VOLVO C30 Review

Volvo C30 is somewhat awkward from this point of view. Mostly because the front passengers won't have too many reasons to complain about, while the rear passengers, be them children or adults, would simply hate the car. The rear legroom is incredibly limited, so a longer journey would have nothing in common with the term "comfort".

Fortunately, C30's technology is actually the ace up its sleeve. The car has the necessary technology to make front passengers feel relaxed while in motion, including cruise control for longer trips or automatic climate control for whatever type of road you want. The engine is, as we said, able to make you feel that you're driving a sporty car but the transmission fails to reach the same standards. A six-speed or an automatic unit, which is available either as standard or as an option on other C30 configurations, would be welcomed.

Both front seats can be adjusted for optimal height, with lumbar support offered for the driver's and the front passenger's seats. The driving position doesn't match the Volvo character we know, as the exterior agility is fully transmitted inside through the two sporty seats. But once again, we noticed a major setback.

Every time you slide the front seats forward, the initial position is lost, as the seats are sitting on a metallic rail. The only available solution for the front occupants is to re-adjust the seats manually.

The suspension system we mentioned in the "City" section isn't impressive. The front side manages to reduce every little shock created by uneven roads, while the rear side "shakes" every inch of the car due to its reduced weight.

We liked the floating center console however, as it brings all the buttons just next to your hand. There's a storage compartment just behind it in which you can safely place your wallet, mobile phone, keys or other small things.

Because we're talking about a model specifically designed for young drivers, the exterior design and the power generated by the engine play a key role. From this point of view, Volvo's new C30 should be enough to help you set apart from the rest of the drivers.

The 2.0-liter 4 cylinders in-line engine develops 145 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 136 Nm of torque at 4,500 rpm. Translate this into performance figures and you get a 0 to 100 km/h sprint in 9.4 seconds and a top speed of 130 mph (209 km/h). According to the Swedish brand, the engine emits "only" 177 grams of CO2 per kilometer, with fuel consumption standing at 23 mpg (10.2 L/100Km) city, 40.5 mpg (5.8 L/100Km) highway and 31.8 mpg (7.4 L/100Km) combined.

This is where Ford's very own touches make themselves noticed, as the C30 is based on the same platform as the popular Focus. When equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission however, Ford's Focus releases 169 grams of CO2 every kilometer, while fuel consumption is slightly different: 24 mpg (9.8 L/100Km) city, 43.5 mpg (5.4 L/100Km) highway and 33.1 mpg (7.1 L/100Km) combined.

The suspension setup is as follows: front - MacPherson Strut, Coil Springs, Hydraulic Shock Absorbers, Stabilizer Bar and rear - Independent Suspension with Coil Springs, Hydraulic Shock Absorbers, Stabilizer Bar. However, the feeling you get when driving a C30 (from the suspension performance point of view), can be mixed due to the reduced weight on the rear size.

The speed bumps and uneven roads are thus almost unnoticeable when passing over them with the front wheels, while the rear setup "shakes" the passengers almost every single time.

The 145 "angry horses" are handled by Volvo's ventilated brake discs for the front wheels and solid discs for the rear. Obviously, they are supported by Antilock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) and Electronic Brake Assistance (EBA).

Beside the somewhat unconventional design of the rear side, Volvo tried to give the C30 some other things to catch the attention of young buyers. From this point of view, the car comes fitted with several systems that improve either the comfort, ergonomics or safety behind the wheel.

The first thing we must mention is the audio system. Supporting USB and AUX connectivity, in-car audio system is just great. Our car was equipped with the optional High-Performance audio configuration with 8 speakers and 40W amplifier. Furthermore, audio controls were mounted on the steering wheel, so the driver can safely pump up the volume without taking his eyes off the road.

The USB support works smooth and easy and all you have to do to access the pendrive is to plug it in and switch to the USB mode using the console-mounted controls. Both the USB and the AUX ports are located in central armrest.

Besides the audio system, the car features Emergency Brake Lights (EBL), which automatically turn on the emergency lights under hard braking, Home Safe lights to illuminate your road once you turn of the engine, folding and power exterior mirrors and auto-dimming interior mirror.

Other features worth mentioning are the adaptive Bi-xenon headlights and the heated front seats, which are both available as an optional package priced at around 800 Euros.

Power windows for both front doors (the rear windows cannot be opened), cruise control, under-dashboard illumination for the front passengers and lights for both sun visors are all offered as standard on the version we tested.

Since we're talking about a Volvo, the C30 should theoretically excel at this particular chapter. And obviously, the car doesn't disappoint at all. The safety equipment available on the C30 Momentum includes curtain airbags, ABS, EBA, DSTC, SIPS bags, driver and front passenger airbags and Volvo's Whiplash Injury Prevention System (WHIPS).

One thing that we found pretty annoying was the seatbelt audio warning that is automatically turned on once the car starts moving. At first, all you hear is a short beep but, as the driver increases speed, the friendly sound turns into a disturbing warning that gets on your nerves in a matter of seconds. We're not exactly sure if this is the right way to convince a driver to fasten the seatbelt but, after a few minutes of swearing, the only way to make it stop is to indeed wear the seatbelt.

Just as expected, the new C30 scored the maximum five-star rating in the Euro NCAP crash tests. According to the official results, the car reacted pretty well to the impacts, with the steering-wheel moving forward to protect the drivers. The car lost some points however due to the head curtain airbags that was prevented from deploying by the rear seat child restraint system. Pedestrian protection is not so good though. Euro NCAP says the bonnet received only a poor rating for the safety of pedestrians' heads, but the front bumper managed to achieve a "fair" rating.

The United States' Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) awarded the C30 a "Good" rating, after scoring the same in all head/neck, chest, leg and restraints tests.

"The Volvo C30 has been developed to provide a sporty image," Volvo said when it presented the car. And it is indeed boasting a dynamic attitude, even though the rear side's design is often considered inappropriate for such a model.

Volvo C30 actually has some of the features that could make it "sporty", as the Swedish manufacturer names it. An appealing design, a powerful engine and a high-quality interior are all fighting against the bad impression left by the 5-speed manual transmission, the reduced interior space or the limited cargo volume.

Analyzing C30's technical specs actually proves that this car could have a chance in the young-oriented market, but consumers who are not willing to make a compromise between fuel efficiency and space would surely look somewhere else.

In such a difficult environment, when carmakers strive to cut emissions and reduce fuel consumption, Volvo C30 is somehow doing the exact opposite. The decent amount of power is indeed welcomed but new technologies that would strive to support fuel economy would surely be an advantage over the competition. However, such solutions are only available on other versions across the lineup, which makes the C30 2.0 Momentum just "another" car aimed at the young driver in you...