2008 Volvo C30
Volvos have always been synonymous with safety -- both in crash test performance and in aesthetics. Even in recent years, as the Swedish carmaker has strayed from its stereotypical boxy station wagons and sedans into (relatively) sexier models like the S80, Volvos have never had the kind of head-turning curb appeal of other luxury European carmakers. With a design that's radically more youthful than anything Volvo has ever unleashed on American soil, the C30 aims to change all that. All we can say is, the Swedes have done quite well for a first stab.
The first reaction most people will have to the two-door C30 is, what kind of car is THAT? The second reaction will be, No, that can't be a Volvo. Indeed, the C30 takes its design cues more from sporty, urban coupes like the GTI and the Mini Cooper than anything in recent Volvo memory (the company literature goes all the way back to a 60s P1800 as point of reference). The sloping, bullet-shaped roofline, all-glass hatchback and distinctive, Mini Cooper-style wheel housings give off a feeling of European cool at first glance.
The C30's cockpit is pleasantly sporty, with race-styled seats that just practically beg you to take the car onto a track and burn up some laps. The C30 is definitely roomy -- it has surprisingly good rear passenger seat room and substantial trunk space. An iPod adapter is another nod to the younger generation that should be lured in by the C30's sex appeal. On the down side, the instrument panel on the C30 has a bargain basement feel to it, standing out like a sore thumb on a car that is sophisticated in many other ways.
Once you turn the ignition, it's clear this car isn't all show and no go. The 227-horsepower, five cylinder turbo snaps the C30 off a dead start with the tap of a pedal, and the car's throaty exhaust note is much more satisfying than the typical turbo whine of many European sports cars. We drove a six-speed manual which was torquey through all gears; the C30 digs from 0-60 in a notch over 6 seconds; even at high-speed highway driving, the ride was smooth and fast in fifth, sixth gear seemed almost irrelevant.
The C30 comes in two packages, with Internet-age nicknames Version 1.0 and Version 2.0. As on the Internet, 2.0 is better, and it'll cost you more ($25,700 base price, versus $22,700 for Version 1.0). What do you get for the extra money? A premium sound system, Sirius Satellite Radio, a dynamic chassis that gives a sportier responsiveness to road conditions, 18" Altreus alloy wheels to pimp your ride. The 2.0 includes a body styling kit, which ups the urban cool factor noticeably on the C30, adding front and rear spoilers, side rocker trim and larger exhaust tips.
It's obvious Volvo is gunning for a much younger demographic -- mainly, guys in their 20s and 30s looking for sports car fun and some European sophistication. For that reason, it's hard to imagine buying the C30 without opting for the full-blown design, audio and performance packages. If you start with the Version 2.0 C30, and add on GPS navigation, power driver and passenger seats, a moonroof, foglamps and BiXenon headlamps, and Volvo's Blind Spot Information System (which warns you of a vehicle in your blind spot), you're looking at a price tag of $33,080. Based on a quick, admittedly unscientific website comparison with the GTI, that price point seems to run a few grand more than a comparably equipped VW GTI with sunroof, heated leather seats, VW's top sound system, six-speed tiptronic and body kit. So where does the C30 fit into the mix with the other sporty Euro coupes on the market? The GTI is still the macho choice, and the Mini Cooper, even with its buff new styling, still seems to appeal more to the female market. Let's just say the C30 is the perfect sports car for the metrosexuals with a need for speed.
