Volvo C30 2.0 Review

If you're considering buying a car now, how high up has safety been on your list of priorities? Chances are most local buyers aren't too worried; many believe that their conservative driving habits are sufficient to keep them out of harm's way.

When it comes to how well a car can protect its occupants, the general perception is that a regular Japanese saloon's all right, but a higher-end German would definitely fare better. And then, if you ask most people, it's the safer-than-a-safe Volvo that sits at the top.

Recently, a good friend of ours went on holiday and kindly handed us the keys to her new Volvo C30.

It's the same stylish little hatchback that first arrived on our shores with a turbocharged, 230 hp 2.5-litre inline-five. But now, it's got a new 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated engine that produces 145 hp and 185 Nm of torque - not the most exciting vital statistics, especially when it translates to a 0-100 km/h time of 9.7 seconds compared to the earlier version's 7.1 seconds.

While 9.7 seconds isn't terribly slow, the torque produced by its engine is only reasonably suited for calm, urban commuting and not so much an exhilarating sprint.

But thanks to its smaller powerplant, it's also lost a bit of weight - 90 kg to be exact, or the equivalent of one average American, and that's resulted in lower fuel consumption - 12.6 km/l now compared to the C30 T5's 10.6 km/l.

All these changes are a little puzzling, though. Because, when it was launched, its price and performance placed it against cars like the Golf GTI - an undeniably successful hotcake. But the C30, with its 230-horse might and a century sprint time that was just a tad slower than the German's, still lacked the dynamic capabilities while its competitor could easily flaunt it.

So would a less powerful, less thirsty C30 make more sense? Definitely.

The new C30 2.0 is equipped with a new six-speed dual-clutch gearbox system called Powershift. Developed together with transmission specialists, Getrag, it functions similarly to Volkswagen's DSG. Using twin wet clutches and two shafts - one spinning inside the other, gear changes are performed in fractions of a second. Shifting up through the gears is no drama at all. The transmission behaves as it should, with hardly any jerk and quickly hops into the next gear.

Rather pleased that this 2.0-litre version had become more matured and comfortable than its somewhat confused, faster sibling, I decided to take a break to ponder over what this car was about. So, I carefully parked it in the best lot I could find and headed for dinner.

It wasn't more than an hour before we were reunited in the car park, with me hoping to enjoy the drive a bit more before calling it a day and the car waiting to surprise me.

Unfortunately, despite my best efforts earlier to shrink the already small car into its lot, and avoid all possible contact, I was defeated by an equally determined bumper of another car.

While reversing out of her own lot (no offence to the ladies, but the driver here was one), a young lady had somehow rolled her car up the sidewalk. Probably in the midst of some confusion, the car continued to roll off the kerb, landing the front of her Japanese saloon into the C30.

In all fairness, that was one of the most poorly maintained car parks around and had no shortage of unexpected obstacles - in the form of angsana tree roots trying to force their way through the ground.

The result? Japanese saloon - 0, Volvo C30 - 1.


I must admit that it was pretty annoying, especially when I had made extra effort to keep the car as far from harm's way as possible, coming short of dragging the car along into the mall.

But at the same time, seeing the difference between the damage left on both cars was a little tickling, especially when I knew for a fact that both cars' difference in speed was negligible and less than pedestrian.

The C30's polyurethane bumper had suffered some scratches. Ugly, but obviously nothing that a simple patch and paint couldn't fix.

The other car, however, was going to need a bit more than putty and a paintjob.

Still, I felt sorry for the other driver, and very grateful that she had acted responsibly and waited for my return.
More importantly, though, that I had got to experience firsthand the result when a common car, like the lady's, goes head-to-head against a Volvo. It might not have been a proper, dangerous accident, but the situation's outcome definitely reassured both parties' impressions about the Swedish marque's toughness.

Gone are the days when many used to poke fun at Volvos for being tank-like - tough, but all boxy and unattractive. While it had an unmatched repute in areas of safety, some people still shunned it because of its design.

But in recent years, the brand has rapidly renewed its image and there's no denying that they have done well. Sales of the XC90 will prove sceptics wrong, while the C30 has received several design awards - clear testaments to its aesthetical attributes.

The brand has proven its ability to overcome its difficulties with its looks and still uphold its biggest priority - building safe cars. On the other hand, will the uncertainty among us change to accept and appreciate the Swedes' effort?

For S$93,988 (with COE), the C30 2.0 is priced very closely to the new Volkswagen Golf. It may not have the long list of equipment like the Volkswagen, nor even seven gears and the German's outstanding fuel consumption.

With the Volvo, you get fog lamps, electro-chromatic rear view mirrors, cruise control, auto-folding side mirrors with ground lighting, an AUX input for your MP3 player a multi-function steering wheel.

But what it has over the Vee-dub is an impeccable reputation for making some of the safest cars around.

Various bits of technology like Volvo's Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS) and Side-Impact Protection (SIPS), among others, will keep you in good hands in the event of a collision. And on top of that, in the C30, you won't be sacrificing style for safety (in the end, the injured hatch was as good as new after a paint job).

Volvo has made its move to package sexy good looks with its Swedish strength. Now, will buyers want to match that change with their own?