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 | 2006–present |
| Assembly | Ghent, Belgium |
| Predecessor | Volvo 480 |
| Class | Small family car |
| Body style(s) | 3-door hatchback |
| Layout | FF layout |
| Platform | Volvo P1 platform |
| Engine(s) | Petrol: 1.6 L 100 hp straight-4 2.0 L 145 hp straight-4 2.4 L 170 hp straight-5 2.5 L 227 hp turbocharged straight-5 1.8 L 125 hp Flexifuel straight-4 Diesel: 1.6 L 109 hp straight-4 2.0 L 136 hp straight-4 2.4 L 180 hp straight-5 |
| Transmission(s) | 5- or 6-speed manual 5-speed automatic |
| Wheelbase | 2640 mm (103.9 in) |
| Length | 4252 mm (167.4 in) |
| Width | 1782 mm (70.2 in) |
| Height | 1447 mm (57 in) |
| Curb weight | 1331 kg (2934 lb)-1347 kg (2970 lb) |
| Related | Mazda3 Ford Focus (International) Volvo S40 Volvo V50 |
The Volvo C30 is a compact car produced by Volvo (part of the Ford Motor Company Group). The C30 is a three-door, four-seat hatchback powered by straight-4 and straight-5 engines. Despite the name, the car is the hatchback / coupe version of the S40/V50/C70 range and therefore uses the same Ford C1 platform as the Ford Focus and Mazda3.
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 went on sale in Canada in March 2007 as a 2007 model, and in October 2007 in the United States as a 2008 model, 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. Production is expected to be 65,000 units a year, 75% for sale in the European market.
Notably, the design of the C30 recalls another important Volvo, the 1800ES, the estate adaptation of the P1800 Coupe. According to Simon Lamarre, chief studio designer, "the 1800ES has become one of the icons for Volvo," [3] inspiring the design of the Volvo C30.[3] However, not everyone is pleased with the C30s "sawed-off rear" and calling it "Volvo's AMC Gremlin."[4]
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[edit] Features
The C30 is offered with a wide variety of petrol 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 227 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, and 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 is the 1.6 litre engines.
An upgraded sound system includes 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.
Three modified C30s were shown at the 2006 SEMA event: Evolve's C30, IPD's C30 and a Heico Sportiv/Burton Snowboard C30.[5]
The 2008 model year brings some minor changes, mostly adapting the interior to the facelifted S40/V50 and including as standard an Aux audio socket. Only the T5 2.5 litre turbocharged gasoline engine is available in the United States, for both manual and automatic transmissions.[6]
[edit] Hybrid
Volvo is developing a plug-in hybrid electric version of the C30 at their California development centre. A concept of the C30 hybrid called the ReCharge was shown in September 2007 at the Frankfurt auto show. The hybrid C30 will be a flex-fuel or diesel-electric hybrid with a powertrain design similar to General Motors' E-Flex platform and its Chevrolet Volt concept vehicle. That is, it will use a series-hybrid design in which the vehicle is driven directly by electric motors powered by a lithium-ion battery pack. A small internal combustion engine will have no direct connection to the drivetrain, but will function only as a backup generator when necessary to recharge the batteries. The C30 hybrid will have a range of approximately 100 kilometres (62 mi) on battery power alone, and will recharge from a standard home electrical outlet in about three hours.[7][8]
[edit] Safety
The C30 continues Volvo's marketing strategy to put safety as a primary concern.[citation needed] This is demonstrated[original research?] through some 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 (ABS), electronic stability program (ESP), traction control and airbags all around for side impact and rollover protection, front and rear crumple zones, and a stiff occupant cell.[9]
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.[10] The seat belts have pretensioners to protect the occupants against unexpected accidents.[11]
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.[12]
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.[13]
[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.
- ^ a b Carney, Dan (2007-06-30), “From the Past: Volvo 1800ES”, The Wall Street Journal, <http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB118157635963731249.html>. Retrieved on 15 May 2008.
- ^ Stone, Matt (2007-11-19), “2008 Motor Trend COTY Contender: Volvo C30”, Motor Trend, <http://blogs.motortrend.com/6221046/car-of-the-year/2008-motor-trend-coty-contender-volvo-c30/index.html>. Retrieved on 15 May 2008.
- ^ 2006 SEMA Show: Volvo Perspective
- ^ Volvo adds new smallest car, the C30 hatchback
- ^ AutoblogGreen: Volvo C30 plug-in hybrid concept: high-res pictures and specs
- ^ WorldCarFans: Volvo C30 ReCharge Concept at Frankfurt
- ^ 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 link
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