Volvo C30 DRIVe | Road Test Review

“At the launch of Volvo’s DRIVe
range of low-CO2 cars, the invited
speaker was Johnny Ball — you
know, the maths-mad ’70s children’s
TV presenter and father of Zoë.
Johnny’s first words stunned us into
silence as he told us that CO2 is,
in fact, good...”

STRICTLY SPEAKING, HE'S RIGHT, OF COURSE. Plants need CO2 as much as animals need oxygen. Whether they really need it from car exhaust pipes is another matter — and although there does seem to be plenty enough CO2 to go around all the plants we still have left, I'm pretty sure Planet Earth could do with less of it.

So let's analyse Volvo's hymn sheet instead. In Swedish-speak, DRIVe means driving more economically — in Volvo's case by making mods to its existing range of models. There are DRIVe variants in seven Volvo model ranges but I'm going to concentrate on the small car variants — C30, S40 and V50 — which feature three major changes to cut emissions.

Firstly aerodynamics: a lower ride height, airflow deflectors and flush-style alloy wheels all reduce drag. Secondly, rolling resistance: new tyres flow over the tarmac more easily. Thirdly, engine/gearbox tuning: new software makes the car consume less fuel.

The big question is, does saving the planet mean sacrificing enjoyment? All too often, 'eco' vehicles accelerate like tortoises and corner like tippy-toed ballerinas. Not so the C30, which in my view ranks as the most convincing of the current range of eco-derivatives.

Its 107bhp 1.6-litre diesel engine (the same one used by Peugeot and MINI) provides very sprightly performance. Zero to 62mph in 11.3 secs is good in anyone's book, and the generous torque available makes overtaking very easy. You don't even miss a sixth gear because the five-speed 'box has such long gearing. It's also surprisingly refined.

The new electro-hydraulic steering in the DRIVe seems to work fine in the C30 that I drove, and the lower suspension makes it corner, if anything, better than the standard C30. It's a sprightly machine, this.

You can, in fact, choose between two DRIVe variants: standard and Start/Stop. As the name suggests, Start/Stop cuts the engine when the car comes to a stop in traffic. It works fast and very smoothly, with no effect on your progress. There is a sizeable gain in fuel economy (72.4mpg versus 62.8mpg), but there's also a price premium of £250. I reckon that you'll have to drive 25,000 miles to recoup that £250 at the pumps but at least you won't be polluting as much when you're stuck in a traffic jam outside a school.

“The C30 ranks as the
most convincing
of the current range
of eco-derivatives...”

CO2 emissions of 104g/km are pretty impressive too, but it's not just about carbon dioxide. Low fuel consumption has other benefits — like £35 per year road tax. And 13 per cent Benefit in Kind tax if you're a company car driver. And being able to do 820 miles on a single tankful of fuel!

I also tried out the new XC60 DRIVe. Surprisingly, the quest for extra fuel economy has resulted in a more powerful 2.4D five-cylinder diesel engine (up 2bhp to 175bhp) but it's more efficient and has higher gearing. The result is an average of 47.1mpg and a remarkably low CO2 figure of 159g/km.

It also has front-wheel drive only, which means less weight than the 4x4 system the XC60 normally uses. The chassis has a sportier set-up as well, so it drives better on road. The steering is still a bit disconnected but in other ways, the XC60 is an excellent drive: torquey engine, comfortable ride and a keen ability to hustle through corners.

The forthcoming DRIVe versions of the V70 and S80 do even better on the CO2 front: they will both emit just 129g/km of CO2 and return 57.6mpg. Whether the meagre 107bhp 1.6-litre diesel engine is man enough to power something as bulky as the S80, though, we'll have to wait and see.

DRIVe models are set to take a big slice of Volvo's market: 35 per cent of all Volvo sales in the UK will be DRIVe; and 65 per cent of small car sales. But Volvo has also announced that it will be launching a battery plug-in hybrid vehicle in 2012.

Which brings me back to Johnny Ball. In his speech, the excitable science broadcaster was pretty dismissive of hybrids ("two power sources — rubbish!"), so perhaps Volvo should pursue another suggestion that Mr Ball threw into the mix to the gathered journalists: a car that never needs to refuel itself. How? Simply by doing what submarines do — using a nuclear powerplant. Hmmm… — Chris Rees

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