Volvo C30 T5 R-Design 2010 Review

Volvo C30 T5 R-Design with optional sport chassis

What we liked
>> Five-pot turbo does everything right
>> Manual trans shift quality seems much improved
>> Stylish looks and entertaining drive

Not so much
>> Can be noisy (tyres)
>> Ride is harsh (optional suspension)
>> No getting around the issue of interior space

Overall rating: 3.0/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 3.0/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 2.5/5.0
Safety: 4.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.0/5.0
X-factor: 4.0/5.0

About our ratings

OVERVIEW
-- It's got the look
Volvo has upgraded its C30 hatch for 2010, facelifting the car to reflect the company's new corporate style. The importer has highlighted some of the more conspicuous visual changes, which are shared in part or in whole with the similarly upgraded C70 coupe/convertible.

Both cars now wear the same family look at the front -- already seen on the XC60 SUV and other models to come in the Volvo range. The corporate style consists of elongated headlights, a honeycomb-mesh grille insert and restyled front bumper and apron.

New reflectors stand out in the rear bumper and Volvo has introduced two new alloy wheel designs as options -- a 16-inch 'Convector' wheel and the 17-inch 'Styx White' wheel. Two new colours available are Orange Flame metallic and Lime Grass Green.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT

All C30s come equipped as standard with: auxiliary audio input, front/rear fog lights, electric fold-in door mirrors, 'puddle' lights, leather-bound handbrake/steering wheel/gear knob, remote central locking, climate control, pollen filter, front-seat adjustable lumbar support, split-fold rear seat, front cupholders, 12V auxiliary power outlets, reach/rake adjustment for steering wheel, front electric windows, cruise control and trip computer.

Fitted with the turbocharged five-cylinder engine, the C30 T5 ($43,450 manual or $44,950 auto), features: upgraded leather trim, rear spoiler, electro-chromatic mirror with integrated compass, rear-seat armrest, hard load cover, headlight washers, electrically-adjustable driver's seat, rear park assist and 17-inch Zaurak-design alloy wheels.

The R-Design option for the T5 ($47,150 manual or $48,650 auto), adds aluminium/leather combination sports steering wheel/gear knob, exclusive vinyl/leather combination trim, floormats, sports pedals and 17-inch Cratus-design alloy wheels. Other options, according to Volvo's own price list, could theoretically add $32,000 to the purchase price of even the range-topping C30 T5 R-Design.

MECHANICAL
-- Five-pot matched well
The C30 shares its platform with the S40 sedan and the V50 wagon. All three can claim a relationship with the Ford Focus and the Mazda3.

With the exception of the C30 DRIVe and the C30 2.0D (both four-cylinder turbodiesels), the C30 is powered by five-cylinder petrol engines. The C30 2.4i S has a naturally-aspirated five-cylinder engine mounted in its nose, the C30 T5 has a slightly larger-displacement engine (2.5 litres versus 2.4) and a 'hairdryer'.

Both the petrol engines draw on DOHC valvetrain and variable valve timing (inlet only for the atmo 2.4). Peak power is 125kW for the 2.4, 169kW for the turbo motor. The 2.4-litre engine develops 230Nm of torque and the 2.5 produces 320Nm between 1500 and 5000rpm. Respective fuel consumption and CO2 emissions figures are 8.4L/100km and 200g/km for the 2.4i S, 8.7L/100km and 208g/km for the T5.

Volvo specifies manual transmissions as standard for both engine variants, with a five-speed manual for the C30 2.4i S and a six-speed box for the T5. Five-speed automatic transmissions are optionally available for both. Drive reaches the road via the front wheels and stopping power comes from ventilated front disc brakes and solid rear discs.

Suspension comprises a MacPherson strut front end and a multi-link IRS set-up, while the steering is electro-hydraulically assisted. The standard wheels are 6.5x16-inch 'Ceryx' alloys for the 2.4i S, or 7.0x17-inch 'Zaurak' alloy. R-Design variants come with 'Cratus' wheels in the same size as the Zaurak design and the vehicle tested was shod with optional 'Styx White' wheels.

PACKAGING
-- Style before all else
Volvo has subtly redesigned the interior of the C30, starting with the introduction of a new, graduating colour scheme named 'Oyster Burst Deco', which combines grey with white for the centre fascia and door trims. Volvo designers were inspired by Swedish Hagstrom guitars used by Elvis Presley, Frank Zappa and Jimi Hendrix for the new look.

In addition, the C30 gains a new, scratch-resistant honeycomb-pattern aluminium decorative trim and a revised cargo blind in the luggage compartment. Compared with the cargo blind of the superseded model C30, the new unit is made from a different material and features a new graphic pattern.

The packaging of the C30 otherwise remains unchanged from the pre-facelift model, which means it remains a four-seater.

It's pretty tight in the rear seat for head and legroom once you have a larger adult in one or both of the front seats. Indeed, behind the driver is pretty much the province of kids.

Luggage capacity is also fairly limited, which is, in part, an outcome of Volvo's aim to have the C30 resemble the iconic P1800 ES from the 1970s. Underneath the glass tailgate, the cargo blind has a smaller, hinged cut-out that allows access to the storage space beneath, without the need to lift the entire blind. It's an example of the way Volvo's designers have compromised practicality for style -- or vice versa if you prefer.

And if that sounds like a criticism, it's not. In developing the C30 in the first place, and then upgrading it with this facelift, Volvo has focused more on styling than it has in the case of almost any previous car from the stable (one exception being the ancient P1800, which was actually built by British company Jensen anyway).

The C30 is all about style and it has brought new buyers into the fold accordingly. But more to the point, it offers something that all 'good things in small packages' should -- lots of choice.

SAFETY
-- New lighting systems further enhance C30 safety
To suggest the rest of the world is catching up with Volvo for safety expertise is to ignore or fail to observe how the Swedish company defines 'safety'. Safety, in the C30, includes non-allergenic interior trim materials. Even metal interior trim is tested for compliance with the 'Oeko-Tex standard 100' -- which we've not previously heard of, by the way.

Arguably, you wouldn't want to leave the road at high speed after a sneeze or run up the rear end of a car while blowing your nose.

But let's get back to the big-ticket items... There's a new feature, which is named 'Active Bending Lights' by Volvo, but is basically adaptive cornering lights applied to bi-xenon headlight technology. According to Volvo, the headlights swivel through an arc of 15 degrees in either direction, as the car corners. During daylight hours, the motors that turn the lights are disabled, for longevity.

At the rear, the C30 now features Adaptive Brake Lights, which operate above 50km/h and enable the brake lights to flash at five times a second during emergency stops. Once the speed has dropped below 30km/h, the brake lights cease flashing and the hazard warning lights flash in their place.

Volvo's Intelligent Driver Information System (the system is intelligent, not the driver necessarily), ensures that phone calls are held if the system detects that the driver is focused on driving at the time. That can be determined by how hard the driver is wrenching the wheel or standing on the brake pedal, for example.

The C30 comes with stability and traction control systems of course. For passive safety, it features a safety-cage construction featuring a reinforced roof, SIPS (Side Impact Protection System) and strong front and rear crumple zones to disperse crash energy.

As is the case with other cars offering this sort of construction, the C30 employs different tensile-strength steels to direct the crash energy through different load paths. A steel strut under the dash minimises the possibility of cabin intrusion by the engine and transaxle.

Inside the cabin, standard safety features include: WHIPS (Whiplash Protection System), seat-belt pretensioners, dual-stage front airbags, side-impact airbags in the front seats and side-curtain airbags.  Blind Sport Information System (BLIS), rain-sensing wipers  and a first aid kit are available as options for the T5.

The C30 has scored five stars in a recent Euro NCAP test and rated highly for child protection, but was not as well regarded by the crash-testing authority for the way the Volvo protected pedestrians.

COMPETITORS
-- Ground zero for cute-but-capable two-doors
For its price and its combination of packaging and performance, the C30 T5 parachutes into a target-rich environment comprising cheaper cars (the Renault Clio 200 Cup Trophee, the MINI Cooper S) and the more expensive BMW 125i Coupe. Just for its familial associations, you could throw in the Ford Focus XR5 Turbo also, although it lacks the C30's designer appeal and brand cachet.

Unlike the Volvo, MINI and Renault, the BMW isn't a three-door hatch and will provide greater practicality by virtue of its boot, but it's something like $8000 more expensive (before options) than the Volvo. For the money, you do get an extra cylinder on the end of the engine, and rear-wheel drive handling. It's also faster in straight-line acceleration, despite the Volvo mustering marginally more power and torque. The Volvo is also a bit heavier than the BMW.

Both the MINI and the Renault cost less to purchase than the Volvo (by roughly $7000 for the MINI and $8000 for the Clio), but buyers are likely to choose the Volvo over the MINI if they don't care for retro looks, while the Volvo brand may be a safer choice for some than the 'Lozenge' -- for a variety of reasons.

ON THE ROAD
-- A Volvo for the 'trackisti'
The C30 T5 R-Design transmits considerable road noise back into the cabin. Driven on Victorian country roads, it left the driver in no doubt that the tyres were in constant contact with gravel-infused asphalt.

Yet that was probably the one significant gripe about this car, other than perhaps the ride of the T5 with the sport chassis option, which will almost certainly prove too firm for all but the most committed weekend racers.

Over the vicious speed humps at Melbourne Airport the suspension jarred the car's occupants with each impact. It was similarly firm to a fault over bumps in the country roads traversed for the media drive program. Yet there's no doubt that the C30 T5 with this (inexpensive) option is very capable in corners. That may be the ultimate justification to tick the box for it.

With zero rear overhang and a relatively short wheelbase, the C30 T5 R-Design with sport chassis was very nimble and utterly dependable for safe cornering.

On just one occasion did we really get the chance to test the car's cornering ability, when a blind left-hander tightened up unexpectedly. With the driver lifting off the throttle, the tail lightened, but the car just tracked around the corner otherwise. Steering was steady and provided good feedback at higher speeds.

As for the C70 tested the same day, the C30 was comfortable and practical for everyday use. It was also powered by a gem of a turbocharged five-cylinder engine, but unlike the C70, the C30 we drove came with a six-speed manual transmission. The shift quality for this transmission was light and positive with no notchiness to speak of -- just direct, smooth and fast shifting. Clutch take-up seemed a little high off the floor, but the driver quickly adjusted to that.

Delivering a bucket-load of torque, the engine is 'electric' -- it pulls from low engine speeds with minimal fuss and is still playing to the audience up to the redline. In fact, it's very composed at engine speeds on or below 1500rpm. That's the advantage of having that extra cylinder and the combustion chamber volume with it, but it's also testament to the way Volvo engineers have finely tuned the powerplant for optimum NVH.

In the form we tested the C30, it's very much a hot hatch with some prestige trappings. But it's at the same time a stylish small car that can be all things to all buyers -- a point stressed in Volvo's latest TV commercial for the car and something that had struck us even in the case of the pre-facelift C30.

You, the buyer, can specify all the luxury extras for this car and turn it into a mini-limo, or you can order the car with the same kit as the one tested and have something that would give a JCW MINI a run for its money.

There's also the third option, something in between -- a T5 with conservative looks but the sport chassis option and a manual transmission or a D4 with R-Design body kit. Mix and match to your heart's content.

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