Car Reviews UK

The smallest yet most expressively designed of all Volvos, the new C30, has been given an extensive facelift giving the car a radical new appearance. Body panel changes, including the wings and bonnet create a distinct new personality for the Volvo C30 whilst closely aligning it to the S60 Concept and the new Volvo C70. The interior has also benefited from an update and now offers a range of new interior options including the introduction of a new colour combination - Espresso/Blond. The introduction of a wider variety of options, colours and accessories allow customers to personalise their C30 even further than before.

To complement the Volvo C30's new dynamic style, an optional Sports chassis is available to give the car a significantly sharper ride. Standard on R-DESIGN models, the Sports chassis is also available as an option across other trim levels.

The new Volvo C30 maintains the four individual seats. The rear seats are mounted towards the centreline of the car, improving head and shoulder-room. ‘We were convinced that four seats, not five, was the correct approach,' says Mr Abrahamsson, C30 Project Director. ‘Four seats mean great rear seat comfort for both rear passengers. Five would have been a compromise. Besides, Volvo has many five-seat cars. If you want five seats, you can buy a Volvo S40 saloon or a V50 Sportswagon. On most journeys, we doubt whether the rear seats will even be used. Mostly, the rear seats will probably be folded flat, giving an amazing cargo space.'

Harking back to the iconic Volvo P1800S, another feature which has been continued into the new model is the distinctive all-glass tailgate which offers excellent rear visibility. A load cover is available to protect luggage from prying eyes.

There is a choice of five engines (three petrol and two diesel), including four and five-cylinder units. The petrol range includes a light and efficient 100 PS 1.6-litre, 145 PS 2.0-litre and a five-cylinder T5 model generating 230 PS that can achieve 0-60 mph in 6.2 seconds. The two diesels include the lower CO₂-emitting 109 PS 1.6D DRIVe engine and 136 PS 2.0D.

Reinforcing Volvo's long-standing commitment to environmental care, models with the 1.6D engine will come equipped with a series of efficiency enhancing features to lower CO₂ emissions to below 120 g/km and improve fuel economy. These models are marked with the DRIVe emblem to signal their enhanced environmental credentials. New Start/Stop technology is also available on the 1.6D DRIVe to further reduce CO₂ emissions to just 99 g/km and offer fuel economy of up to 74.3 mpg.

The Volvo C30 is also an extremely safe car in an accident. Safety innovations such as curtain airbags protect both front and rear passengers, and other safety equipment includes safety belt tensioners, Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS) and Side Impact Protection System (SIPS) plus SIPS airbags and an IC (Inflatable Curtain). In addition, every Volvo C30 has DSTC (Dynamic Stability and Traction Control), and ABS brakes with EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution) and EBA (Electronic Brake Assistance).