2009 Volvo C30 Review

Volvo designed the C30 with two doors and the design is striking, particularly from the side. The roofline starts out high and slopes gradually down, pinching the rear windows. Those windows are drawn in, leaving room for another Volvo characteristic, pronounced shoulders. Sporty characteristics include short front and rear overhangs, an integrated body kit, and big wheels on wide tires. The ground-effects-type body kit outlines the bottom of the base T5 in black from front to rear and includes wheel flares at all four corners. On R-Design models the entire kit is body-color, for a more subtle look that we like much better.

The story isn't the C30's front or sides, though. It's at the rear. Volvo is putting more emphasis on the rear aspect of the C30, choosing to show that angle in promotional materials. The most prominent feature is the dark-tinted rear glass, an attractive frameless trapezoidal shape that recalls the rear of the 1971-73 Volvo P1800 ES wagon. The glass dips down low and is flanked by unique taillights that rise up to the roof and jut out at the bottom to match the shape of the car's shoulders. For 2009, the Volvo name is now spelled out across the bottom of the glass in bold, bright letters. The look is different from anything out there and is strong enough to give the car a distinct character.

All C30s have alloy wheels, with 17-inch wheels standard on T5 models and 18-inch wheels standard for the R-Design model. Sixteen-inch wheels and tires are available as well, for drivers who value ride quality. The look is more attractive and more menacing with the 18s. Only three exterior colors are offered as standard choices, but 13 more are available for additional cost.

Volvo views its main competitors as the Audi A3, Mini Cooper S, and Volkswagen GTI. The C30 has a longer wheelbase than all three. Like the A3 and GTI, it's almost two feet longer than the Mini. From the rear, it has more character than any of those competitors, including the Mini. From the front, it would be easy to mistake the C30 for its S40 and V50 brothers.