Volvo C30 SE 2.0D - price as tested £20145

I had the opportunity to take one of these for an extended test drive today.

It is the smallest Volvo in the current range, coming in 4 trim options and 8 engines to choose from.

It is a 3-door, strictly 2+2 body - a hatchback in the Reliant Scimitar style (or even the Volvo P1800 if anyone can remember Roger Moore as the Saint on TV.)

The poor headroom in the back limits the rear seats to folk under 5'8" tall, but legroom is OK, with ample space in the front.

Based on a shortened Ford Focus floorpan, the Ford/Volvo 2.0-litre TDCI engine was quiet and smooth, and with an even power band all the way to 5000 RPM it simply got on with the job without fuss. Rather unremarkable really, but only because I'm used to modern diesels. It would be a revelation to a petrolhead.

On the road the chassis felt solid and in control at all times, with the suspension soaking up sleeping policemen and level crossings easily. Lesser undulations never made it through to the cabin. The Pirelli tyres generated some noise which penetrated the cabin, but that's more a testament to how quiet everything else was than a complaint about the tyres.

The brakes felt alarmingly soft at first, but that will be because the 312s on my Fabia are a tad harsh. The Volvo's brakes were all there when you needed them.

The test car didn't have the sports suspension, and there was more body roll than on my Fabia (with its Jabba ARB). This was made worse by the seats - you felt you were sat ON them, not IN them, and you rolled around on the upholstery in a disconcertingly unpredictable way. The range of seat adjustments is an osteopath's delight, however.

The bodywork and trim were solid and silent throughout the test drive.

The radio was average, but could probably be improved by twiddling - I didn't have time.

The climate control was very effective, although it surprises you when it kicks in at full blast as you start up.

The luggage space is barely big enough for the weekly Tesco run, so the rear seats would have to be down to carry any serious luggage.

By default there is no spare tyre - you get a can of tyre weld and a compressor stowed under the boot floor.

Best bits: The instrumentation tells you more than most similar cars e.g.that cruise is on.

It's very solidly built. The engine makes no fuss about putting on the power, so you make progress without realising it. The gearchange has a short, positive action.

Worst bits: Compared to a Fabia vRS - a lack of feedback to the driver: you feel less involved in the process of driving. There is also surprisingly little room once the side protection thingies etc have had their share.

I detest daylight driving lights, but didn't have the time to check out the fusebox.

By the time you have specced the Volvo C30 to 21st century levels (Xenons, SatNav etc) you are looking at £24K, which is twice what a basic Fabia vRS costs. OK so at similar equipment levels the Fabia comes out close to £18K and the Volvo is still at £24K, but .......

Nice review.

I imagine the T5 version with the 5 cylinder engine would be pretty awesome though.

Sadly I think it will be a lemon like the 480.Which is a shame because I rather liked the 480 but sadly for Volvo,I don't think anyone else did.In fact it seems like the modern version of that car

Think this will become a 'forgotten' car,nice idea but Volvo can't pull it off (cars in this sector)

Volvo produce tough cars that the old ones can even be restored. It

Nice review.

I imagine the T5 version with the 5 cylinder engine would be pretty awesome though.

The D5 would be nice if they let you have a manual box with it :(