| A Week at the Wheel | Bucks, England | Volvo C30 2.0 SE Sport |
Volvo doesn't really have much recent history in the coupé market; the Swedes are more famous for boxy estate cars, though it's a while since any Volvo was that boxy. The last Volvo coupé, the 480, is best forgotten. You have to hark back to the '60s and the car made famous by
The Saint, the P1800, and then the later sporting estate version a la Scimitar GTE, the 1800ES.
More recently, Volvo hinted at the C30 with the 2001 SCC concept car, but essentially this is a clean sheet car, and all the better for it. Just like the 1800ES, the hatchback is all glass and there are only two doors. And just four individual seats too, with no space (or seat belt) for a fifth.
The C30 buyer has eight different engine choices ranging from 1.6-litre petrol and diesel at the low end of the range, through to five-cylinder petrol (220bhp T5) and diesel (180bhp D5) at the top. We tested the mid-range 2.0-litre petrol engine in SE Sport specification, the SE Sport being easily spotted by the giveaway body kit and 18-inch alloy wheels.
Volvo claims that this is the sportiest Volvo, the one giving the best driving experience. And do you know - it might well be right. Things get off to a great start as soon as you get behind the wheel. I couldn't fathom why, but the steering wheel in the C30 just felt more pleasant than any other steering wheel I've ever used. It looks nice too, with leather and some aluminium trim creating a distinctive look. The driver's seat is pretty special too - supremely comfortable yet supportive in all the right places for press-on motoring.
While our 2.0-litre petrol engine was no fireball (145bhp is nothing out of the ordinary and somewhat off the pace for a sporty coupé), the Volvo C30 more than made up for lack of go with how it tackled corners. The C30 is relatively short (just 4.25 metres), but with the wheels pushed right out fore and aft (like a
MINI), the wheelbase is very long in proportion. A long wheelbase usually means good stability, and the C30 takes full advantage. It turns in so crisply and generates so much grip that you will go looking for B-road routes just for fun. The ride is amazing considering the cornering ability and the C30 is not fazed by bumps and pot-holes, yet on smoother roads is just as refined as the larger Volvo saloons.
So it's a sporty coupé, it can do 0-60mph in 8.8 seconds and run on to 130mph, but it's still a Volvo. And that means safety - with a capital S. Even the entry-level model has Dynamic Stability and Traction Control, ABS with Electronic Brake Distribution and Electronic Brake Assistance as well as Volvo's Side Impact Protection System, side and curtain airbags and Volvo's Whiplash Protection System for the front seats. The front structure is the same as the larger S40 saloon, so is tried and tested. So it's a sensible coupé for the family man so long as he only has two children!
It's fairly economical, with a Combined Cycle 38.7mpg, but is it practical too? That glass tailgate forces a smaller opening than a conventional tailgate does and if you want to cover the luggage from prying eyes, then the space that remains is quite shallow. As mentioned, there are individual rear seats for just two passengers, but these are almost as comfortable (and stylish) as those in the front.
So there you have it, the Volvo C30. A safe, practical, sporty coupé. From Volvo.
2007 Volvo C30 range overview
| Model | UK (£ on-the-road) | Ireland: (€ on-the-road) |
| Volvo C30 1.6 S | £14,750 | €26,500 |
| Volvo C30 1.8 S | £15,995 | €28,000 |
| Volvo C30 1.6 SE | £16,250 | €29,020 |
| Volvo C30 1.6D S | £16,795 | €29,950 |
| Volvo C30 1.6 SE Sport | n/a | €30,380 |
| Volvo C30 1.8 SE | £17,495 | €30,520 |
| Volvo C30 1.6 SE LUX | n/a | €31,870 |
| Volvo C30 1.8 SE Sport | £18,995 | €31,880 |
| Volvo C30 2.0 S | £16,995 | €32,000 |
| Volvo C30 1.6D SE | £18,295 | €32,470 |
| Volvo C30 2.0D S | £17,795 | €32,950 |
| Volvo C30 1.8 SE Lux | £18,995 | €33,370 |
| Volvo C30 1.6D SE Sport | n/a | €33,830 |
| Volvo C30 2.0 SE | £18,495 | €34,520 |
| Volvo C30 1.6D SE Lux | n/a | €35,320 |
| Volvo C30 2.0D SE | £19,295 | €35,470 |
| Volvo C30 2.0 SE Sport | £19,995 | €35,880 |
| Volvo C30 2.0D SE Sport | £20,795 | €36,830 |
| Volvo C30 2.0 SE Lux | £19,995 | €37,370 |
| Volvo C30 2.0D SE Lux | £20,795 | €38,320 |
| Volvo C30 T5 S | n/a | €39,750 |
| Volvo C30 D5 GEARTRONIC S | n/a | €39,950 |
| Volvo C30 T5 SE | £21,495 | €42,270 |
| Volvo C30 D5 Geartronic SE | £22,295 | €42,470 |
| Volvo C30 T5 SE Sport | £22,995 | €43,630 |
| Volvo C30 D5 Geartronic SE Sport | £23,795 | €43,830 |
| Volvo C30 T5 SE Lux | £22,995 | €45,120 |
| Volvo C30 D5 Geartronic SE Lux | £23,795 | €45,320 |
| Volvo C30 2.4i S | £17,995 | n/a |
| Volvo C30 2.4i SE | £19,495 | n/a |
| Volvo C30 2.4i SE Sport | £20,995 | n/a |
| Volvo C30 2.4i SE Lux | £20,995 | n/a |
