| First Drive | Kaprun, Austria | 2010 Volvo C30 |
The Volvo C30 still looks as fresh today as the day in 2006 it was unveiled. That's partly because you see far less of them on the roads than you do
VW Golfs, but it's largely down to the edgy, original design. So edgy and original, arguably, that at launch it seemed likely to date pretty darn quickly; it hasn't.
Nonetheless Volvo has given it the
moder of all facelifts, going as far as re-tooling the factory because it's remoulded the entire front end of the car. And, perhaps in riposte to criticism the drive has never quite matched the promise of the looks (by people like us) it's also added a sports chassis option.
In the Metal
As you can see, it's had a quite literal facelift in the sense that the eyes have been stretched upwards and backwards, and the mouth plumped up and reshaped. Fortunately, instead of coming out all Jackie Stallone and horrendous, the work has added to an already aesthetic and athletic hatchback. Much of the plastic cladding of the back and sides has gone too, replaced by painted sections that can be specified in contrasting colours, if you wish.
Cabin work is limited to new palettes and materials, including different finishes for the 'floating' centre console. So, for example, for our test we were given the choice of 'orange flame with blackcurrant' or 'limegrass with java'. Once we'd made sure we were definitely in a car park, not a bar, we made our choice.
What you get for your Money
Prices start at £14,995 for a C30 in S trim and rise to £20,945 for a T5 in R-Design clothing, which comes with the £400 sports chassis as standard (it's an option on everything else bar the DRIVe, which you can't specify it with). Other new options include white alloys for the first time, and lower level body cladding that can be specified in contrasting colours. That costs £175.
Engine and specification levels remain as before, which means four trim levels (S, SE, SE Lux and R-Design) and five engines - two diesels with 108- and 134bhp, and three petrol units comprising a 99bhp 1.6-litre, a 143bhp 2.0-litre and the 227bhp T5 range-topper.
Driving it
We drove a 2.0-litre diesel (134bhp) in mid-level SE trim equipped with the sports chassis, which lowers the suspension by 10mm, as well as stiffening the springs by 30 percent and re-calibrating the dampers so they're stiffer too. Sound like too much? It isn't, actually. We can't say we drove it on the type of ploughed up tarmac the UK is suffering right now, but on Austria and Germany's smooth network it still felt perfectly able to settle into smooth progress.
The steering has been sharpened up as well, though that's not too obvious a change either. There's still a lightness about the rack - and a distinct lack of feel - though turn in is quick. To be honest, the changes are nowhere near as dramatic as they could have been, and they don't transform the fundamental character of the car - so a sporty coupé the C30 has not become.
The 2.0-litre diesel unit doesn't lend itself to enthusiastic driving either, because it seems a generation behind the best common rail diesel units of similar power. Performance in first gear is positively languid, and things don't pick up much from there; it's also characterless and noisy. Ultimately, the C30 now looks a lot better and, in this format, provides a little more involvement but not enough to drag it into the league occupied by the best driver's hatches.
Worth Noting
To expand on the colour combinations we mentioned earlier, what Volvo is trying to do with the C30 post-facelift is that old 'customisation' chestnut. Well, it's more of a new fad than an old chestnut (albeit one we welcome). We haven't counted exactly how many colours and combinations there are, but while it'll no doubt be eclipsed by the granddaddy of quasi-individuality, MINI, it's a nice development. The 'body kit' - the skirts and wheelarch trim - can be had in four contrasting colours, and the interior in a few more. Gaudy? Possibly. But the kids will love it.
Oh, and there's a nautical theme available too, which adds floor mats with a map theme (or 'map mats' - say that a few times) and a centre console embossed with sailing themed stuff too. Cheesy? You decide.
Summary
We already liked the Volvo C30, and now we like it a little bit more. Sure, the boot is still tiny, the driving position still compromised (wheel too big, footwell cramped) and the diesel engines are feeling old now, but if it's economical idiosyncrasy you're after, this is still your car - and now with added option list idiosyncrasies. It's difficult to comment too definitively on the sports chassis at this stage, but it's certainly enhanced the drive, while not quite making the car a hot - or even warm - hatch. Once we've ridden over a few potholes, we'll let you know for sure. Meanwhile, look at that lovely face.
