My brother-in-law drives a Volvo and has done for many years. He is your very typical Volvo driver … well at least he doesn’t wear a hat … but I’m sure you get the picture.
However, I’m not sure you will ever see him in a Volvo like this one.
It’s the new Volvo C30 and it will be released at the Paris Motor Show in September.
The edgy design of the C30 features a unique frameless glass tailgate, a confident stance and the broad shoulders that have become a Volvo design hallmark. The C30 will represent a new segment entry for Volvo. “The new C30 is an ambitious new car for Volvo,” commented Fredrik Arp, President and CEO of Volvo Car Corporation. “It is a car that aims for a group of young singles, or couples, with intense urban lifestyles. These people prioritize excitement in design and driving characteristics, and this car should suit their varied tastes perfectly.”
Global sales of the new C30 are targeted at 65,000 cars annually. Fully 75 percent of those sales are expected to come from Europe, with the largest markets being Italy, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. Volvo Cars of North America, LLC (VCNA), is currently evaluating the possibility of introducing the new C30 to the U.S. market.
The new Volvo C30 has room for four adults thanks to the two sport bucket rear seats with generous head and leg room. The rear seats are positioned slightly inboard to provide a feeling of space and exceptional outward visibility through the windshield. The space between the seats also makes the thin, visually floating center stack clearly visible through the glass tailgate. The folding rear seats really help meet the needs of the targeted customer’s active lifestyle.
The interior program has been designed to meet the C30 buyers taste for personal choices. Even the base program offers the sporty T-Tech upholstery. “The Volvo C30 is a very exciting car with emotional appeal. We anticipate that the C30’s youthfulness and dynamic design will catch the hearts and minds of people beyond Volvo’s traditional customers,” commented Anne Belec, President and CEO of VCNA.
Putting 218 horsepower to the front wheels, the new C30 is powered by a turbocharged inline five-cylinder engine that produces 236 pound-feet of torque.
When it comes to safety, the new C30 is a true Volvo. Among other things, it will be available with BLIS (Blind Spot Information System), which helps the driver to identify another vehicle in the blind spot at the rear sides of the car.
The front end incorporates the same patented multi-steel structure as the S40 and V50. Combined with airbags and safety belt pretensioners, the C30 offers first class safety. But the C30 wouldn’t be a Volvo if it didn’t also include such standard safety equipment as the Whiplash Protection System, WHIPS, and a Side Impact Protection System with side airbags and the Inflatable Curtain, IC.
