First Drive Review
The Volvo C30 wears the freshest design to come from Sweden in years. And that says a lot, given that Sweden is known for cool design. Okay, that and stunning six-foot-tall women (which, we suppose, could also be examples of cool design).
However, after our drive of the C30 in the mountains and deserts around San Diego, we don't expect the fetching hatchback to lure too many thrill seekers out of their Mini Coopers and VW GTIs. No, what you see here is basically a Volvo S40 sedan in hot pants-a sleek beauty that looks snappy in pretty much any color but isn't all that much an athlete.
C30 and the Reverse Halo Effect
This is somewhat disappointing. Knowing that all U.S. C30s are powered by the hottest of the S40's powerplants, a 227-hp turbocharged inline-five, many of us were hoping this would be a blend of Volvo quirkiness, Mini Cooper spunk, and Audi A3 elegance all rolled into one. This would easily make it the sweetest Swede since the 1971-73 Volvo P1800ES wagon that provided the C30's visual inspiration, right?
