Autoblog

Click above to view high-res gallery of the Volvo C30 R-Design

Volvo directed its efforts at the New York Auto Show toward debuting the XC60 SUV for North America, but quietly standing sentinel at the front of the display was the C30 R-Design. There's not much to complain about when you gaze upon any C30, though the R-Design trimmings offer sprinkles on the cupcake. The cars will be exclusive, with oly 400 hitting showrooms in April for a base price of $25,700. The easiest way to spot the special Swedish hatches will be the metallic mirror housings, grille and grille crossbar. There's also a subtle R-Design badge affixed to the grille to identify the car as something just a little special. Special paint colors will also set off the R-Design cars, and the body kit-equipped car we photographed shined resplendently in Black Sapphire. Interior changes consist of blue-faced gauges like the actual high-performance S60R (RIP) and R-Design logos embossed into the leather inserts on the seats and metal accent bits around the cabin. The R-Design cars are more style than substance, but the exclusivity will be of value to buyers who like to have something special, and the T5 powertrain that all U.S.-bound C30s carry offers snappy performance already.

New England is Volvo Country. It's also home territory for the loved and loathed Red Sox. There's plenty of cars plastered with "B" stickers, license plates and trinkum. Long a sponsor of Red Sox baseball, Volvo's rolled out a special edition of its stubby C30. The Kammback hatch comes with a factory-fitted Team logo stuck to the glass of the rear hatch, fender badges and a distinctive shade of red. This regionally pimped Volvo is a limited edition, with only 107 examples being produced.

If baseball (or just the Red Sox) isn't your thing, Volvo's got an Ocean Race Edition that spans the V70, XC70 and XC90 models. Ocean Race cars have been available a couple of times before, sporting Ocean Blue paint and nautical detailing, and the new Ocean Race themed cars continue to tie in with the actual sailing event. New this time around is the availability of Ocean Race models in Electric Silver as well as Ocean Blue. Interior details are more evocative of sailing, and new wheels draw inspiration from the undulation of the ocean. Volvo expects to shift 9,000 of these maritime units, which should make it easy enough to find a limited production Volvo, even if you miss out on the baseball themed C30. Ocean Race press release after the jump


[Source: Volvo]

We recently got confirmation from a Volvo PR person that the Swedish automaker's new C30 hatchback will soon be joined by a V30 five-door wagon. Just-Auto.com is going one step further by reporting that Volvo will also add a new XC CUV model to its lineup based on the C30 hatch to be called, not unsurprisingly, the XC30. Presumably it will also be a five-door model with all-wheel-drive that's jacked up off the ground a bit.

The burgeoning of Volvo's 30 series of cars will come at the expense of the S40 sedan, which will be merged with the larger S60 eventually creating a common mid-size sedan likely to retain the S60 name. The new S60 won't get a V-named wagon counterpart, however, which would be too close in concept to Volvo's standalone V70 and XC70 models. Do expect, however, an XC60 CUV model to be based on the XC60 Concept that debuted at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit last January.

Finally, as we recently reported, rumors of the larger XC90's demise have been exaggerated and Volvo's largest SUV is expected to get a refresh soon and a full-on replacement eventually. Clearly, however, Volvo sees future profits by filling out its small car lineup with versions of the C30 hatchback that will sell well all over the world, and not just the U.S.

[Source: Just-Auto.com]

Mere minutes after receiving word that Volvo would begin producing the C30 hatch, we've been speculating about the possibility of a performance version that would evolve the stylish three-door into a GTI competitor. The announcement that Ford is developing a new Focus RS has given us even more reason to be hopeful. Pure speculation and performance prognostication says that the 2.5-liter turbocharged mill shouldn't be an issue since it's already fitted into the C30 and its platform siblings, the Focus ST and S40, plus, all-wheel-drive could be part of the equation.

A 300 hp C30R has the potential of joining the Mazdaspeed3 as another way of satiating our desire for a hot Focus, and if the price, we're smelling a hit.

[Source: Swedespeed]

Thanks for the tip, Paul!

Could premium small cars be the next hot segment? Things appear to be heating up with the MINI being joined by the Volvo C30 and word of another Swede stepping into the fray. Saab will unveil its Delta platform-based 9-1 at the 2008 London Motor Show and it will be available for purchase in late 2009. Nondefinitive descriptors provided by Saab assure us that the 9-1 will be dramatically styled with an iconic shape. There had been some attention paid to a high-roof small CUV idea, but Saab asserts the 9-1 will be sporty in that Saab way, though it will have the functionality younger buyers are looking for.

Rather than pile on to the CUV segment, Saab could cash in some retro love and still make a very Saaby and useful car that doesn't put on truck airs. The Saab 99 of the 1970s could provide some inspiration for the 9-1, resulting in a car that doesn't occupy a lot of space, but can swallow a refrigerator. Look to the 9-3X and 9X for hints about what the car might actually look like.

[Source: Autocar]

Our friends from World Car Fans sat down with a Volvo PR person last week at the Helsinki Motor Show and after a suitable amount of poking and prodding, they got the skinny on Volvo's plans to offer a wagon version of its C30 hatch.

The five-door version would be based off the same Mazda3 platform as its three-door sibling, and is aimed to be a direct competitor to the Audi A3 Sportback just as the C30 seeks to compete with the standard A3. There's no word on names, but we're still partial to slapping a C50 badge on the back and calling it done.

World Car Fans' graphics ninja attempted to render the five-door Volvo and you can check out his photochopped work by clicking the pic above.

[Source: World Car Fans]

During a sit down with Volvo's senior veep of R&D, Magnus Jonsson told Automotive News that a five-door version of the C30 might be in the cards. "The five-door would be less exciting from a design perspective, but we're looking to expand." That seems like an accurate statement considering that stretching the three-door model could have a few negative aesthetic implications. But if sales of the C30 in the U.S. and Japan go through the roof, a five-door model could be a competitive product for buyers looking to move up market from the C30's platform sibling, the Mazda3.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]

click above image to view high-res gallery of the 2008 Volvo C30

Despite a number of great coupe offerings recently, two-door hatchbacks have sold rather badly in this country in the past few years. Volvo, however, thinks the best way it can compete in the coupe niche is by resurrecting the 1971 P1800ES. And if you ask us, they could be right.

The Volvo C30 is an odd car when seen among SUV-filled American traffic. Its relatively tall, stubby nose juts out from the headlight-capped fenders wrapped snugly around 18-inch alloys. The front fender line continues as the car's full length shoulder, and just beyond the doors, widens to become the rear fender and taillights. It's a dramatic look that lets the C30 trick those on the outside into seeing a much smaller vehicle than it actually is.

In back, you might first think the hatch opening would be huge, but only the rear glass opens, reminding us of another favorite two-door hatchback: the BMW Z Coupe. But unlike the Bimmer, the Volvo has some usable space back there, though it's not that easy to access through the small opening. There are also two more seats than in the Z, and more than adequate head and leg room for all passengers. We don't recommend the C30 for cross-country trips with all the kids, but singles, young couples and maybe a small, light-traveling family will find it big enough for daily use and possibly even weekend treks.

Continue reading about the C30 after the jump.



Live Photos Copyright ©2007 Chris Tutor / Weblogs, Inc.

click above image to view high-res gallery of the Volvo C30 Efficiency

As we told you earlier, the new Volvo C30 Efficiency achieves better fuel economy by incorporating off-the-shelf ideas available to any automaker with an eye on higher mileage. Its 105 HP 1.6L turbodiesel engine is optimized for fuel efficiency, and its transmission even uses low friction oil so as not to sap the power running through it. The tranny's third, fourth and fifth gears are also taller, and low rolling resistance tires, an aero-optimized undercarriage and special rear spoiler all contribute to lifting the C30 Efficiency's fuel economy to an incredible 4.5L for every 100 kilometers, or 52.26 MPG in the U.S. cycle. That's all, no whiz bang hybrid drives or vaporous hydrogen fuel cells on board this car.

One interesting design detail we didn't notice when the official pics were first released is the car's wheels, which are odd to say the least. It appears that the material between the spokes is something like chicken wire with a very fine weave. We're not sure if it cuts down on the production of turbulent air behind the wheel or a designer just had a brain fart, but it comes off as one of those "green" details this car could do without.

Check the original post for the nitty gritty details, and view our high-res gallery of live shots by clicking below.

Automotive News is dishing on Volvo's product lineup plans between now and 2010. The newly released second-generation S80 won't see any major changes, nor will the new 70-series wagons, the C70, or the C30. The S40's going to bid us adieu, as there's price overlap with the S60, and the S60's not much larger than the S40. The C30's going to serve as the entry-level Volvo, while also angling at MINI's territory of cutieified premium small cars. The S60, while handsomely drawn, is becoming long in the tooth. A redesigned S60 will bow in 2010, and it will be smaller than the current model in an effort to differentiate it from the S80, as well as still serve those customers who would have gone for the S40.

While Gothenburg's losing a sedan offering, it'll be adding a CUV in early 2009 when the XC60 hits the streets. With the CUV market currently on fire, a smaller Volvo 'ute to go after X3 shoppers is a shrewd move. The basic hardware's already been piled together as the Land Rover LR2, which we suspect offers a decent preview of the XC60 experience. Basically, what we see happening is the phasing out of the P2 platform that Volvo developed in the '90s for the original S80, and a migration of all vehicles to some flavor of the EUCD platform.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub Req'd]