Video: 2008 Volvo C30

A couple years ago, we probably wouldn't have been talking about a stylish Volvo like we are today, but they've had some redesigns in the past couple of years that have changed that. And now the C30 is based on the S40 sedan, and it has the same kind of assertive front end look. But as you go around to the back, it has a completely different appearance. As you can see, the C30 has this sloping roof line, but what's really interesting is this glass hatch. (latch clicks) It's a all glass piece and it flips up. It almost looks like it's a piece of sculpture. It's so interesting. The flip side of this glass hatch is that the opening to the cargo area is pretty small compared to other hatchbacks. And if you have a bag, you want to lift up or any kind of luggage, you have to lift it up pretty high to get it over the bumper. You have about 13 cubic feet of cargo space in the back. But what's interesting is that a lot of that space is taken up by the temporary spare tire under this cargo floor. And we've seen some competitors go to run flat tires to avoid this. Volvo has also brought its focus on design to the cabin of the C30. And you can mainly see it in the center stack. It has a really flowing design, ergonomic and simple appearance to it, but it's also pretty functional. And it integrates all the controls that the driver or passenger normally need. And this stack kind of sets apart from a dash too. So there's this cubby you can store odds and ends behind it. Volvo has also given the C30 a fair amount of sportiness and it comes standard with a 227 horsepower turbocharged inline five cylinder engine. Now you may think, "Five cylinders, "how can that be a smooth engine?" But it actually runs really smoothly. (engine revs) It definitely has enough power for this car and it can move around and traffic pretty nicely. The C30 can have a six speed manual transmission, and it works really well with the turbocharged five cylinder. It's smooth shifting, and the clutch is really light too. So if you have to commute a lot, it won't wear out your left leg. If you're considering a premium hatchback, like the Volkswagen GTI or Mini Cooper S, you should definitely add the new Volvo C30 to your test drive list. It's worth a drive. <v Announcer>For additional information on this car or any other, go to cars.com and our blog Kicking Tires.