Looks like Volvo wants a piece of the action. Do you guys think that Volvos are less safer since the Ford takeover?
Volvo reveals new sportshatch
19 August 2006
By DAVE MOORE
The Press
A new little Volvo has broken cover.
The one thing you can guarantee with Swedish maker Volvo is that when a new model reaches production, it will look almost exactly like the adventurous concept or show car that preceded it, usually a couple of years before.
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Money Calculators @ SortedVolvo's latest, the C30, is no exception. It uses the same C1 Ford family platform used by the company's S40 and V50 models, as well as Ford's Focus II and C-Max. Other users include the recently facelifted Mazda3 and the upcoming Land Rover Freelander.
A sporting design, with two doors, four individual seats and a glass tailgate that harks back to the P1800 Volvo sports wagon of the early '70s, the C30 could be nothing else but a Volvo and will be revealed to the public for the first time at the Paris Motor Show in September.
It will be seen for the first time in New Zealand in early 2007.
Fredrik Arp, president and CEO of Volvo, says of the C30: "The new Volvo C30 is a cool car that aims for young singles, or couples with busy urban lives. These people prioritise excitement in design and driving characteristics, and this car is designed to suit their taste and lifestyle."
The C30 follows closely the Volvo three-door Design Concept, which was first shown at the Detroit Motor Show in January as well as the company's SCC car of previous shows. In profile, the car's gently rearward sloping roofline and muscular wheel arches give it a dynamic silhouette, enhanced by the crisp rearward side window taper. Typical Volvo "shoulders" are included in the design and accentuated by being more rounded than other models in the Swedish car-maker's line-up and reinforced by horseshoe-shaped lighting graphics around the rear lamps and tailgate.
AdvertisementAdvertisement"The C30 has plenty of muscle in a sporty and compact package. Anyone who recalls the Volvo SCC (Safety Concept Car) will recognise the exclusive and convenient rear tailgate.
"The distinctive tail lights ensure that everyone will be certain about which car is in front of them," says design director Steve Mattin.
Mattin joined the Volvo design effort in mid-2004 after a distinguished career with Mercedes- Benz and familiarised himself with Volvo products by driving them in New Zealand before taking up his position with the company in Gothenberg.
The C30 is designed to provide space for four adults, thanks to the two separate folding rear seats with generous head and leg room. The rear seats are slightly centred to provide a feeling of space and a good forward view. The space between the seats also makes Volvo's unique, ultra-thin centre stack clearly visible through the glass tailgate.
The C30 will be offered with high-end audio systems when it reaches the marketplace with its ultimate premium sound system being a digital 5 x 130W ICE Power amplifier from Alpine with Dolby Pro Logic II Surround Sound, working through 10 Dynaudio speakers.
"The new C30 is about customised functionality. Volvo will offer a lot of possibilities for personalisation and design solutions so customers can choose the type of car they want," says Hakan Abrahamsson, the C30's project leader.
The C30 will offer a selection of engines, ranging from a 75kW, four- cylinder 1.6-litre petrol unit through a clean, efficient 82kW four- cylinder, PSA/Ford-derived 1.6-litre, a 135kW diesel five-cylinder and a sporting 165kW T5 petrol turbo engine of similar format.
The C30 is the smallest member of Volvo's model range at just 4.25 metres long, which is 22cm shorter than the current smallest Volvo model, the VS40 saloon.
Hakan Abrahamsson says that a car which exudes dynamic design must live up to the promise of its looks when you are behind the wheel. In other words, it most deliver what it says on the packet. "Therefore, the C30 has a chassis that offers sporty driving characteristics," he says, "regardless of whether you choose the 1.6-litre diesel or the T5 engine."
Safety, a traditional Volvo strength, has not been skimped on either. With full airbag protection and safety-belt tensioners, the C30 offers typical Volvo safety. The standard safety equipment includes the Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), Side Impact Protection System (SIPS) with side airbags and the Inflatable Curtain (IC).
The C30 will also 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 has the same patented impact structures as the Volvo S40 saloon or V50 Sportswagon.
Globally, Volvo hopes to sell 65,000 C30s annually and expects that 75 per cent of buyers will be in Europe and the largest markets will be Italy, Germany, Spain and Britain. The car will be built at Volvo's Ghent factory in Belgium and is expected in Britain with right-hand drive by the end of the year, so we can reasonably expect the new car in New Zealand by early 2007.
It's not difficult to see that Volvo will be aiming to generate sales from snaring potential or existing customers from Audi's A3, the BMW 1-series and even Mercedes-Benz's striking C-coupe, a project with which Steve Mattin was closely involved in his previous career. We'll keep you informed about New Zealand specifications and pricing as they come to hand.
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