Creative Volvo C30

The Volvo C30 will take its place in Volvo history, somewhere between the introduction of the lambda probe and the victory in the 1965 World Rally Championship. For one body design alone, it was awarded the Golden Steering Wheel in Germany and was named Car of the Year in Italy. It could have been the absolute best, but the compact class just wasn't in vogue this season.

Volvo C30 buyers are young and successful, but offspring are not yet in their plans. They see the car as entertainment and a way to maintain an active pace of life, but their sense of taste does not allow them to choose a sports coupe or a tuned hatch. The same feeling does not leave such young people in a clothing, furniture or household appliance store - design is a priori for them. When it comes to a car, Volvo is confident that these people will opt for the Volvo C30.

This is how marketers of the Swedish company see the target audience of their new compact, which will be able to appreciate the extravagant coupe with a glass tailgate. A similar solution from Volvo in the XXI century. turned out to be as unexpected and curious as an SUV from Porsche.

On the one hand, the Volvo C30 is a bearer of family traits, on the other hand, it is an avant-garde and dandy. The shape of the bonnet with elongated headlights and a low wide grille plus a sloping roof add dynamism to the C30. The rear side panels have a powerful, rounded shape, which is emphasized by the lights and the glass tailgate. If not for her, the Volvo C30 would be a full-fledged hatchback.
Even journalists, characterizing this car, sometimes get confused in the definitions, and the manufacturers themselves prefer to avoid specifics, more often speaking simply: "Volvo C30".
For those who prefer the Volvo C30, taste is fine. They do not need excesses in their own car - only a stylish and functional interior. Therefore, the finish and technological tools are almost completely borrowed from the Volvo S40, only there are only seats for four.
Instead of a sofa, there are two full-fledged seats in the back with a reclining armrest. At the same time, getting to the back row is not so easy: first, we tilt the seat forward, then press the button on the back of the chair - and the electricity smoothly pushes it, freeing the passage back. If you are not in a hurry, there are no complaints about such a system. It's nice that the backrests of the rear seats are independently adjustable. And the rear seats can be folded both from the luggage compartment and from the inside.

The feeling that you are inside the S40, rightly, does not leave for quite a long time. The "floating" center console is as flat and also stands out against the black background of the dashboard. The buttons for controlling the climate, music and other features are quite close to each other: this is unusual, and as you move your fingers press the adjacent buttons every now and then. The white dials of the speedometer and tachometer are flawlessly legible and visible through the top half of the sports steering wheel.
We will leave the status of a “sports” steering wheel on the conscience of the Swedes: the three-spoke design and thickenings in the grip zones are, of course, good, but the diameter could have been made smaller. Nevertheless, such a steering wheel is quite suitable for daily use.

No matter how the Swedes experiment with the exterior and interior of their new products, in terms of security systems, they will forever remain conservatives ... as well as leaders and legislators. The new Volvo C30 already has an active-passive toolkit in the basic configuration that many basic D-class sedans from other famous brands cannot afford.
The front and rear parts of the Volvo C30 are made of different types of steel and have different deformation characteristics. This allows the forces to be redistributed and absorbed in a collision so that the passenger compartment remains unharmed. Particular attention has been paid to the frontal collision: the car is equipped with a deformable pedal unit, two-stage airbags and a folding steering column. And the engine is positioned so that in the event of a frontal impact, there is enough space in the engine compartment to move it without transferring the load to the passenger compartment. There are also means from a side impact: the SIPS system (Side Impact Protection System), side airbags and inflatable curtains IC (Inflatable curtains) save. And the front seats also protect against whiplash by the WHIPS (Volvo's Whiplash Protection System), which is aimed at reducing the risk of neck injury.

Gone are the days when a man behind the wheel of a Volvo was jokingly called "Volvo driver", referring to the imposing and awkward nature of his car. Now, Ford is in charge of tuning the chassis, providing the Volvo C30 with a platform from the best-selling Focus II and Mazda3. Volvo softened it as best they could; it turned out not so hard; although there were no complaints about handling, even in the 2.4-liter version (for modifications with the T5 engine, the suspension was made shorter and stiffer).
The pseudo-sports steering wheel surprises with a good intelligible effort that weakens with a decrease in speed. At high speeds, a couple of degrees of insensitive zone remains at the steering wheel, and the car does not prowl around at the slightest turn. And in a bend, on the contrary, the steering wheel becomes as sensitive as possible to the driver's actions. But the gas pedal does not differ in sensitivity, which makes it difficult to control the engine.

The 2.4-liter 170-horsepower engine is the most “budgetary” of the engines with which an automatic transmission is offered. Excellent unit! Pulling and perky, he literally demands to spin it to the limit in order to hear how the booming voice will sound at high revs. And it sounds good - despite the fact that a 220-horsepower T5 is offered for the most dynamic driving.
But the main reason why the 2.4-liter engine does not pull the title of "driver": it is not aggregated with a manual transmission. Only the five-speed "automatic" Geartronic goes to it. Not a bad device, but, like all “automatic machines”, it conceals part of the engine's potential.
The automatic transmission at the city pace is almost no complaints. Transfers briskly, goes down "down" almost without pauses, does not make noise and works without jerks. But in a more or less dynamic mode, there are hiccups when “kick-down” and there is a reluctance of the checkpoint to quickly descend “down”. Some problems can be solved by turning on the manual mode: for example, pushing the shift point a little further than the standard 6000 rpm.

The price of the car Volvo C30.

Volvo thinks of itself as a premium brand, but out of the corner of their eye they also look at those buyers who are thinking about purchasing a Golf or Civic. The "Ford" 1.6-liter 100-horsepower engine allowed Volvo to approach the budget niche and bring the base price down to $ 22,900.
The basic equipment includes DSTS, ABS with EBD and Brake Assist, rear impact protection (WHIPS) and side impact protection (SIPS), six airbags, electric power steering, air conditioning, electric windows and heated mirrors, CD radio, immobilizer and adjustable steering column. Prices for the 2.0-liter 145-horsepower engine start at $ 26,900, while the automatic is only available with the 2.4-liter 170-horsepower engine; such a C30 costs from $ 29,900.

In general, the Volvo C30 is bright, dynamic, as always, technologically advanced. Volvo has a great car.