Category: Small Family 
Price Range: £16,245 to £21,360
Stylish hatchback with good ride/handling and a fine new dual-clutch gearbox.
Small glovebox, sliding electric front seats for rear access are slow and have no memory, expensive when optioned up.
Volvo's latest automatic 'box is a good fit in the C30 and can hold its head high among competitor dual-clutch transmissions.
The 2.0-litre diesel has a combined-cycle average of 47.9mpg (although it's unlikely that the C30 does so well in the real world) and average CO2 emissions of just 156g/km.
Servicing shouldn't cost any more than for a Ford Focus, but it probably will because Volvo dealers have plusher showrooms to fund.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Volvo C30
wrote on 23 07 2007