Volvo C30

Looks like it will be a really good value car. Shame about the rear but I'm sure it will grow on people.

I can see it being successful in the more expensive small car sector just as the 1 series BMW is.

It is just an S40 hatchback. Same chassis. They will market it as a modern 1800ES and probably sell it at a premium as they do the C70. If they do a good job, it could be a real fun car to drive. I loved my

1800E.

Here is what is being printed about it:

The C30 draws its lineage from both the Volvo Safety Car concept vehicle and the two-seat 1800ES of the early 1970s. Volvo is counting on the C30 to attract new, younger customers to the brand. The curvy C30 moves Volvo even further away from its ³boxy but good² image. The C30 shares a platform with the Mazda3 and the European Ford Focus, and hopefully will have similar driving characteristics.

There is an image at:

new Volvo is the 2007 S80. The 2007 S80 replaces the eight-year-old flagship S80 sedan. It features a new 3.2-liter six-cylinder engine or the smooth and refined V8 linked to an all-wheel-drive system, a setup taken from the XC90 SUV. Volvo says the S80 will challenge the best cars in the segment by virtue of its ³Scandinavian Luxury,² which it says is a combination of aesthetics and technology that creates an intelligent functionality. Actually new S80 lost part of its ³intelligent functionality² in the design studio. The small window behind the rear door, which has been a Volvo trademark for four decades, makes way for a curvy rear roof post. This compromises ease of rear access in favor of "me-too" styling. There is an image at:

I like the rear. Identifies the car as a "Volvo". I know that the tail design evokes strong responses from folks, I'm on the positive side of the fence.