Photo: Screenshot from YouTube
We were sad to see the C30 go. It was one of the safest cars in its class, not to mention that it was packed with Swedish charm and sometimes big 5-cylinder engines. While the little coupe is nowhere to be seen on Volvo's ambitious revival plan until 2018, we can still hope it will see the light.
For many people, the C30 was the entry point into the Volvo family. For young architects with their MacBooks in hand headed to the nearest Starbucks to discuss zinc surfaces, it was more than adequate.
However, most European manufacturers got it into their heads that we don't want 3-door hatchbacks because they aren't practical enough. When asked about a possible return of the C30 following the debut of a new modular platform, Volvo senior vice president Lex Kerssemakers said, "Yes, we are free to do whatever we want."
So that's not a yes or a no. It's a game of wait and see, the waiting part being determined by the V40 and XC40. The first is an all-new compact car that will be built in Belgium starting in 2016. Two years later, the company will also debut a small SUV to battle the increasingly popular Mercedes GLA.
"It's a very natural choice for Volvo. You then have a very nice lineup: XC90, XC60, XC40. Small SUVs, that’s where you see the growth. You see it overall downsizing, so I see big business in the future as it is now, but continuing for the C [segment] premium end of the market. We see that shift, we see sedans going into SUVs," says Kerssemakers.
Aren't SUVs great? While the XC40 can do many of the things the C30 can't, we still think a small sexy car is perfect for the brand. Most of the cars the company makes are serious and practical. Pretty soon, the average age of the Volvo driver will surpass that of the typical Lexus man.
So we want to know what you young guns think of the C30 rendering made by X-Tomi using bits from the S90 sedan. Would you pick this over a MINI, Scirocco or Astra GTC? Do you really think four doors are important?
However, most European manufacturers got it into their heads that we don't want 3-door hatchbacks because they aren't practical enough. When asked about a possible return of the C30 following the debut of a new modular platform, Volvo senior vice president Lex Kerssemakers said, "Yes, we are free to do whatever we want."
So that's not a yes or a no. It's a game of wait and see, the waiting part being determined by the V40 and XC40. The first is an all-new compact car that will be built in Belgium starting in 2016. Two years later, the company will also debut a small SUV to battle the increasingly popular Mercedes GLA.
"It's a very natural choice for Volvo. You then have a very nice lineup: XC90, XC60, XC40. Small SUVs, that’s where you see the growth. You see it overall downsizing, so I see big business in the future as it is now, but continuing for the C [segment] premium end of the market. We see that shift, we see sedans going into SUVs," says Kerssemakers.
Aren't SUVs great? While the XC40 can do many of the things the C30 can't, we still think a small sexy car is perfect for the brand. Most of the cars the company makes are serious and practical. Pretty soon, the average age of the Volvo driver will surpass that of the typical Lexus man.
So we want to know what you young guns think of the C30 rendering made by X-Tomi using bits from the S90 sedan. Would you pick this over a MINI, Scirocco or Astra GTC? Do you really think four doors are important?
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