2007 Volvo C30

Jim Kenzie

You'd have to be about as old as I am to remember when Volvo had a sporty image.

But starting with the 140-series in the late-'60s, Volvo's theme was best expressed in the Dudley Moore movie Crazy People: "Boxy, but good.''

Safe, solid, dependable – but not much fun.

Now that government regulations demand that all cars be safe, where can Volvo go to separate itself from the pack?

Well, how about sporty again?

Or, at the very least pretty, with the new 2007 C30 hatchback. This two-door, styled by Montreal native Simon Lamarre, is just stunning to look at.

I can't recall a tester with a sub six-digit price tag that attracted as many eyeballs, or generated as many thumbs-up, waves and "Nice car!'' comments as this one.

To me, there's something of the last Honda Civic hatchback in here, although Volvo would rather I recall the old P1800ES, the squareback version of the two-seat sports coupe that Roger Moore drove in The Saint TV series.

Fair enough; the all-glass hatch lid is perhaps the main connection to that car. Otherwise, the broad shoulders and huge taillights that look particularly spectacular at night give the C30 a unique and thoroughly modern mien.

Mechanically and from the standpoint of the interior, the C30 has a lot in common with the larger S40 sedan and V50 wagon. The basic platform is also shared with the Mazda3 and the European Ford Focus.

All of those cars are nimble handlers, and the C30 doesn't disappoint. The electro-hydraulic steering is light, yet communicative. The car points well into corners and maintains a steady composure even at fairly elevated cornering speeds.

And if you overcook it, you've got traction control, dynamic stability control and ABS brakes to bail you out.

Two models are offered, differing largely in powertrain and standard equipment.

The base 2.4i, starting at $27,495, offers a 2.4-litre, inline-four, jammed sideways under the sloping hood. Bolted to the engine is a five-speed manual gearbox.

The T5 begins at $31,995, displaces 2.5 litres, is turbocharged and comes with a six-speed.

A five-speed automatic, with Geartronic manual override, is offered on both models.

This platform does support four-wheel drive, but the C30 is strictly front-drive. At least for now.

I tested each version, back to back. The T5 in Passion Red metallic is a car you should never drive somewhere you're not supposed to be. You're going to get noticed in this thing.

My tester had the optional Sport package, which normally includes 17-inch alloy wheels and 205/50R17 high-performance tires and sport suspension. But my car had a dealer-installed accessory package that included even bigger (18-inch) wheels, even lower-profile (list specs) tires, a lower-body aero kit, chrome tailpipes and a rear roof spoiler. Installed, this adds a whopping $5,979 to the price of the car.

I also don't know what part these accessory tires played in the ride quality of my tester – it was very close to unacceptably hard on the GTA's Baghdad-looks-good-by-comparison roads.

You'd have to try a Sport package car with the regular 17-inch wheels to see whether it would be okay for you.

The tough part is that the only way you can get such desirable stuff as power driver's seat and bi-xenon headlights is through this package, although heated front seats – also part of the Sport package – can be ordered on a stand-alone basis.

A pox on product planners who force you into such dilemmas.

Incidentally, those bi-xenon headlights are maybe the brightest I've ever encountered. You could play night baseball in front of this car.

The turbo engine is very lively, the gearbox light and slick, the brakes reassuring.

My 2.4i, in its Brilliant Blue metallic, was almost as pretty as the T5. The naturally aspirated engine is still reasonably strong, and the five-cylinder exhaust note is full of character.

As usual, the lesser-powered car is the one that could use the extra gear ratios; as usual, it doesn't get them. Although I suppose from a marketing perspective, it would be hard to justify to the guy who paid more that he got less.

My 2.4i also had a Sport package, but in this model it does not include the stiffer suspension. The ride quality was much more compliant, yet handling didn't seem materially worse.

While the C30 is strictly a four-seater, there actually is decent room in back for two adults (although no Raptors need apply).

The front seats slide forward when the backs are tilted to ease access, although I still wouldn't expect Granny to fold herself in there.

The hatch opening is somewhat narrow, to allow that sleek pinched-back styling. The rear seatbacks flop forward to increase luggage space. They don't fold quite flat, but close enough. This isn't a Home Depot hatchback; it's more of a toss your sports bag in there and head to the gym.

I think the marketing people call this "lifestyle.''

I actually drove most of the time with the rear seatbacks folded down. The rear head restraints intrude too much into vision out the back.

The Volvo brochure does say you can see more out the side-view mirrors than usual in the C30 because of the tapered body sides.

The centre stack is Volvo's trying-to-be-famous floating concept. You get a thin panel containing the HVAC and sound system controls that eases down from the dash to the centre console, leaving a cubby bin behind it.

Very cool and all, but you can't get at the storage space, so what's the point?

As you'd expect from a Volvo, the seats are fantastic – supportive yet comfortable.

The fit and finish are good, and the car has a classy ambiance inside.

One minor quibble: figuring out how to turn on the dome light. The tiny switch is buried up in the overhead roof console. Even once you know the location, it's still hard to work.

Really, the best design incorporates the switch in the lens itself. Find the light, push it, it goes on. Push it again, it goes off.

Despite my beefs, the C30 is a welcome addition to our streetscape.

It's gorgeous, safe, entertaining and, within the limitations of its concept, reasonably practical.

It provides worthy opposition to other upscale small cars like the Mini, Volkswagen GTI and Audi A3, even if the cynic might say you can get a lot of what the Volvo offers from its corporate cousin, the Mazda3.

Its maker seems to have fairly modest expectations for the C30, saying it was primarily designed for European markets. The U.S. isn't even getting it until the 2008 model year. But it's in Canadian showrooms now. Go look and fall in love.

wheels@thestar.ca;

jim@jimkenzie.com

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