It seems that that heat wave spreading around in Europe has been caught by the sensible Swedes.  Unveiling their much anticipated C30 hatchback ahead of its Paris Motor Show debut in September, Volvo has finally gone sexy with their new entry-level 3-door, 4-seater that’s aiming for a much younger buyer.

Debuting first in Detroit as a “Design Concept”, the C30 retains much of its concept car looks such as the dynamic headlamps, low and wide grille, the distinctive wheel housing and the sloping roof line.  Volvo wanted to give the C30 a fast appearance, and used their speed boats for inspiration; the boat-shaped green house is a testament to that.  The car’s shoulders are equally masculine and well-rounded, and the rear has a distinctively-shaped horseshoe lighting cluster.

Despite its rather sporty and rakish appearance, Volvo engineers promised to keep the interior as sensible as possible.  The C30 is a genuine four-seater with great head, shoulder and knee room for all.  All occupants get their own individual headrests, while the rear seating has been centered to provide an additional feeling of space.  As with all other new Volvos, the C30 will also have a “floating” center stack.  Designers have upped their ante though by making Volvo’s interior trademark visible through the glass tailgate.  Since the C30 is targeted for a young buyer, Volvo has opted to give their hatchback a wide array of personalization.  Even on the base model, the C30 offers 3 different fabric upholstery colors to choose from.  As one goes up the range, the choices grow.

 

Think of it as an Audi A3 and you're not off the mark too much. The stylish and sexy C30 is actually based on the S40/V50, which in turn is based on the Ford Focus platform.