Volvo C30
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Volvo C30 | |
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| Manufacturer | Volvo Cars |
| Parent company | Ford Motor Company Premier Automotive Group |
| Production | 2007–present |
| Assembly | Ghent, Belgium |
| Predecessor | Volvo 480 |
| Class | Compact near-luxury car |
| Body style | 3-door hatchback |
| Layout | FF layout |
| Platform | Volvo P1 platform |
| Engine | Gasoline: 1.6 L 100 hp straight-4 2.0 L 145 hp straight-4 2.4 L 170 hp straight-5 2.5 L 220 hp turbocharged straight-5 1.8 L 125 hp Flexifuel straight-4 Diesel: 2.0 L 136 hp straight-4 2.4 L 180 hp straight-5 |
| Transmission | 5- or 6-speed manual 5-speed automatic |
| Wheelbase | 2640 mm |
| Length | 4252 mm |
| Width | 1782 mm |
| Height | 1447 mm |
| Curb weight | 1,331 kg - 1,347 kg |
| Related | Mazda3 Volvo S40 Volvo V50 |
| Similar | Alfa Romeo 147 Audi A3 BMW 1 Series Mercedes Benz A class |
The Volvo C30 is a compact near-luxury car produced by the Volvo division of Ford's Premier Automotive Group. The C30 is a three-door, four-seat hatchback powered by I4 and I5 engines. Despite the name, the car is the hatchback version of the S40/V50/C70 luxury vehicle range and therefore uses the same Ford C1 platform as its siblings, and shares the same sheetmetal ahead of the windshield and dashboard.
The production car was officially unveiled at the 2006 Paris Motor Show.[1] In mid-2006, the C30 was approved for production launch in late 2006 in Europe. The C30 will also be introduced in the U.S. market as a 2008 model year, with the T5 as the single version.[2] It is being marketed as a premium hatchback specially designed for first-time Volvo buyers and the youth market, with the BMW 1 Series, Volkswagen Golf, Audi A3, and Mini Cooper as its main rivals. Production is expected to be 65,000 units a year, 75% for sale in the European market.
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[edit] Features
The C30 is offered with a wide variety of gasoline and diesel engines. Petrol engines include a 100 hp 1.6 litre I4, a 125 hp 1.8 litre I4, a 145 hp 2.0 litre I4, a 170 hp 2.4 liter inline-5, and a 220 hp turbocharged 2.5 litre inline-5. Diesel engines will be a 109 hp 1.6 litre inline-4, a 136 hp 2.0 litre inline-4, and a 180 hp 2.4 litre inline-5. All models will be fitted with a manual gearbox, the inline-5 petrol versions will have automatic transmissions as an option. Speculation suggesting that a 1.4 litre inline-4 petrol engine from the Ford Focus would be offered proved false and the smallest engine in the range will actually be the 1.6 litre engines.
An upgraded sound system is expected to include a digital 5×130 watt ICE Power amplifier from Alpine featuring Dolby Pro Logic II Surround, and 10 loudspeakers from Danish Dynaudio, appealing to the youth market.
[edit] Hybrid
Volvo is developing a hybrid electric version of the C30 at their California development centre. Current plans call for a prototype to compete in the Michelin Challenge Bibendum during 14-17 November 2007 in Shanghai, China.
According to German auto website Autobild, Volvo is working on a plug-in diesel-electric hybrid with a similar design for the powertrain as the Chevrolet Volt concept. Simlilar to General Motors' E-Flex platform, the C30 will be driven by electric motors supplied by a battery pack with a range of approximately 60 kilometres. A diesel engine functions as a generator when necessary to recharge the batteries. The C30 will have also have plug-in capabilities for overnight charging.[3]
[edit] Safety
The C30 continues with the traditional level of safety that Volvos have garnered.[citation needed] This is demonstrated[original research?] through many recently developed safety features, including a method of overcoming the "blind spots" or "dead areas" in the driver's view to the rear through a system solely introduced by Volvo, known as BLIS (Blind Spot Information System). The C30 also features a four-wheel anti-lock braking system, electronic stability program, traction control and airbags all around for side impact and rollover protection.[4]
The Volvo C30 has a patented front and rear structure using four different grades of steel to absorb and redistribute impact energy around the body of the coupe. Volvo's Whiplash Protection System and Side Impact Protection System with side airbags and Inflatable Curtain are also standard.[5] The seat belts have pretensioners to protect the occupants against unexpected accidents.[6]
The car also uses Volvo's Intelligent Driver Information System (IDIS) which continuously monitors the car's preemptive systems such as steering wheel angle, pedal depressions, and overall factors that help the vehicle's computer to decide if the driver is busy or distracted merging or turning, and will then accordingly delay certain data or alerts that are unimportant.[7]
The C30 has been criticized because in an effort to make it more responsive in curves it has become unreliable on ice or snow where the rear end can easily lose its grip.[8]
[edit] References
- ^ Volvo: Review C30 Paris Motor Show launch
- ^ Volvo Cars North America. "Volvo Cars of North America Announces it Will Sell the Exciting New C30 in the U.S. Market". Press release.
- ^ AutoblogGreen: Volvo C30 plug-in hybrid concept: high-res pictures and specs
- ^ Ford. "The New Volvo C30 – Compact Volvo Loaded with Driving Pleasure and First-class safetey". Press release.
- ^ Volvo Canada. "Volvo reveals photos of new C30 coupe". Press release.
- ^ Channel 4: Road Test: Volvo C30 (2007-)
- ^ Volvo Car Corporation. "Volvo C30 Ties the Knot with International Product Development (IPD) at 2006 SEMA Show". Press release.
- ^ "SLADD-VOLVON", Aftonbladet, 2006-12-08.
[edit] External links
- Official microsite
- Volvocars.se tech specs
- C30World - Site dedicated purely to the Volvo C30
- Volvo C30 Concept
- Volvo C30 Specs and Photos
- Volvo C30 at the 2006 Paris Motor Show
- Volvo C30 Designer Blog, Simon Lamarre, Studio Chief Designer for Volvo Car Corporation. Göteborg, Sweden.
| Volvo Cars, a subsidiary of the Ford Motor Company since 1998, road car timeline, 1960s-present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Small family car | 544 | 66 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 440 / 460 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| S40 / V40 | S40 / V50 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Compact executive car | Amazon / 120 / 130 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 140 | 240 | 850 | S70 / V70 | S60 / V70 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Duett | 740 | 940 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Executive car | 164 | 760 | 960 | S/V90 | S80 | S80 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 260 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | P1800 | 1800S | 1800E | 1800ES | 242 GT | 240 Turbo | 850 R | S/V70 R | S60/V70 T5 | S60/V70 R | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coupé | 262C | 780 | C70 | C70 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Crossover | XC90 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
