Looks like it will be a really good value car. Shame about the rear but I'm
sure it will grow on people.

I can see it being successful in the more expensive small car sector just as
the 1 series BMW is.

---
Sam

It is just an S40 hatchback.  Same chassis.  They will market it as a
modern 1800ES and probably sell it at a premium as they do the C70.  If
they do a good job, it could be a real fun car to drive.  I loved my
1800E.

Here is what is being printed about it:

The C30 draws its lineage from both the Volvo Safety Car concept vehicle
and the two-seat 1800ES of the early 1970s. Volvo is counting on the C30
to attract new, younger customers to the brand.  The curvy C30 moves
Volvo even further away from its ³boxy but good² image. The C30 shares a
platform with the Mazda3 and the European Ford Focus, and hopefully will
have similar driving characteristics.

There is an image at:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/resources/Categories/CarsTrucks/Report
s/Images/0604new007.jpg

Another new Volvo is the 2007 S80.  The 2007 S80 replaces the
eight-year-old flagship S80 sedan. It features a new 3.2-liter
six-cylinder engine or the smooth and refined V8 linked to an
all-wheel-drive system, a setup taken from the XC90 SUV. Volvo says the
S80 will challenge the best cars in the segment by virtue of its
³Scandinavian Luxury,² which it says is a combination of aesthetics and
technology that creates an intelligent functionality.  Actually new S80
lost part of its ³intelligent functionality² in the design studio. The
small window behind the rear door, which has been a Volvo trademark for
four decades, makes way for a curvy rear roof post. This compromises
ease of rear access in favor of "me-too" styling.

There is an image at:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/resources/Categories/CarsTrucks/Report
s/Images/0604new004.jpg