There are cars that make you wonder when they hit the market. The Volvo C30 is one of them: even though it seems the day before yesterday, nothing could be further from the truth. In 2021 he will receive the coveted young timer status. Was it really fifteen years since he had his baptism of fire? Sufficient reason for a Buying Guide.
The Volvo C30 belongs to that specific group of cars that is immediately ‘likeable’ and will remain so for a long time to come. It is not without reason that the compact three-door has meant a lot for the image of the Swedish car brand. It is actually the third attempt to shake off the Labrador image. For that reason alone, it is so unfortunate that, just like its inspirators 1800 ES and 480 ES, a direct successor never came.
Volvo still belongs to Ford in 2006 and under that umbrella it initially develops the S40, the V50 and the C70. They come on the market in 2004 and 2005 and are all technically closely related to the Ford Focus. It will come as no surprise that the C30, which appears on the scene in 2006, also belongs to the same model family. It shares the nose section to the A-pillar with its two bigger brothers, but otherwise it has its own look, thanks in part to a multitude of designs. That is a total of 2,561,328 when you combine all combinations of the cool colors, interior trim, wheels, spoilers, skirts, engines and bins!
Semi-retro
Even a layman with some knowledge of Volvo history will remember the famous 1800 ES and the 480 ES drawn by the Dutchman John de Vries and see where the designers of the C30 got their inspiration. Still, the illustrious predecessors will not have been the reason to bring the semi-retro-C30 to the market. At the time, it was rather the so-called premium hatchbacks that show that there is money to be made in this niche. From the mid-1990s until well into the new millennium, the BMW 3-series Compact, the Audi A3, the Mercedes C-class Sportcoupé and, last but not least, the New Mini will appear successively. All cars with their own style and appearance. The C30 fits perfectly into this list, although it looks more like a shooting brake than a standard three-door hatchback.
Volvo’s design language after the angular period, defined by the 700/900 series and the 850, is heralded in 1996 with the ECC, the concept car from which the S80 is born. Gone are the shoulderless shapes, back with a vengeance, the broad hips, which can count on a loud applause. Then we entered the new millennium as Volvo amazes friend and foe at the Detroit Motor Show with the Safety Concept Car. Created in California, the orange study model has all kinds of safety-enhancing elements, including the striking semi-transparent A-pillars for improved visibility. Yet it is its eye-pleasing appearance in particular, by Stefan Jansson, that makes the many enthusiasts of the 1800 ES mouth water and makes them hope for a production version.
Volvo C30
The focus is also on safety in the interior, but design accents such as the ‘floating’ center console and the ‘space ball’ gear lever that make the tongues loosen up. If you look further, you will notice the sliding rear doors that give access to the individual seats. The question that many people ask is what remains of the SCC when it is presented as the C30 Concept in 2005. The enthusiasts are served as they please. The four individual seats, the glass tailgate, the broad shoulders and the tapered (rejuvenating, in design language) glass house have all remained intact. Unfortunately, the unique A-pillars and sliding doors are destroyed, but overall the C30 in production trim does justice to the SCC. The Volvo C30 stands on the so-called Ford C1 / Volvo P1 platform. Sister models S40, V50 and C70 as well as the Ford Focus make use of this. The cross-pollination goes even further; Volvo, for example, uses the Ford / PSA four-cylinder diesel and petrol engines and Ford in turn uses Volvo’s five-cylinder for the Focus ST and RS, among other things.
The C30 was built from 2006 to 2012 and received a major facelift in 2009, with adjustments to the nose and to a lesser extent the rear. In doing so, he distanced himself with the C70 from the S40 and V50, which remain broadly the same. The update coincides with the arrival of new Chinese owner Geely, which will acquire Volvo from Ford for just € 1.2 billion. In 2012, interest in the C30 declined dramatically, and on December 31 that year, the last of the 208,652 units will roll out of the Ghent factory.
Satisfied
Volvo offers the C30 with a choice of engines, which can be combined with the equipment variants Advantage, Kinetic, Momentum, Summum and R-Design: from 1.6 to 2.4 liter petrol and from 1.6 to 2 , 5-liter diesel. There is even an electric version available, but it remains a wallflower thanks to the exorbitant price. The latter also applies to the spectacular, 400 hp C30 Polestar. With the Drive eco diesel, the C30 dips below the 99 g / km mark, a significant achievement in 2009. Unfortunately, thanks to Dieselgate, diesels have fallen out of favor, except for the real frequent drivers.
Our Edward Smit Auto’s photo model from Oudkarspel is one of the many C30s with the 1.6-liter petrol engine in the basic trim Advantage. That was the most affordable version at € 19,995. Don’t expect flashy performance. With a velvet gas foot, on the other hand, you can easily drive 1 in 16.
Over the years, numerous reviews about the C30 have been published on Techzle.nl. Most of the buyers are satisfied with the Volvo. The C30 is not a distinct ‘Posh of Sport Spicegirl’ or ‘blokes’ car. Rather, it is a binary, reliable car that gives a lot of driving pleasure, especially in front tire-consuming T5 and D5 versions, each of which has its own sound. Naturally, the seats and seating position receive a big compliment, while the design and finish of the interior can count on acclaim. Ergonomics and handling are Volvo worthy. Contradicting the tidy character of the interior are the minimal storage options, so that items such as charging cords and bottles are quickly left around. The polished aluminum center console and quadrant rotary knobs around the Vertu mobile-like control panel complete the floating center console. This car shows that fewer buttons doesn’t have to be a foregone conclusion.
Easy entry
It will not surprise anyone that the C30 is a 2 + 2. Thanks to the large doors, the occupants in the front literally have an easy entry when they descend on the multi-adjustable seats. This applies less to those who sit in the back; entry is facilitated by the ‘fold the backrest forwards and the seat slides forward’, but it is still scrambling to end up on the separate rear seats. Most owners also complain about the limited luggage space, because with a filled photo bag, a tripod, a screen and a tray with cleaning cloths, the short space behind those folding seats is full. And then there is also a high lifting threshold. The droll cover (replaced by a hard shelf during the facelift) hardly hides what is hiding underneath. A frequently heard complaint concerns the doors, which are so long that, in increasingly tight parking bays, they make getting out more difficult. In short, the C30 is made for singles and childless couples. If you have a lot to do, you can look forward to an equally timeless V50.
Volvo C30 interior
Although it shares its floor and chassis with the Ford Focus, the C30 has unfortunately not adopted the acclaimed dynamic handling characteristics. It drives and brakes like a Volvo, so uninspiring, but accurate. It simply offers honest, down-to-earth transportation for people who care more about looks than expect BMW or Mini-esque driving qualities. Those who appreciate the latter, choose the C30 T5 with R-Design package. It not only looks thicker, it is also lower and has 30 percent stiffer springs in combination with a 10 percent more direct steering. And that fantastic five-cylinder produces a distinctive, ear-pleasing roll.
Few flaws
As long as the lists with possible defects on competing models can be, as (relatively) short is that on the C30. However, this Volvo is not flawless. It has been found that all versions suffer from the same ailments and that some specific diesel issues exist. Lonely at the top are air conditioning problems. You can almost wait for that, especially if the car is ten to fourteen years old. Well-known suspects are the condenser, which picks up all road waste like an infantryman at the front, and the air conditioning pump. No cheap items, but also no things for which you have to leave a C30. In second place is the rear suspension, which wear out bushings and rubbers and wheel bearings make noises that indicate wear. ESP sensors and stiff brake pistons are also mentioned. All MOT issues. We walk forward: the chassis components such as CV joints and their covers are bulletproof, but worn wishbone balls are common. Occasionally, a dust cover can escape with a 1.6D grease or oil. You would no longer expect that the ABS pump module can cause problems. Still, the anti-slip warning light illuminates more than once.
All C30s have an engine from the PSA / Ford stable or from Volvo itself and relatively few serious defects are reported. Most have a timing belt. It should be renewed every eight years or 120,000 kilometers, depending on the type of engine. Always a considerable expense of several hundred euros. Whoever still assumes that chain-driven camshafts will last a car’s life: they are no longer sacred these days because of their thin construction. The Drive models have a start-stop installation, the electronics of which can show tricks, as well as the starter motor. With the 1.6D, the number of reports about clogged soot filters is striking. They have to be replaced every 160,000 kilometers. This problem has been solved with the subsequent D2 engine. Dirty EGR valves are just like any other brand a ‘thing’. Leaking camshaft seals and cracked crankcase ventilation housing at the front of the five-cylinder diesels. Owners also report failing glow plugs and injectors. Less frequent are reports of an involuntary gearbox, whether or not in combination with the dual-mass flywheel. Anyone in the market for a C30 with automatic transmission (Geartronic in Volvo language) checks the manual mode. The T5 comes out with only three engine mounts, which give up prematurely due to the heavy load. In addition, the engine compartment heats up strongly, causing the coolant tank to rupture relatively often. As befits a Volvo, the body is well protected against corrosion; rust is not an issue. Owners do complain about a leaking sliding roof. This is usually the result of blocked or even broken drain hoses. So it’s a matter of maintenance. It is important to be here in time, because a damp carpet can also affect the airbag sensor under the seat.
Anyone who remembers the beginning of this paragraph may not agree with our claim that the list of flaws is short. Yet that is indeed the case. When it comes to maintenance and repairs, the C30 is more reliable than many German cars in this tiny segment. The prospective buyer opts for a copy with a gap-free maintenance history and is assured of a recently renewed timing belt, whether or not in combination with wheel suspension and air conditioning parts.
Volvo C30
Sufficient supply
It is not for nothing that we often encounter the Volvo C30 in traffic, even though it has been more than eight years since production ceased; there are still 9,700 on the road! It is always striking how fresh and timeless the sympathetic design catches the retina. The offer is large, as is the variety. The party starts at a modest 5 grand and ends at a fat 20 for a 2.5 T R-Design with few kilometers. Diesels are a great alternative. That sounds paradoxical, but in purchase they are well below the 2.4 and T5. Worth considering for frequent drivers. It is a pity that Volvo has not left a successor on the roll, unless we qualify the five-door V40 as such.