Cars Service

The first thing you notice about this 2006 SEMA concept is the blue paint and yellow racing stripe – a nod to the Swedish flag. Then, you see the quad fog lamps, evil-look headlights, and other exterior detailing. The big story is under the hood though – this concept puts out almost 400 horsepower courtesy of a belt-driven supercharger.





Its slammed to the ground with a coil-over kit, has big brakes to fill the enormous five-spoke rims, and a whole mess of stereo equipment to keep your passengers occupied while you blast down the back roads.

Sleek body design for good all-round view

The fact that the Volvo C30 is fun and stimulating to drive is a result of its well controlled body motions, quick steering response and predictable behaviour,” says Håkan Abrahamsson. “This means that it is easy to control, even in unexpected situations, which thereby contributes to safer driving.” In addition to the predictable driving characteristics, an unobstructed view is very important to preventive safety.

The Volvo C30’s special design, with the side windows at the right height, creates a panoramic view from all seats. The inwardly curving rear side windows and the unique glass tailgate provide a very good rear view, not least at an angle rearward. The tapered B-pillars also contribute, which offer a clear view between the side of the body and the head restraint. This also gives the rear Seat passengers a good view through the front side windows.

Range of engines from 100 to 220 hp

The new Volvo C30 has a wide selection of engines, ranging from a 100 hp, four-cylinder 1.6-litre petrol engine, a clean and efficient four-cylinder, 1.6-litre diesel with 109 hp to the five-cylinder D5 and T5 turbo engines, providing 180 and 220 hp respectively.At 425 centimetres (167 inches), the C30 is the smallest member of Volvo’s model range - 22 centimetres (8,5 inches) shorter than the Volvo S40. “A car that exudes muscular manoeuvrability must live up to the promise of its looks when you are behind the wheel.

Therefore, the C30 has a chassis that offers sporty driving characteristics, regardless of whether you choose the 1.6-litre diesel or the T5 engine,” says Håkan Abrahamsson.Even in the base model, the Volvo C30 offers a high-class audio system – and true audiophiles can choose the Premium Sound system, with a digital 5x130W ICE Power amplifier from Alpine®, Dolby® Pro Logic II Surround, and 10 loudspeakers from Danish Dynaudio®.

All engines have four-valve technology and double overhead camshafts, which contribute to the quick response and good high-speed characteristics. The most powerful petrol engine (T5) is turbo charged, and has very high and even torque from low to high engine speeds (320 Nm from 1500 to 4800 rpm). This makes the Volvo C30 very responsive, with willing acceleration.

Manoeuvrable and sporty to drive

Thanks to its small size and well thought out design, the Volvo C30 is very nimble to handle, even in limited space. Otherwise, it is built according to the same principles as the other Volvo cars. A compact and solid body, a generous track width, and a relatively long wheelbase contribute to giving it inspiring and stable driving characteristics.

The chassis, with MacPherson front wheel suspension and a Multilink rear axle, is optimized to enhance fun to drive. High level of body control and precise response are key properties. A lowered sport chassis is available as an option. DSTC, Dynamic Stability and Traction Control, is standard in most markets. Steering is electro-hydraulic (hydraulic for the 1.6-litre petrol), with a distinct and controlled steering feel. The range of options for the Volvo C30 includes a number of alloy wheels in sizes from 15 to 18 inches.

Styling for individualists and room for four adults

The new C30 has room for four adults thanks to the two separate rear seats with generous head and leg room. The rear seats are slightly centred to provide a feeling of space and a good forward view.

The space between the seats also makes the thin, visually floating centre stack clearly visible through the glass tailgate. The interior program has been designed to meet the target group’s taste for personal choices. Even the base program offers, for example, upholstery in three attractive colours.

The C30 is about “customised functionality”. There are a lot of possibilities for personalisation and the car has all the right and cleverly designed solutions that the people who choose this type of car want,” says Håkan Abrahamsson, who heads the C30 project.

News


Volvos new C30 coupe will beat rivals from BMW and Audi on price.

Prices will start at £14,750 for the most basic C30, and standard equipment will include climate control, 16-inch alloy wheels, electric windows, CD stereo, a stability programme and six airbags.

Five petrol engines and three diesel motors will form the engine range. Petrol choices will consist of a 99bhp 1.6, a 123bhp 1.8, a 143bhp 2.0, a 168bhp 2.4 and the range-topping 217bhp 2.5 T5. There will be three diesel choices: a 108bhp 1.6, a 134bhp 2.0 and a 178bhp 2.4 D5.

Each engine will be available in a choice of four trim levels – S, SE, SE Sport or SE Lux. SE models will cost £1500 more than the basic S models and add 17-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, front foglights and a trip computer. SE Sport versions add 18-inch alloys and a full body kit, while SE Lux versions get 17-inch alloys, a rear spoiler and leather upholstery. Both SE Sport and SE Lux models cost £1500 more than SE models.

Volvos pricing is aggressive when compared with rival Audis and BMWs. The entry-level car costs £765 less than the cheapest A3 and £1245 less than the most basic 1 Series. Neither the Audi nor the BMW has air-conditioning or side airbags, either.

Compare the likely best-selling versions, and the difference is even greater. The C30 2.0 D in SE trim will cost £19,295, whereas the similarly equipped Audi A3 2.0TDI SE will cost £1285 more at £20,580. The BMW 120d SE does provide standard parking sensors, but it costs £21,360, over £2000 more. Even the slightly lower-specification ES version costs £940 more than the Volvo.

The C30 is available to order now, and the first cars should arrive in UK showrooms in early 2007.

When I was younger, I liked my cars how I liked my men good looking and sporty. As far as technical specifications went, all I needed to know was a) does it have a mirror in the sun visor so I can check my lippy at the traffic lights, and b) can I get it in red? But the years have passed, Im older and wiser well, older at least and my motoring needs have changed.


These days I need a car which will suit the demands of my husband (an engine with a bit of poke), my 1 year old (plenty of room for toys and a decent car stereo so we can play the Teletubbies song again and againand again) and me (a big enough boot to carry home the spoils of my latest retail therapy session). Could the V50 provide all of that?



I dont know if its a girl thing, or a size thing (Im only 52"), or just because in the past most of my cars have been hatchbacks, but I sometimes find estate cars a bit overwhelming; they seem to go on for ages. But for an estate the V50 seems almost compact and bijou; perhaps just in comparison with the chunky V70, which to me is a proper estate car. This isnt to say that the V50 completely lacks storage space. Its slightly shorter than its predecessor, the V40, but its also taller and wider, so its more capacious than you might first think.

Certainly on a trip to the grandparents we managed to pack in travel cot, buggy, reams of baby wipes and nappies, a wardrobes worth of baby clothes (they get through a lot at this age), and a toothbrush and a clean pair of pants each for mummy and daddy. Not bad for a weekend away, although I think youd have trouble with a bigger family, and we did have to pack carefully. Theres not much leg-room in the back for adults or older children, particularly if the driver and front passenger are tall. The Scandinavians seem to have designed this one with the smaller family in mind; just enough room in the back for little Bjorns car seat, efficient air conditioning to keep you as cool as Sven Goran Erickson during a tabloid newspaper sex scandal, and a boot you could fill with enough jars of pickled herring to feed the whole family for a month.

On the retail therapy front, fold the back seats down and you could probably squeeze a Torksvig storage solution (flat-pack pine bookcase to you and me) in the boot. In an emergency the spare is nicely accessible, which makes it that bit easier for husband to change the wheel while I chat up the AA man.

Volvo have to me always represented safe but rather conservative design. So their new floating console comes straight out of left field, curving gently away from the rest of the dash and leaving thin air behind it. On this model it had a very strange semi-transparent finish, which I quite liked, although a veritable smorgasbord of different finishes including wood, aluminium and plastic are also available. The controls are good and chunky and easy to reach from the drivers seat, although the CD/radio looks far too complicated to muck about with once youre off.

Putting the ignition on the dashboard next to the steering wheel seems a bit strange because anyone with bigger hands than me, or even a larger key fob, would knock the indicators every time they fired the car up. The only major disappointment is the rest of the dashboard, a vast expanse of uninspiring grey plastic with a piddling glove box which is just big enough to keep the car manual in but not much else. Where do I put my maps, emergency wet wipes, torch, AA card, bottle of water, small but carefully chosen selection of CDs, tin of travel sweets? Certainly not in the equally tiny door pockets. But there are two very nice cup holders, so at least Ive got somewhere to rest my latte.

Upholstery is in grainy leather, more at the hard wearing end of the range than the luxurious executive end. While were on the subject of seats, the drivers seat goes up and down as well as backwards and forwards good news when youre a shorty like me. Its something of a novelty having a decent view over the steering wheel, rather than through it. The model I tried was the top of the range 2.

5-litre, 5 cylinder, 220bhp T5 SE. It also comes in four-wheel drive for those of you with off-road pretensions. Itll go from 0-60 in 6.9 seconds with a top speed of 149 miles per hour, which is perfect for getting the kids to school on time on those mornings when the alarm doesnt go off. Fuel consumption is pretty good for this size engine, with an average of 31mpg.



Easily. The V50 combines the quality and reliability youd expect from a Volvo, with some neat design touches and enough space for a small family. The T5 also delivers that extra bit of punch in the engine department. Dont however over-estimate the carrying capacity of this car; taking a family of five on a camping trip with bicycles, skis and granny in the back isnt going to happen in the V50.

£25,020 for the T5, but for those on a lower budget prices start from around £18,000 for a 1.8 S. Next to the comparable Alfa Sportwagon these prices stack up quite nicely, whilst being a good deal less than something like a BMW 3 Series Touring.