Layout 3 - San Diego Metropolitan

A U T Osome action from the boiler room. And comingoff the line — even coming off the lineWOT — there’s no herky-jerky torque steercaused by sudden power spikes. The car just...goes.This is both a pro and con, though, dependingon your outlook. The Speed3 is a firecracker,even if it’s not the speediest thing going, becauseit feels speedy. The blitzkreig surge ofhigh-pressure boost hits you in the face, orrather, in the small of the back, as the car literallylunges forward, tires squealing and jerking,left-right, as they try to cope with thesudden onrush of turbo-boosted hp.The C30 is much calmer in its application ofacceleration. It does not feel or even sound likea turbo engine. It feels and sounds like a naturallyaspirated, larger-displacement engine.You’d swear there’s a V-6 around three litersunder the hood, not a tiny five of just 2.5 liters,huffing force-fed atmosphere and fuel. Thiswas, in fact, Volvo’s specific objective — theseamless feel of a powerful V-6, when thepower of a big V-6 is wanted — with the fueleconomy of a four when the power of a big V-6 is not neededThe handling is a little soft for a “tuner” car —much softer than the Speed3 and Golf R,which have near zero give but as a result simplydo not lean when you put them through acorner at Ludicrous Speed. But, again, this is amatter of one’s perspective. The C30’s ride islux-plush. Even the tested R-Design modelwith the Polestar stuff. It has firmer (by about30 percent) suspensions settings than the regularT5 and also rides on more aggressive 18inch (vs. 17 inch in the T5) wheels.At The CurbFour years out of the gate and the C30 stilllooks very current on the outside. Thoughtechnically a hatchback, the C30 is more kinto what they call in Europe a shooting brake— meaning, a fastback-ish sportwagon. In thetypical hatch, there’s not much happening behindthe doors. The rear quarters are usuallystubby, with most of the car forward of the Bpillars. In the C, there’s still plenty of car leftafter the doors — this portion of the car forminga tunnel-shape that’s best seen from above.It tapers back for a good bit, ending at thenotched-down rear gate/glass. Stylistically, itis a very interesting look that’s all the more interestingbecause of the subtlety of the look.And you will probably like the excellent allaroundvisibility. This is another unusual in aperformance-minded car. Just last week I hada Mini Cooper Coupe and the thing was borderlinedangerous due to the Stevie Wonderblindspots to either side created by the tagteam of a chopped roof and keyhole-sized rearquarter glass. You took your life in your handsevery time you pulled into a busy intersection.Inside, it’s Volvo typical: Tasteful and restrained.Nothing flashy. Just classy. Detailtouches include a floating center stack that’sno thicker than an iPhone — and behindwhich there’s a handy (and out of sight) storagecubby.The RestOthers have noted — and I will, too — thatthe Volvo’s technology suit, in particular its optionalGPS system, is out of date. Also clunkyto use. It rises from the dash via remote controland involves too many fussy inputs to operatewithout first reading the manual andlater, having memorized all that, too much ofyour attention while the vehicle is moving. Irecommend skipping it, and if you want GPS,buy an aftermarket Garmin or similar unit instead.These cost only $500 or so — much lessthan the typical factory GPS — and unlikefactory GPS can be used in multiple cars, carriedwith you when you’re not in your car andcan be kept with you if you sell your car.The Bottom LineA six-speed, turbocharged Volvo that will smokea GTI, match moves with a Speed3 — and costs$4k less than Golf R? That’s not a bad sales pitch,is it?Eric Peters is the author of Automotive Atrocities”and “Road Hogs” and a former editorialwriter/columnist for The WashingtonTimes, a contributor to Cars.Com, The Car-Connection. com and SD METRO.2012 Volvo C30specifications:Base price: $28,745 (T5 R Design w/Polestar)Engine: 2.5 liter in-line five,turbocharged; 250 hp and 236 lbs-ft. of torqueTransmission: six-speed manual (standard)Length: 164.7 inchesWidth: 70.2 inchessWheelbase: 103.9 inchesCurb weight: 3,211 lbs.Luggage capacity: 12.9 cubic feetEPA fuel economy: 21 city/29 highwayWhere assembled: Ghent, Belgium2 7 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y 1 9 8 5 - 2 0 1 2 | J U LY 2 0 1 2 | S A N D I E G O M E T R O . C O M3 1