2010 Volvo C30 Reviews

Volvo C30 is a small coupe from the renowned Swedish car marque, Designed as part of its plan to get away from its 'sensible but boring' image.

Graham Smith reviews the 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 Volvo C30 as a used buy.

NOTHING says "try hard" more than a supposed "sporty" car with fake carbonfibre trim.You won't find anything quite so gauche in the Volvo C30 T5 R-Design, the turbo version of the cute compact Swedish sports car.What you do find is tasteful brushed aluminium with interesting textured patterns, high-quality soft-touch plastics and cutting-edge interior design that reflects the radical exterior design.Introduced in 2007, the C30 still looks fresh and exciting and now comes with the efficient DRIVe diesel variant at one end of the spectrum and the T5 R-Design model at the other.VALUEThe C30 range starts at $36,150 for the diesel rising substantially to $47,150 for the six-speed manual T5 R-Design and $48,650 for the five-speed adaptive automatic Geartronic transmission. That's about $4000 more than the non-turbo five-cylinder models, so although you are not paying for cubes, you are paying for output.And it's not an inconsequential amount of power either. You will definitely notice the extra 44kW of go, even though torque is the same at 320Nm. There are also changes to the suspension and steering that make it a more dramatic drive and it's difficult for an enthusiastic driver to put a dollar figure on that.DESIGNThe C30 should be considered a motoring icon as progressive and stylish as Audi's TT. It looks like nothing else, it seems to be ageing quite well and it is immediately recognisable as a Volvo; even more so now that the Volvo emblem is bigger on the new honeycomb grille.There are also cosmetic changes to the bumpers, new headlights and some new exterior colours, including the dramatic "Orange Flame" metallic of this test car which drew approving looks and attention everywhere it went. The R-Design adds raunchy 17-inch Cratus alloy wheels that not only look great, but the five-spoke design is easy to clean, plus front and rear spoilers, side skirts and chrome-plated 90mm sports tailpipes.Inside, there are new trim colours and surfaces such as the aluminium in the test car, but also an "Oyster Burst Deco" texture in the centre stack and door panel inlays which Volvo claims replicates Swedish Hagstrom guitars made famous by performers such as Elvis Presley, Frank Zappa and Jimi Hendrix. There are also R-Design emblems embossed into the front seats, a leather-rim steering wheel, leather/aluminium gearshift knob, aluminium sports pedals and blue speedometer and tachometer.The floating centre stack echoes throughout the Volvo range and is designed to be a cross between a Nokia mobile phone and a Bang & Olufsen remote control. It works well visually and functionally, except for the fact that in the manual you keep hitting the buttons with your hand when you change into third or fifth gear.SAFETYIt's a Volvo, so it's packed with safe kit such as emergency brake lights which are standard right across the range. These activate over 60km/h flashing the stop lights five times a second if the brakes are applied forcefully in an emergency. When the vehicle slows to 10km/h, the stoplights stop flashing and the hazard lights come on.It also has stability and traction control, anti-lock brakes, electronic brake distribution, dual front and side airbags plus full-length curtain airbags, a whiplash protection system for front-seat passengers and a side impact protection system.DRIVINGWhile 169kW of power is not extreme, it must be remembered that this car weighs less than 1.5 tonne. So that power-to-weight ratio, together with almost no turbo lag, is quite effective in propelling the vehicle along smartly.Unfortunately, there is also massive torque steer that pulls and yanks the steering wheel from side to side.Volvo claims the T5 R-design should return fuel economy of 8.7L/100km for the manual. Over a week of driving on city roads and highways, it yielded 9.1L/100km which isn't far off the mark. All the same, Volvo has increased the tank by 10 litres to 62 to give an effective range of more than 650km.The faster-ratio electro-hydraulic steering feels great with just the right amount of sensitivity and feedback. It works brilliantly with the 30 per cent stiffer springs, firmer monotube dampers and stiffer stabiliser bars to improve change of direction and nimbleness. Fortunately, the ride is still reasonably compliant for a sporty car.The cabin is a pleasant and comfortable place to conduct the business of driving, although the rear two seats are a little cramped and difficult to access. Surprisingly the small cargo area works well and if you only have two on board you can fit a large amount of gear with the seats folded flat.VERDICTLove the styling and the driving is dynamic without being edgy and uncomfortable. However it is hard to go past the DRIVe diesel which is such great value while still being a dynamic city car.VOLVO C30 T5 R-DESIGNPrice: $47,150 ($48,650 auto)Engine: 5-cylinder, 20-valve, DOHC 2521cc turboPower: 169kW @ 5000rpmTorque: 320Nm from 1500-5000rpmTransmission: 6-speed manual (5-speed auto), FWDAcceleration: 0-100km/h in 7.1secsEconomy: 8.7L/100km (9.4 auto)CO2: 208g/km (224 auto)Fuel: 91-98RON, 62-litre tankSteering: electro-hydraulicSuspension: coilover strut (front); multi-link independent (rear)Brakes: ventilated discs (front), solid discs (rear)Safety: ABS, electronic brake distribution, stability and traction controlDimensions (mm): 4266 (l), 2039, (w), 1447 (h), 2640 (wheelbase)Turning circle: 10.6mKerb weight: 1469kg

THE wheels are the first hint that something is different about this Volvo.  The two-door  Volvo C30 DRIVe hatch features futuristic plate-style wheel covers that are supposed to reduce air turbulence and improve fuel efficiency.And that is what this car is all about. Economy.  It sips fuel at a claimed 3.8 litres of diesel for every 100km, giving it a conceivable cruising range of up to 1300km on a single 52-litre tank while emitting 99g of CO2.The only car more economical on our roads is the diesel Fiesta ECOnetic. It beats any hybrid on the market and even the three-cylinder Suzuki Alto.PRICINGSo, as far as value is concerned, it's at least cheap at the fuel pump.  However, it's a Volvo so it also comes with a host of safety features, plenty of creature comforts and excellent build quality but a price tag to match.It's about $12,000 more expensive than the Fiesta but at $36,990 it's still one of the cheapest and best-value Volvos ever produced.TECHNOLOGYHelping it achieve its anorexic fuel diet is the increasingly popular stop-start technology that automatically switches off the engine when the vehicle is stationary, even for just a coupe of seconds.However, in diesel cars such as the Mini, this technology feels jerky as diesel engines shudder as they stop and start.  Volvo claims stop-start reduces fuel consumption by up to 8 per cent.If you find it annoying, you can always turn it off with the button on the centre console. But you will have to do that every time you start the car as it defaults to being switched on.The stop-start system's economy drive is aided by a regenerative system that charges the battery as soon as the driver brakes or lifts off the accelerator, relieving the engine of that function and therefore reducing fuel consumption.Technology in the DRIVe isn't limited to economic gains.  There are also a lot of creature features such as Bluetooth and MP3 connectivity and surprisingly for a car made in the cold climes of Sweden, the climate-control airconditiong goes down to a chilly 14 degrees. Just what you need to beat Aussie summers.DESIGNEven though it's now a few years old, the C30 is still a fresh-looking design that is destined to be timeless.  Making it a little more futuristic are the wheels which are aided in their wind-cheating ways by a deflecting panel behind the grille to improve airflow around the engine and an aerodynamically smooth underbody.Interior design is similarly practical and stylish without looking like a 1970s Swedish soft-porn film.  Take for example the innovative and stylish floating centre stack which is designed to look like a cross between a Nokia phone and Bang & Olufsen remote control.Consequently, even though there are a lot of buttons, it is intuitive and easy to use. However, it is not without its design faults.Because of the proximity of the centre stack to the gear shift, I inadvertently and prematurely ended several phone calls when my thumb struck the "exit" button as I engaged third or fifth gear.SAFETYAs expected in a Volvo, safety is a major focus with six airbags, adaptive emergency brake lights, whiplash protection seats, electronic stability control and traction control, and anti-skid brakes.Not only does the rear end have a unique look, but it is also provides good rear vision, while forward and side vision is similarly very good.DRIVINGI tried as hard as possible to reach the claimed economy figures of 3.8L/100km and failed, but only just.  I slipped it into neutral down hills, avoided hard braking and acceleration, changed up early as directed by the arrow on the LCD screen in front of the driver, turned off the airconditioning and kept the windows up.With just me in the car and in a mix of highway and city driving, the best I could do was 4.1L/100km.  When I gave up and drove the car as normal, it climbed to 4.9L/1200km, which is still quite respectable.But economy is no good if the car drives like a wet dish rag. Fortunately it doesn't.  The engine has good grunt for daily driving shores and highway overtaking.It pulls well from under 2000 revs, but runs out of breath quickly, requiring good use of the gearbox.  The clutch is light and the transmission is smooth and reliable for quick gear changes and throttling the most out of the engine when needed.It handles nimbly around the city, isn't thrown by choppy surfaces on B roads and is stable and very quiet on the highway.  Cabin comfort and room is good despite being a small two-door coupe.It is relatively easy to get in and out of the back with a wide opening door and front seats that quickly slide all the way forward. Even adults will feel comfortable in the two rear seats.While there isn't much space in the cargo area with two rear passengers on board, the rear seats fold flat and provide quite a large and usable cargo area for a small car.There are also plenty of handy cubby holes and storage areas around the cabin.VERDICTEconomic and environmentally conscious motoring doesn't have to be boring, ugly, cheap, nasty or unsafe.  This Volvo proves it.Volvo C30 DRIVePrice: $36,150Engine: Diesel, 1.6-litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged, dohc; with stop-startPower: 80kW @ 4000rpm.Torque: 250Nm @ 1750rpm.Transmission: Five-speed manual; front-wheel-drive.Fuel consumption: 3.8 litres/100km.CO2 emissions: 99g/km.Dimensions: 4266mm long, 1782mm wide.