FirstDrive: Volvo C30 Volvo has already done families - now it's time to look after those of us without kids. Michael McAleer reports
Some years ago Volvo made a decision to enter the small hatchback market. The choice it faced was to create either a family-orientated model or something more sporting, aimed at the cash-rich singles. The success of the Safety Car Concept (SCC) and in particular its design helped the Swedes to make the final call.
"The SCC was a huge hit," says Hakan Abrahamsson, the C30's project manager, "and we built the C30 on the back of its styling. However, there are also some heritage links to the car, with certain design links to the earlier generation Volvo 480."
In hindsight, the decision was never really in doubt. As its premium rivals widen their range to SUVs, cross-overs and even people carriers, opting for a sports hatch will help the brand add a new dimension to its current image of safe family motoring.
From the front the car looks just like its sibling, the S40, but from the side and back it takes on its own personality, the squat position, the wide muscular rear haunches and the distinctive glass window at the rear.
Abrahamsson claims the new Volvo is the safest in its class, though there have been no EuroNCAP results as yet. The front features the same patented front-end safety structure that's on the S40.
But while safety is an underlying theme at Volvo, this car is supposed to be about sportiness. And the low seating position certainly creates that aura, lower than in rivals like the A3 or 147.
This is an unapologetic four seater, with two separate seats in the back and absolutely no room for anyone else. The back seats are comfortable and the long rear side windows offer plenty of light to those passengers who will use the rear.
Boot space is limited, coming in at 233 litres with a skinny spare wheel in place, to 251 litres if not. That means a little shopping and a small suitcase but don't expect to see many of them hanging around the collection point at your local DIY. Our biggest gripe was with the rear window; the glass in the boot lid stretches deep into the boot. That means a tonneau cover is required if you carry anything more valuable than a pen and paper. Your worldly goods are on display without it. Sadly this cover may not come as standard.
Yet a cover will also take something away from the clean lines of the interior and the impressive rear view you get from the driver's seat, even through the gap between the two rear seats. Aside from this concern about the boot, the C30 is a very smart package. Some may find it too small or low-set for their needs, but Volvo makes no apologies for that.
It has created this car for singles or couples without children and there's certainly a market for a premium sportier car there. The interior plastics and dash is the same as in its close relative, the S40, with which it also shares the same platform. The interior here, however, really suits the car. The clean lines of Volvo's "floating" central console and the four well-spaced controls add to the look.
The test cars were of course highly specced, trimmed in leather with electric seats. That meant a power button to move the seat forward when accessing the back. However, with normal manual seats the movement may not allow for that much legroom and the low-set position of the car means adults will have to duck quite a bit to get in. Headroom is also adequate for an adult, but it may be a strain for those over six feet tall.
We tested the range-topping 2.5-litre diesel D5 and the 2.4-litre T5 petrol. On the D5 version, the automatic gearbox is very smooth and arguably better than the manual on the T5, though we would have expected paddle shifts or suchlike on a sports model like this.
The car sits squat on the road and the handling is sharp and precise, only knocked off by the arrival of torque steer in these more powerful versions due to the front wheel drive format. However, that's unlikely to feature on the smaller-engine models.
Of the two versions we tried, the D5 was the favoured engine, offering plenty of low-rev power and a deep grunt when the accelerator is pushed.
The test cars were on 17" alloys and that also contributed to some reaction to the rutted poorly-tarred test runs we occasionally drove on. Push the C30 and before ESP kicks in there is a hint of oversteer.
It's not just the front nose that's the same as the S40/V50. The basic mechanics are shared with its more family-friendly sibling, though most features such as the suspension have been stiffened and adjusted. Similarly, while the steering components are the same, they have been reworked to give a more direct feeling and shorter turn.
We tried both the normal and sports suspension settings - the latter being 20mm lower - and for more powerful engines the sports suspension is a must to transfer the extra power to the road, yet neither were too hard and comfort remains a feature. It's not as raw as rivals like 130i or even the Ford Focus ST with which the T5 shares its engine.
While these are the two most powerful versions, C30 will also come with smaller engines, taken from the S40, starting with a 100bhp 1.6-litre petrol.
While it's aimed at premium sports hatches like the Alfa Romeo 147, Audi A8 and upcoming 3-door BMW 1-Series, Abrahamsson also sees potential sales against the likes of the MINI.
With prices likely to start at €27,500 for the 1.6-litre petrol - and up to €40,000 for the T5 and D5 - it's a premium purchase, but one that will certainly expand the Volvo brand into a new customer base. It's certainly got a striking appeal, different from the rest of the range.
FACTFILE
Engines: same range as in the S40, starting at 1.6-litre 100bhp petrol; 1.8-litre 125bhp petrol; T5 2.4-litre 180bhp petrol. Diesels will start with 1.6-litre 109bhp; then 2-litre 136bhp; and D5 2.5-litre 220bhp diesel
Who's it for?
Strictly a four-seater with limited boot space, it's aimed at singles and couples without children
When is it here?
Orders are being taken now with cars due in dealerships in December
Prices: not confirmed, but likely to start at €27,500 for the 1.6-litre petrol and about €40,000 for the T5 and D5