Volvo C30 D2
I have said it in recent times, and this Latest Volvo re- enforces the idea that Volvo is no longer a pure Old Man's car manufacturer. I am not sure when exactly the corner was turned but the way things were is no more. The C30 in particular is a sexy design. A study in minimalism which manages to avoid being boring.
Since the advent of the Co2 taxation manufacturers have rushed to the alters of hybrid and the small diesel. Talking too much about the hybrid pathway sometimes makes me gag a little and I am left with this odd but curiously repulsive taste in my mouth. Furthermore the damn things always produce lousy fuel consumption figures when being driven like any normal petrol-head would. The small diesel is the current champ then, with the VW Polo 1.2 being the most anorexic of them all. The trouble with all that fastidious dieting in the interests of a good Co2 waistline is that the cars can become annoying to drive. Too much tweaking in the direction of economy does leave you with consumption below 4l per 100 km (err… well done VW), but also a car that is no longer fun to drive. The car suffers geological timescale turbolag.
Volvo has entered the fray with their little D2. Built on the highly competent C30 chassis, all that is left to be considered is the drivetran.
A small 1600 diesel pumping out a miserly 84kw hardly sounds promising does it? That is only half of the story fortunately. I had the opportunity to drive the car from Jozi to Slaapstad the other day. This drivetrain is once again about torque, and one unusual characteristic. More on that in a moment. 270Nm of torque is a lot in a smallish hatchback. The torque and power are available seemingly from idle and this makes her a pleasure to drive. No hothatch, but a surprisingly good intercity freeway cruiser. With a comfortable-without-being-wallowy suspension, and that drivetrain. Like many diesels revving the nuts off of it will do nothing to hussle you faster. Changing up brings you a surge of felt power. That flip from 5th to 6th bringing a feeling akin to a giant wound elastic band being released. The feeling is as odd as it is addictive. Cruising at speeds of around 160 is effortless.
The real, unexpected joy of this trip was the economy. Without dawdling or driving for economy and including a little pre-trip inner-city traffic jamming, the Volvo managed to make Cape Town on one fill up. Returning real world hustling at 6l per 100, the long trip was done effortlessly and comfortably. At R252,600 it is hardly cheap, but certainly a better deal than any hybrid.
