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| Road Test: Volvo C30 1.6D SE review |
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by David Finlay (03 Jul 07)
Some television ads make me squirm at the lack of confidence they imply. Years ago there was British Rail's desperate "We're Getting There" campaign, "Above All It's A Rover" was stomach-churning, and I thought Skoda tried to get away from the Jasper Carrott effect long after should have had to show any concern about it. And now we have Volvo's "Love It, Hate It" ad for the C30, which practically invites viewers to think that there may be something dodgy about the car.
I suppose Volvo's advertising people are trying to suggest that the C30 is controversial, but you can do that without the suggestion of perspiring foreheads and crossed fingers that oozes from the screen every time the ad is shown. This subtext may in fact be quite accurate. Volvo has said that the C30 was originally a styling exercise which was not intended for production, and I get the feeling that there is some nervousness within the company about whether bringing the car to market was such a good idea after all. Be that as it may, here it is. Volvo makes the C30 available with a wide variety of engines and four trim levels, and the car tested here is at the budget end of the range. It uses the smallest and least powerful of the various turbo diesels on offer (1.6 litres, 109bhp) and is in the SE trim level, the middle of the three you can get with this engine (like the 1.6 petrol version, this one can't be bought in ultimate SE Lux form).
It costs £18,295, but you can spend £1500 less by choosing the S model if you're prepared to accept smaller wheels and do away with cruise control, front foglights, a trip computer, a bottle holder and various less important fripperies. Alternatively, you can spend £1500 more on the SE Sport, which has larger wheels and a racey-looking bodykit. Given the performance of the 1.6D, I can't see many people doing that unless they have a particularly well-developed sense of irony.
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