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The C30 has "ONLY" 230 hp? That's exactly twice the rating of a stock 240 with a B230F---a car of almost identical weight. Not enough???
In my opinion Volvo has missed the ball completely on this one. The car is too powerful, too thirsty, and too expensive. To me it looks too much like a Civic. (though, of course, Volvo has long copied others' styling---PV36 Carioca=Chrysler airflow, 444=1942 Ford, 122=1955 Chrysler 300, P1800= Frua bodied Maserati, 740=late 70s Buick---only the 140, and its derivative, the 240, were really original designs, and the grill of the first series 140 was identical to that of an early Chevy Van.)
Two other possibilities that would have been preferable: The present car, much as it is, but with a modest four cylinder (a revived red block would be ideal) Keep it simple, functional, and extremely safe, make it a bit quirky--optional hemp upholstery or something to wow the Green crowd--in other words, a better Civic, priced competitively with the genuine article, designed for durability more than cutting edge style. Then keep it the same for ten years or more, making occasional mechanical improvements. The other, more daring version would have been to go all-out retro with a neo-445---a two door PT Cruiser more or less---a functional small FWD SUV for urban hipsters, more usable than a Scion box, with vintage styling, and again, modest performance from a sturdy four cylinder. Until quite recently, Volvo performance has been more a factor of well designed and tuned suspension, and tremendously effective brakes, than sheer horsepower. Balance, instead of brute force, also known as "active safety" For either of these concepts to work, it would be important for the vehicle to be distinctly different from anything else on the market, which has long been a characteristic of Volvos. What they have done is just another small hatchback in a market that is already saturated with such things.
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