FOLLOWING LAST WEEK’S leaked images of the 2010 Volvo C70, the Swedish carmaker has opted to reveal the similarly refreshed 2010 Volvo C30 ahead of its unveiling at Frankfurt next week and its Australian debut in March next year.
Bearing more aggressive lines than its larger topless sibling, the updated C30 benefits from a revised fascia clearly inspired by the S60 concept revealed late last year.
Despite the largely unaltered rear quarters, the front end of the 2010 C30 has been redesigned, pushing the car towards what is swiftly becoming Volvo’s new family face.
“By integrating greater depth into the design language, the front has become more dramatic and expressive. Along with the angled lines of the front bumper, the new headlamps, drawn offset and up, reinforce the impression of speed and sportiness,” Fedde Talsma, Exterior Chief Designer at Volvo Cars, said.
“The fact that the C30 has enhanced its visual volume and self-confidence is entirely in line with Volvo Cars’ design strategy.
At the same time, the C30 has a one of a kind expression. The new honeycomb grille, for instance, means it takes just a quick glance in the rear-view mirror to see that the car filling your view is the new Volvo C30.”
Volvo says that although the major changes are up front, the rear end also comes in for some new lines and details.
The black plastic panels of the rear have been replaced with colour-coded panels which Volvo says can be specified in either the body colour or a separate contrasting shade.
The T5 model gets a visible tailpipes and a new exterior colour has been added to the C30’s palette, called Orange Flame Metallic.
It’s not just the exterior that has been reworked, with the interior also coming in for a makeover.
A new interior colour combination called Espresso/Blond is now available, featuring a dark brown upper section and a lighter ‘blond’ shade on the lower door sides.
“We know that a large proportion, almost half, of all C30 customers make detailed interior choices,” Colour & Trim Program Chief Designer Maria Uggla said.
“We have also focused on making it easier for customers to match exterior design elements with interior trim in an attractive way, something that has been made that much easier with the new Espresso/Blond colour combination.”
The 2010 C30 DRIVe (above), reported on some months back by TMR when it was revealed it would be delayed until later this year, has now officially been postponed once more until January 2010.
Featuring stop-start technology that switches off the engine when the car is idle, the C30 DRIVe will offer a fuel consumption figure of just 3.9 l/100km, putting it in line with the 2009 MINI Cooper D and the upcoming next-gen Toyota Prius.
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I dunno what it is about Volvo. They just can’t make their cars handle.
I like their transformation from boxy grandpa hat wearing vehicles to something more stylish. Most of their cars today look pretty good.
Even the little C30 is a neat looking car. (ok the rear end is polarising)…. but head to head it gets smashed by the golf GTi on handling.
So do the 40’s 60’s and pretty much their entire range!
OMG NEW DIALS, NEW CONSOLE…
this is looking at a 500 century breakthrough!!
There is a new optional sports suspension for the 2010 model (that even includes a 10% faster rack) that actually sounds like it may be the real deal. Certainly there is nothing wrong with the Ford C1 platform the C30 sits on. I think the C30 with this option may actually be the first legitimately sporty Volvo. Pity that it will probably highlight how average the brakes are.