Review of the new Volvo C30 Range

The C30 isn't quite the sort of car we've come to expect from Volvo but we like it anyway. The revised model we look at there has funkier styling but the finely honed driving experience remains, making it a desirable option for younger buyers who don't need the rear seat legroom and bootspace that a car of this size can't offer. Being a Volvo, it's safe and well-built too.

One of the things that's always puzzled me is how Swedes, the hardest drinkers and biggest partiers of all western Europeans, can end up turning out cars like Volvos. Is there some sort of switch that trips as soon as they reach the age of 21 whereby they turn into Sven-Goran Eriksson? Well perhaps, but the development of cars like the Volvo C30 shows that there can be a real spark in contemporary Swedish car design.

The original version we first saw in 2007 wasn't a bad looker but more recently, the front of this car has been redesigned to reflect Volvo's current family look. Body panel changes, including the wings and bonnet, create a more distinctive personality that's more dramatic and expressive. The air intake has been enlarged while the grille also has a smarter honeycomb pattern, unique to the C30. Otherwise, it's much as you were. The original C30 design brief was formed from various customer clinics and when it took shape, it was loose and relatively easy to fulfil - customers wanted something desirable, low and wide with big wheels and four seats. As a result, this is the fourth car spawned from the S40 platform, the others being the V50 estate and the C70 convertible. But it's the C30, more than any other model that has been responsible for driving down the average age of Volvo ownership.

On the road, the bigger-engined C30 models can feel slightly nose heavy but traction is so good that when you get it right, the car just slingshots out of a bend with no drama, and very little in the way of torque steer. There's also now the option of a stiffer Sports chassis. The T5 petrol unit also produces one of the most infectious engine notes around. Wet traction off the line isn't the greatest but lateral grip is superb. If you want to really exploit the C30's performance, you'll need to steer clear of the automatic option which really takes an edge off the car's punch. The six-speed manual version is certainly the smart pick, although an advanced, automatic twin clutch transmission called Volvo Powershift is also available.

"A highly desirable alternative to other premium small cars"

The engine selection is agreeably broad, taking in the modest, the 99bhp 1.6-litre petrol unit, to the decidedly immodest in the shape of a 227bhp T5 turbo five-cylinder powerplant more widely renowned as the engine that flings the Ford Focus ST up the road. In between these two in the petrol line-up lies the 143bhp 2.0 engine.

Diesel drivers get the choice of a 108bhp 1.6D, which comes in eco-friendly 'DRIVe' guise or a 113bhp version of the same engine which is called D2. Above that, there are 148bhp and 175bhp versions of the five-cylinder diesel engine that are badged D3 and D4 respectively. These 2.0-litre powerplants use and advanced fuel injection system for a tempting mix of performance and economy.

Built at Volvo's Ghent facility in Belgium, the C30 has room for four adults, the rear seats folding flat to form a useful loading space. Although it shares the same wheelbase as the S40 saloon, the tape measure shows this car to be fully 22cm shorter and the car shares not one panel with its four-door stablemate, instead offering a very different look and feel. It scarcely seems possible that so much has been pared from the overhangs of the saloon car but such is the wheel-at-each-corner stance of the C30 that it measures just 4,248mm from stem to stern. That inevitably means that bootspace is at something of a premium but at 433 litres, it's not too bad and you can always extend it to 947 litres by flattening the split-folding rear seat.

There are fascinating design touches everywhere you look around the car, from the 'floating' instrument panel to the horseshoe tail lamps, the deep arc of the rear glass and the pumped-up Volvo shoulders that run from the front to the rear lights in one uninterrupted sweep. Some things are reassuringly Swedish. Safety hasn't been skimped on and as well as the usual airbags and seat belt tensioners, the C30 serves up WHIPS (Whiplash Protection System), SIPS (Side Impact Protection System) and even the option of BLIS (Blind Spot Information System).

Prices lie in the £15,000 to £22,000 bracket, so the C30 sits somewhere between mainstream sportily-orientated hatchbacks - say a SEAT Leon or a Renault Megane Coupe - and premium-badged compact hatches like certain versions of BMW's 1 Series and Audi's A3.

ES, SE, SE Lux and R-Design versions of the C30 D3 are available. The basic ES specification of the car includes electronic climate control, DSTC stability control and a CD stereo with MP3 compatibility. To this, the SE grade adds 17" alloy wheels, cruise control, front fog lights and power folding mirrors. Advance to the SE Lux and you get part-leather trim and active headlamps but the R-Design model really plays up to the C30's sporty side. In the range-topping model, there's a full bodykit, lowered sports suspension a sports steering wheel and aluminium detailing inside.

The 1.6D diesel engine in the DRIVe model helps the C30 to a 74.3mpg return on the combined cycle which really is very good for a car in this class. It will also emit just 99g/km of CO2. The D3 option is better able to give the C30 the sporty driving experience its styling hints at and its 55.4mpg is also a good showing. In the petrol line-up, it's just over 40mpg and 167g/km emissions for the 1.6 and 37mpg with 177g/km for the 2.0. The T5 models produce 32mpg and 203g/km emissions.

Younger customers have started adding Volvo to their shortlists in recent years and the C30 'SportsCoupe' is a major reason why. It's stylish and genuinely enjoyable to drive while also retaining core Volvo qualities like build quality and safety. The car's sleek looks do come at the expense of interior space but it offers impressive value if you're comparing to other premium-badged rivals. Choose the right model and running costs can be class-leading too. Overall, the C30 is a highly desirable alternative to other premium small cars.

TOP 5 C30 DEALS

The results below show the top C30 deals on buyacar

Volvo C30 1.6 SE 3dr Sports Coupe
Price £14,684 Read C30 Reviews	Save £2,626
Volvo C30 2.0 SE 3dr Sports Coupe
Price £15,364 Read C30 Reviews	Save £2,716
Volvo C30 2.0 SE Lux 3dr Sports Coupe
Price £16,207 Read C30 Reviews	Save £3,023
Volvo C30 1.6 R DESIGN 3dr Sports Coupe
Price £15,083 Read C30 Reviews	Save £2,702
Volvo C30 2.0 R DESIGN 3dr Sports Coupe
Price £15,763 Read C30 Reviews	Save £2,792
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