Volvo C30 LE 2007 Review

Road Test

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 4.0/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.0/.50
Safety: 4.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 4.0/5.0
X-factor: 4.0/5.0

About our ratings

Form and function are not always the most compatible of bedfellows. And when it comes to cars, it is a constant battle between the designers' fanciful concepts for the former and the practical application of the latter by the engineers.

It is, of course, a very difficult balance and traditionally Swedish carmaker Volvo has always leaned to the latter as being of greater importance. Even when it launched the first generation C-car (the C70 coupe), with then design director Peter Horbury claiming that Volvo had "thrown out the box and kept the car", it was not without its practical base being a large four-seater.

With the C30 Volvo has ventured forth into altogether new (well, almost -- see below) territory with a car that seemingly makes design distinction one of the highest priorities. While Volvos in the past have been distinctive for their boxiness -- although the edges have certainly been taken off in recent years -- the C30 is a car for the funky bunch that aims to appeal not to safety conscious families of the middle to well-to-do suburbs, but inner city singles and couples.

Newbies take note, however… It is not the first time Volvo has ventured into trendy territory. The car that inspired the C30 -- the P1800 -- garnered a degree of street cred in the 1960s as the favoured wheels of Roger Moore's The Saint. Mind you, between then and now, there hasn't been a hell of a lot of Volvo product to appeal beyond the family unit. If there was ever a car to change all that, the C30 is it.

While the front end is shared with its S40/V50 siblings, the rest of the car is a radical departure being a three-door with a frameless glass rear hatch. In side profile -- in fact any view beyond front and square -- the car looks positively sporty and the visage from the rear is almost space age.

Slip into the comfortable and supportive driver's seat and although the dash design is not such a departure from the traditional, it still carries a very pleasant minimalist Swedish feel with the slick thin floating centre console housing big easy to use controls. Despite the car's relatively compact dimensions, there is plenty of headroom and good adjustability for the electrically-powered driver's seat to achieve an appropriate driving position.

Take a look into the rear and there are just two belted positions making the car one of the few small hatches that doesn't pretend to be able to squeeze three across the rear. The two positions are spacious enough for a couple of adults on shorter trips and access by moving the manually adjustable front passenger seat is quite easy. Entry and exit can be achieved without significant contortions.

The two rear seats fold flat to increase the luggage space, which is probably where they might want to be most of the time as the boot is quite shallow and narrow (the designers have won here but then again, the car wears it target market very firmly on its sleeve).

We tested the humblest of C30s -- the LE. To read about the sportiest, turbo'd T5 click here.

Standard kit in the LE includes leather trim, cruise control, power windows and mirrors and climate control and while the audio system is up to Volvo's usual superb quality, it only offers a single slot CD player.

A six stacker will cost you an extra $795 from the rather extensive options list and metallic paint is somewhat pricey $1350 and you probably won't see too many in red or white.

With the car sitting price-wise firmly in the Audi A3 and even BMW 1 Series (although it's a five-door with less power) price bracket, we would like a bit more bang for our buck in the equipment stakes.

What it doesn't lack though, in true Volvo style, is safety kit with a full complement of six airbags, ABS, stability traction control and anti whiplash head restraints.

But how does it drive?

Based as it is on Ford group architecture shared with the Mazda3 and Ford Focus -- and Volvo's own S40/V50 -- the C30 already has a decent kick start -- all these cars have earned a solid reputation for good driving dynamics.

And the C30 is no different. The LE’s 125kW/230Nm five-cylinder 2.4-litre engine is more than up to the task of getting the car away from standstill fairly enthusiastically. It's not rocket-like acceleration by any means but the surge is strong and sweet right through the rev band. The progression is very smooth and refined and as the revs increase there is Volvo's delightful five-cylinder purr to accompany the growing pace.

The five-speed auto transmission is slick, smooth and reasonably responsive to right foot input, ensuring overtaking is carried out with confidence. Keep it locked down via the manual sequential shift mode and the engine will keep revving out past 6000rpm, however, it is the midrange between 3000-6000rpm where the engine delivers its best.

And this is where you want it to be spinning for a fast and fun blast along a twisting country road. Yes, you did read right, this is actually a Volvo that is up for an involving and engaging drive.

With a seemingly very stiff and solid body sitting on a suspension setup that has already been proven, the car feels very planted and exhibits superb body control. Push hard into a corner and it sits flat and stable following your desired line with ease.

Even the steering is direct and responsive with a decent amount of feel just to ensure you know what the front tyres are doing.

At the same time, the ride quality of the LE's standard suspension tune is such that small ripples and bumps go virtually unnoticed. Only a couple of times did the suppleness fail to conceal larger potholes and this tended to be at lower urban speeds.

Sure, it's a Volvo, Jim -- but not as we know it!

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