manual transmission is standard and a 5-speed Geartronic automatic with “Auto-stick” manual shift capability is available.
There’s been debate in the motoring press as to whether this Volvo is a sports car or merely a pretender. We think it’s neither: It’s a sports tourer that is fun to drive. The handling is not razor-sharp in the manner of a Honda S 2000, for example. But it handles well enough to encourage the driver to enjoy the ride, which by the way is lots more comfortable than the S 2000.
As to style, we think the C30 has it. It’s distinctly Volvo and these days that’s a good thing. The Swedes dropped the strong-box approach to exterior design years ago in favor of what we might call sleek simplicity. Whether it’s consumer products or appliances, the Swedes have a way of shedding the gewgaws in favor of tasteful shapes and contours.
The rear seats are not exactly a joke, but they are a little too tight for average-size adults to spend much time there. The upholstery is cloth, and while attractive, we’re not convinced it will handle stains well. Leather is available.
Things We Like About The VOLVO C30
-- The smooth-shifting 6-speed manual
-- The display of settings in the center stack are very readable and clear
-- Volvo still makes just about the best seats in the car world
-- The 5-cylinder turbo produces a nice surge as the revs climb
Things We Don't Like About The VOLVO C30
-- The combination of aluminum and leather on the optional steering wheel looks better than it feels
-- The clutch is a little abrupt at its take-up point. T’would be nice if it were more progressive.
Volvo sales figures for the C30 were 2.100 units from September through December, 2007. If you project those figures to a year, that amounts to fewer than 6,500 C30s in the hands of American customers. That seems disappointing to us. Now it’s true the C30 is a niche car and represents a departure for an essentially conservative carmaker. But we hope that the Swedish hatchback catches on, because the C30 is a fine piece of work.