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NORDIC CHIC

Finally, a Swede that's cooler than Bjorn Borg. Nitin Nair checks out the new Volvo in Dubai

In 2001, a Chevrolet advertisement featured a spiffy split window red Corvette coupe that said "They don't write songs about Volvos" – a clever allusion to how singer/songwriter Prince immortalised the Corvette in his 1983 hit Little Red Corvette and the fact that Volvo was widely considered as a safe but prosaic choice for car buyers.

While we are not sure if Volvo's latest offering is ready to inspire a song yet, one thing's for sure – the new C30 sports coupe sits in the Volvo stable like a bomber jacket in a tuxedo closet. For a carmaker known for making sturdy, practical vehicles, a shift in its target audience was probably necessary to woo a new generation of car buyers. The three-door C30 is aimed at those in the 25-35 age bracket leading active lifestyles and the empty-nesters in their 50s yearning for a sportier ride.

Volvo's latest offering is built on parent company Ford's C-1 compact car platform (also used by the second generation Ford Focus and the Mazda3), but that is about all the three cars have in common. The front of the new C30 is unmistakably Volvo – the front is similar to the S40, what with the angled headlamps. What's new is the sculpted rear end that has a glass tailgate, a throwback to the P1800ES models of the 70s. The muscular rear shoulders and the horseshoe-shaped tail lights add character to the two-door hatchback, making it the sharpest looking Volvo in recent years. The Swedish carmaker knows it needs all that vim, for the C30 is pitted in a category that already has established players – the sophisticated Audi A3 and BMW, the cheeky Mini Cooper and feisty Volkswagen Golf.

What's it like on the inside? Considering that this is a hatchback coupe, you don't really expect roomy interiors. However, the two seats at the rear are accommodating, but if you are really tall, getting in and out of the back of the car is a bit of bother. Also, there's hardly any boot space; so don't throw in anything other than a weekend bag. It may be a quirky observation, but one of the things about having a plunging, glass tailgate is that now you can not only see the mug of the guy who is tailgating you, but also his number plate. But seriously, the tailgate is a smart idea and central to the car's fetching looks. The car interiors are dominated by Volvo's ultra thin 'floating' centre console first seen on the S40. This car is looking for a foothold in a premium hatchback segment, so the interiors are understandably plush. The interior trims, the dashboard's leather-finish and a super audio system are all very impressive. Ditto for noise levels within the cabin, you can expect a quiet ride.

Three versions of the C30 will be available in the GCC market starting with the base version 1.6 litre, 100hp engine. The top-of-the line T5 houses a 230hp, turbocharged five-cylinder two litre engine. The C30 we tried was fitted with a five-cylinder 2.4-litre engine that can produce 170hp and was mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. On the road, the car feels nimble and sturdy and handles well. Our test drive on Dubai's multi-lane highways was such that instead of navigating with the help of a roadbook, we were asked to stay behind an XC90 pilot car. The nature of the game soon was such that we had to stick to the pilot car's rear or miss an exit and feel hopelessly lost. The former seemed a better choice and a good excuse to give the C30 a real work out. One of the nice things about driving the C30 is the way it hugs the road, especially around corners. The steering is direct and gives the driver a real sense of control; so zipping around a roundabout wasn't much of a problem to keep pace with the speeding XC90. The automatic transmission is not the smoothest, especially during the downshifts. But then, in an automatic transmission, it is difficult not to experience a lag in the time between slamming the gas pedal down and actually feeling the acceleration kicking in. If you are trying to accelerate quickly, it is a better idea to use the tiptronic option. The suspension was firm enough to smoothen out uneven road surfaces.

It may be a sports coupe, but it's still a Volvo. So safety is still top priority for the Swedish carmaker. And you get a real sense of the car's commitment to safety right from the seat belts they use in the car; the seat belts really limit movement, like they should. Volvo apparently had to ensure that buyers wouldn't feel any less safe because this is a hatchback. The front structure is divided into zones that are constructed of different grades of steel with different deformation characteristics, to distribute and absorb collision forces. The back is designed to absorb most of the impact forces in the early phases of a rear impact. There is the standard Volvo safety fare: dual-stage airbags and collapsible pedals, SIPS (side impact protection system), the side-impact airbags, and IC (inflatable curtains) contribute to effective protection in side impacts. WHIPS (Volvo's whiplash protection system), aimed at reducing the risk of neck injuries, comes standard on the front seats.

So there it is. A Volvo that's vivacious and fun but also safe and reliable. For a car that is desperately trying to break a stereotype that says only retired folk and your school headmaster drive a Volvo, this is as good as it gets as far as targeting a more vibrant consumer base goes. It remains to be seen how it tackles competition in its class. The thing about the BMW or an Audi is the badge – two extremely desirable cars; the Mini Cooper and the Golf are probably the most fun to drive in that segment. The C30 sure has a task on its hands. Now, somebody give Prince a test-drive.

Hatchback Heritage
The all-glass tailgate on the ES-model of Volvo’s classic sports car P1800 inspired the rear of the new C80