Volvo hasn't had an easy time broadening the brand behind its traditional "solid and safe" image. The pricey R performance series was ultimately a bust.

Maybe a relatively inexpensive hot hatch will do the trick? Easy enough to find out: take the trunk off an S40 sedan, replace it with a frameless glass hatch reminiscent of that on the classic Volvo P1800, and see if people bite.

I've had a few people ask me to review the resulting C30, so the car has at least managed to generate some interest. But after it gets people in the door, will it sell them?

Styling

The sleek rear quarters culminating in that frameless hatch are certainly the Volvo C30's strongest feature. At least when the car is fitted with the 18-inch five-spoke alloys standard on the 2.0 and optional on the 1.0. (The 1.0's standard 17s look too frilly and perhaps a bit undersized. To think--17s can now be considered too small on a compact hatch.) A pair of fat chromed exhaust outlets complete the view from the rear. (Though twin pipes are a bit odd considering that the engine has five cylinders.)

The chunky nose from the S40 isn't nearly as stylish. Predictably, most of the photos in the brochure highlight the cute tuchus.

Inside, we've got the now familiar floating center stack shared by all current Volvo cars. The car I drove was fitted with the standard "T-Tech" upholstery. The stuff would do well used for athletic apparel, but I've yet to warm to it from an aesthetic standpoint.

Accommodations

Relative to the driver's seat, the Volvo C30's cowl (base of the windshield)is very low, affording an expansive view forward. And yet that base of the windshield is far enough away to make the front seats feel fairly roomy.

The seats themselves feel somewhat mushy. They provide just a bit of lateral support, and do not feel sporty. At least in the 2.0 some sport buckets would be a nice touch. I've also never found the seats in the compact Volvo's as comfortable as the exceptional seats in the midsize models. They'll do, but for cost or space reasons Volvo has withheld its best.

In the back seats--a pair of buckets separated by a narrow gap--there's a decent amount of headroom but almost no kneeroom if the front seat is placed for an adult of average height. These seats were clearly designed for occasional use.

Cargo room with the seats up is similarly passable for light use. For any serious hauling you can fold the rear seats. Unlike in the S40 and V50, though, the front passenger seat does not fold.

On the Road

The C30 is currently available with only one engine, a turbo five-cylinder closely related to that offered in many other Volvos. In this application it kicks out 227 horsepower, not bad for a compact hatch, even one that manages to tip the scales around 3,000 pounds. This is a Subaru WRX-like output, but the delivery is decidedly mainstream Volvo: no drama. The boost kicks in smoothly and gradually. There's never a burst of power. While good for the upscale image, as a result the C30 never feels exceptionally quick. To its credit from a refinement standpoint, the five is quieter than in the past.

The standard five-speed manual transmission is not a willing partner. The throws are long and ropey, with an artificial, plasticky, game controller feel when sliding between gears. I generally prefer a stick, but this one sucked all the joy out of using it.

It didn't help that the toe of my left foot kept getting caught by the underside of the instrument panel. And I have fairly small feet. I should note that I did check another C30 in the showroom for this potential safety problem, and the second car did not have it. Some trim must have been out of place in the car I drove.

The C30's steering is typical Volvo: moderately heavy yet decidedly numb. Not as quick as I like in a compact hatch, either. The chassis feels very stable, but the suspension is a little too squishy to feel sporty.

The flipside is that, aside from some low-profile tire-induced busyness over patchy pavement, the Volvo C30 has a premium, well-insulated feel to it that you won't find in a mainstream brand. The sound levels are low for this class of car, and vibration and harshness have been effectively filtered out. Only the VW GTI compares in this regard; a Mazda or Subaru is in another class.

Volvo C30 Price Comparisons and Pricing

The lightly optioned (e.g. no leather) Volvo C30 2.0 I drove listed for about $28,000. Interestingly, Volvo has made options available a la carte rather than grouped in packages. The downside: there's a $300 "custom build charge" for selecting one or more of them. The charge is the same no matter how many options you select; it's not per option. Most people I discussed this with said they'd willingly pay $300 to only have to get (and pay for) those options they really want. So Volvo might be onto something here.

Given it's more premium content and feel, you'd expect the Volvo C30 to have a higher list price than the more powerful MazdaSpeed3. And it does, by nearly $5,000. Worth it? Depends on your priorities. Anyone interested in performance and handling will prefer the cheaper Mazda. But said Mazda feels no more expensive than the even less expensive regular Mazda3.

An Audi's five-door-only A3 runs about $2,700 higher before adjusting for feature differences, and about $1,600 higher after making this adjustment.

If there were a three-door Audi A3 or a five-door Volvo C30 (one is rumored but not confirmed), then the Audi would be the Volvo's closest competition. Given currently available models, VW's GTI fills this role. The VW falls surprisingly close to the Mazda's price, and so is also about $5,000 less than the Volvo. Tougher call. The Volvo seems a bit more upscale, but the VW is considerably more fun to drive.

Prices change frequently, and differences will vary based on feature level. To quickly generate these and other comparisons with the specific features you want, visit my Web site, www.truedelta.com. (It's the only site that provides true "apples-to-apples" price comparisons.)

TrueDelta's page for the Volvo C30:

http://www.truedelta.com/models/C30.php

Last Words

The new Volvo C30 certainly has strengths. People love the look of its hindquarters, and the car has a suitably premium feel to it.

Problem is, thanks to numb steering and an awful-feeling shifter, and soft suspension tuning the C30 is not nearly as fun to drive as a MazdaSpeed3 or VW GTI. Fans will argue that it's a different sort of car. But the the Mazda won't beat you up the way an STI or Evo will, and the VW isn't far off the mark set by the Volvo for a premium look and feel.

In other words, I think Volvo could improve the steering, shifter, and suspension tuning without sacrificing the C30's strengths. As is, it's a half-hearted attempt.

A Note on Volvo C30 Reliability

I cannot practically cover reliability within the context of this review. However, many people are interested in such information, so I started collecting my own data in the fall of 2005. Results are posted to my site, www.truedelta.com, with updates every three months.

Unlike other sources, TrueDelta clearly identifies what difference it will make if you buy a Volvo C30 rather than another vehicle by providing "times in the shop" stats (with others coming in the future). You will eventually be able to specify the number of years, annual miles, and types of repairs to include in Volvo C30 reliability comparisons.

To report results, I need reliability data on all cars--not just the C30--from people like you. To encourage participation, those who help provide the data will receive free access to the site's reliability information. Non-participants will have to pay an access fee.

For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.

A link to this website and alphabetized links to my other vehicle reviews can be found on my profile page.

Some of my reviews of related vehicles:
Audi A3
MazdaSpeed3 review
VW Jetta GLI review (sedan version of the GTI)
Amount Paid (US$): 28,000
Model Year: 2008
Model and Options: 2.0 manual transmission, sunroof