"Cute" and "unique" are words mom says in her attempt to offer up what's "cool" about a car. A sports coupe is "fun" or maybe even "hip," to those who aren't of course. Or, more specifically, these are words used by stereotypical Volvo S40 owners when they try to relate to their car's new younger sibling-the '08 Volvo C30 T5. It's the model that puts Volvo in the circle of a younger age group target-those around the age of 25-35 with an "active lifestyle." Not sure what "active lifestyle" is supposed to mean (sitting outside of coffee shops looking carefully ennui?) But what's "cool" to a youth market is as it's always been: an articulation of style that draws upon what is deliberately and delightfully not cool
If you have to use the word "unique" to describe something, then it probably isn't. In this way, the C30 does more than appear youthfully different. Similar to its other peers like the Mini, it recalls what is old and even sometimes referred to as absurd or even ugly-design cues and style elements from the Cool of Cars Past. With the C30, all-new is part old-school, adding the look of the rear end and all-glass hatch from the '70s P1800ES to some S40 styling and the Euro-Focus corporate platform. All this uncool sampling is combined with the fact that the C30 is a young buck that has yet to go mainstream. The result is better than what appeals to the hip. The C30 appeals to the hipster. It's aggressive shoulder profile and high-set headlight lines even give this Volvo a Sgt. Pepper meets black eyeliner look.
Essential to hipster demands are many options to choose or deliberately not choose from. Here, the C30 T5 2.0 R-Design concept satisfies with so many combinations to the standard equipment that each car can be specifically tailored for a custom look. A satin matte-finish grille, color-coordinated bumpers and side moldings, color and material combinations for the seats and an integrated body kit are all options that allow for a personalized image, which makes this car funky-fresh, dressed to impress right off the lot. Through the glass hatch and all-bucket seating, anyone following behind can see the entire length of the characteristic Volvo floating center stack. Which in the 2.0 version, is the interface for a Dynaudio factory system that incorporates a digital 650-watt Alpine ICE Power amp with 10 speakers to bring the party. With Dolby Pro-Logic II surround sound and forward and rear 5-band graphic equalizers, anyone following behind can't help but hear the party too.
In the past, we found the system in the C70 to be one of the loudest stock systems, with a low-frequency stock setup that shook up even the deepest of bass-heavy desires. With the C30, however, we get a happy medium. Turn the surround sound option all the way up, and what bounces off the interior of that little cabin brings everyone right into the middle of what seems like a live show, even from the surprisingly comfy backseat. The signature "waterfall" design of the interface stack is thin enough to provide storage space behind it, and the auxiliary hookup is inside the center console. A smaller tray in the armrest of the console has a hole for the aux cable, so you can keep an iPod enclosed and ready for use. Functional tricks like these in the Swedish design of the audio-related setup make the interior both stylish and extremely space-efficient, which is important when a car this small has this much going on.
All the functions are there, with Bluetooth, Sirius Satellite Radio and MP3 CD playback. Unfortunately, the small standard display does not offer the depth you need for searching folders or satellite genre categories. On the plus side, the dials that are there are more easily replaced by using the controls on the steering wheel, which is comfortably thick and covered in quality leather. Too bad we don't have any paddle shifters there for the automatic transmission.