Used 2012 Volvo C30 Coupe Review & Ratings

The C30 is a compact three door, four seater family hatchback from Volvo that first made its debut at the 2006 Motor Show in Paris, arriving first of all in Canada in the spring of 2007 and in the autumn of the same year to the United States.

Ostensibly the Volvo C30 draws its roots from the period when Volvo was a member of the Ford stable, and was developed as the coupe version of the S40 saloon although it also draws a little of its style and characteristics from the V50 Station Wagon and the larger C70 coupe, with the C30 sharing the same platform as all of them. The launch of the C30 hatchback was to allow Volvo to establish a toe hold in the high volume compact hatchback market.

For 2012, the Volvo C30 Coupe was given a front facelift, to keep it in line with the rest of the family, given a now almost trademark wedge shaped snout off set by newly designed larger than life headlights with complementary fog lights nestling on top of a new grille gives the car an impressive front vista. The Volvo C30 coupe comes with distinctively shaped flaring wings with the rear end denoting the new look Volvo all the way with a distinctive shaped oversized and exotically angled rear window and Volvo's now hallmark upright tail lights.

The 2012 Volvo C30 Coupe takes its power from a 2.5 liter inline five cylinder turbo-charged engine producing 227 horsepower and 236 pounds per feet of torque paired with a six speed manual transmission that comes as standard. Those who are only interested in driving an automatic, can take up the option of fitting Volvo's five speed automatic transmissions that comes with a manual shifting function. With its four wheel independent suspension the C30 Coupe provides a very smooth ride and will hold the road well in even the toughest of driving conditions.

Those who are looking for their C30 to be that bit sportier can opt for the T5 R design package designed to push up performance levels, taking in a sport tuned suspension and fast reaction steering. The Volvo C30 T5 R will also stand out as a sports model thanks to its color coordinated exterior and distinctive front grille design and eighteen inch alloy wheels.

To their credit, Volvo haven't made an attempt to convince anyone, that it would be any way possible to fit three passengers into the back row, instead preferring to sit two in comfort in Volvo's distinctively designed bucket seats, providing a center armrest to add a touch of luxury. Despite all these trappings the taller members of the family might find the back little cramped after a while. The driver and front seat passenger definitely get the best end of the deal from the C30 with loads of head and leg room.

The C30 wears the title "hatchback" a little uneasily, as the storage space it provides is very low by today's standards. For example, when the back seats are upright, only 15.3 cubic feet of storage is available and when they are down the maximum storage capacity that the C30 coupe can provide is around 33.5 cubes.