Why Volvo

It looks like a regular Volvo C30 and it features the very same safety, comfort and space as the standard car. The difference is that it is powered solely by electricity, entirely without exhaust emissions, and has a range of up to 90 miles.

Volvo Cars’ ambitious electrification strategy has quickly produced concrete results. In addition to the market introduction of a plug-in hybrid in 2012, work is currently under way on evaluating the viability of an entirely electric-powered car known as a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle).

In 2009, a small number of prototype versions of the C30 BEV have been built and tested internally by Volvo. In addition to focusing on performance and safety, much of the focus is on integration of the electric propulsion system with the rest of the car.

“The Volvo C30 is the first model we will try out with electric power. This car’s excellent properties in city traffic and its relatively low weight make it particularly suitable, since electric cars are primarily expected to be used in and around cities and for daily commuting,” says Lennart Stegland, Director of Volvo Cars Special Vehicles.

copyright Volvo Car Corporation, SE-405 31 Gothenburg

The biggest changes in the new Volvo C30 R-Design, which make its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in mid-September, are actually hidden beneath the skin. Despite the car’s extrovert body kit and design cues. Because it is the chassis and the steering that have been the main focus of attention. All with the aim of creating a sporty driving experience and a sophisticated feeling of comfort to match the very best.

C30 R-Design Package

The R-Design package allows customers the option of choosing between seven exterior body colors and offers a range of specially designed exterior and interior details.

Exterior:

* R-Design badge in the grille
* Grille and door mirror housings in special silk metal finish
* Body kit with front and rear spoilers, lower door trim molding and side-skirts color-matched to the rest of the body
* New 17-inch five-spoke Cratus aluminum wheels (18-inch optional)
* Tailgate spoiler
* Visible chrome-plated sports tailpipes (90 mm)

Interior:

* Upholstery in two color combination: cream-colored leather with sides in dark grey Flex-Tec, or off-black leather with edges in off-black (new)
* Embossed R-Design emblem in the front seats
* R-Design center stack and panel inserts
* Gear lever knob trimmed in leather and aluminum
* Sports pedals in aluminum, with rubber ribs
* Sports steering wheel trimmed in leather, with R-Design emblem
* Blue speedometer and rev counter gauges
* Textile floor mats with contrasting piping

The restyled Volvo C30 is more comprehensive than is usually the case with Volvo’s models. The entire front clip has been redesigned, including the soft nose, front fenders, grille, headlights and lower front spoiler. This gives the car a radical new appearance from the front, carving out a distinctive personality which clearly separates the new C30 from the Volvo S40 and V50.

The other new exterior features:

• Elegant and trendy new body color, Orange Flame Metallic
• Visible exhaust tailpipe in the T5
• The option to choose five different colors on the lower trim – the C30 Contrast Color Collection.
• Available Sport Chassis,  for performance handling.

The new Volvo C30 also offers a range of new interior options. Among other things, there is now an all-new color combination known as Espresso/Blond, consisting of a dark brown upper section and a blond, fresh shade on the lower door sides. The blond tone is somewhere between grey and beige and is an expression of Volvo’s strong Scandinavian design tradition. The Espresso/Blond interior permits the integration of energetic new highlight colors such as orange, green and blue in the fabrics, as well as a new color for leather upholster, Cranberry.

Engine facts in brief:

• The engine is extremely compact and installed transversely in the engine bay for the best possible safety and maximum cabin space
• 227 horsepower tubocharged five cylinder.
• A six-speed manual gearbox is available for the T5
• A five-speed automatic transmission with Geartronic is available optionally

A few facts: the number of possible combinations, new Volvo C30*

• The new Volvo C30 is available with a choice of 13 different exterior body colors and with the lower spoilers in five different colors. All told, there is a choice of 49 exterior combinations (previously 13 combinations)
• If the 11 different aluminum wheels are added, the customer now has 529 possibilities of creating a unique car
• The 27 upholstery choices (previously 15) now make 14,553 combination possibilities
• A choice of 4 decor inlays in the center stack increases the range of combinations to 58,212
• Being able to specify the car with or without a rear spoiler doubles the number of configurations to 116,424
• The customer can specify a roof hatch – or not. The available variants have now increased to 232,848
• The C30 is available with eleven different drivetrains (manual/automatic transmission included), making 2,561,328 possible combinations
• What is more, the Volvo C30 can be equipped with a choice of three different audio systems, a variety of safety and security functions, parking assistance, Bluetooth and so on to suit customer wishes
• All in all, there are so many unique variants that Volvo estimates that if every single person in Britain – about 60 million people – were to order a new Volvo C30, no two cars would have to be alike!

*Not all variants are offered in the U.S.