Whats Outside the Volvo Box?

What is outside the box is a far cry from the conservative design and boxy styling Volvo, at one point, was linked to. Nowadays, the Volvo pools of artsy designers and engineers are absorbed in coming up with sporty, chic, and youthful product lines to pull more aficionados to the Volvo marque and to rival German automakers that have cultivated a prominent niche in the styling realm.

Inevitably, Volvo has to produce stylish cars to attract even the next generation of drivers. The Volvo V70, for one, has continued to prosper on the back of traditional Volvo virtues. But the automaker has taken the necessary steps to ensure that the new estate is not a dynamic dullard.

The third generation V70, which was unveiled on 2 February, was developed to be a slightly more up-market car than its ancestor. The wagon uses a unique design sharing little externally with other Volvos. It will be featuring a proud Volvo grille, a 3.2 liter straight-six, a 3.0 liter turbo straight-six, a light-pressure turbo 2.5 liter straight-five, and two 2.4 liters straight-five diesel engines. Over 80 percent of Volvo V70s are sold in Europe, one third of this goes to Sweden. The V70 has been the hot selling car in Sweden for many years.

Volvo's new C30 is said to have wiped out the conservative roots by delivering versatile and impressive looks and performance that demand undivided attention. The C30, a compact near-luxury car, is a three-door, four-seat hatchback version of the S40, V50, and the C70. The Volvo C30 is powered by I4 and I5 engines and shares the same Ford C1 platform with its siblings. The engines consist of a 2.4L inline-five with 168-hp and 170 lb-ft of torque, and a turbocharged 2.5L inline-five with 218-hp and 236 lb-ft of torque provide considerable torque. Additionally, the 2.5L block is notable for its minimal turbo lag. The base 2.4L engine is mated to a five-speed manual, while the turbocharged 2.5L is given a close-ratio six-speed gearbox. A five-speed automatic with manual shifting is also available.

Volvo's hatchback, which was introduced at the 2006 Paris Motor Show, was launched in the United States market as a 2008 model in October. The hatchback is especially designed to lure the youth market and compete with the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series, Volkswagen Golf, and the Mini Cooper. Volvo is expected to produce 65,000 units of the C30 annually. Seventy five percent of which will be for the European market.

The three-door C30, the smallest Volvo yet, flaunts its daring exterior contrary to the conservative Volvos. The C30 design team, lead by Simon Lamarre, began with the C1 chassis that serves the S40 sedan and the V50. The chassis provides the hatchback with a solid platform. The resulting car is an icon with a captivating mix of all essential auto elements - funky styling and superb driving dynamics without compromising the Volvo feel.

Standard equipment included in the 2.4i covers ABS, traction control, a four-speaker CD stereo, a cruise control, a remote keyless entry, air conditioning, power windows, a tilt/telescope steering column, front/side/side-curtain airbags, and a rear fog light. The T5 adds front fog lamps, an eight-speaker stereo with MP3/WMA, and a trip computer.

Stand alone options include a sunroof, leather seats, and a DVD navigation system. The Swedish automaker offers the Premium, Sport, and the Dynaudio packages, which feature items like the automatic climate control, a power driver seat with memory, heated front seats, Xenon headlamps, a sport chassis, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and a ten-speaker sound system.