Fortunately, we don't need a stopwatch to know that few new cars have as much character as the C30. Along with the Mini Cooper, the BMW 1-series, the A3, and the Volkswagen GTI, it makes the case for the upscale small car. This is the future, at least as far as some of us are concerned.
Taking its parts in sum, the C30 adds up to our favorite Volvo in decades, one of the holy grails implied by Automobile Magazine's founding maxim: "No boring cars." This is an interesting car, and not even the notably underwhelming efforts of those charged with marketing this fine machine can take that away from it.
Genealogy
The Volvo C30 first appeared at the 2006 Detroit auto show. Although it rides on Ford's C1 platform and shares parts with the S40, its styling clearly owes to Volvo's past. The shape is largely based on the 2001 Safety Concept Car, while the sawed-off rear end recalls the company's classic 1970s hatchback, the 1800ES.
Production of the C30 started late in 2006 in Ghent, Belgium; the car was launched first in Europe and reached the United States by mid-2007. Owners can customize their C30 directly from the factory with a wide variety of options, including suspension upgrades and several special paint colors. European customers can also choose from a wide range of engines, including several diesels and a flex-fuel four-cylinder. Americans get only the turbo five-cylinder, paired with a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic. The C30's global sales were close to 50,000 in 2007, its first full year on the market. Eventually, Volvo hopes to sell 60,000 annually, with some 6000 going to the U.S.
Volvo has released a few limited-production models since the initial launch, including the C30 R-Design and, through its New England dealers, 107 Boston Red Sox Special Edition C30s (one for every win in the team's 2007 championship season). ...next page >>