Volvo C30 now even sportier

Volvo has announced that all C30s ordered with the sporty R Design trim will now have a drive that lives up to their looks, thanks to the introduction of a new Sports chassis.

Volvo says that, by lowering the suspension by 10mm, stiffening the springs and revising the steering, it has made the C30 a much more agile and rewarding car for enthusiastic drivers.

80 per cent of C30 buyers choose R Design trim, which brings a unique bodykit, 17-inch alloy wheels and a tailgate spoiler.

The interior has a sporty makeover, with sports seats, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, aluminium pedals and blue gauges.

The first C30 R Design models with the new chassis should be delivered to customers early next year. Exact prices and specifications will be confirmed nearer to the on-sale date.

Volvo R-Design Official: Available For C30, S40 & V50

That was quick; a couple of weeks after we first heard about Volvo’s intentions to present a sport package and the Swedish carmaker made it official. The option package will be named “R-DESIGN” (and not R-Line as we initially thought) and it will be available on the C30, S40 and V50 model range as of autumn 2007. The R-DESIGN package offers a range of sports-inspired interior

Exterior design includes an R-DESIGN badge in the front grille, color coordinated body kit, rear or roof spoiler, silver matt finish front grille and wing mirrors, and 17-inch five-spoke alloy wheels (18-inch optionally). Interior design includes a two-tone black and cream upholstery with contrast stitching and embossed R-DESIGN logo, leather trimmed steering wheel with R-DESIGN logo, an aluminum center stack, blue instrument dials, sports pedals and tufted dark floor mats with cream leather seams. -Full press release along with a high-res image gallery after the jump

Spice up your Volvo with R-design - the choice for a refined taste

Volvo Cars is now introducing R-design - an exclusive factory-fitted options package for customers who want a car with refined attributes.R-design will initially be available on the Volvo C30, Volvo S40 and Volvo V50 as of autumn 2007.

"The possibility of tailoring one's car to suit personal tastes is becoming increasingly important to car buyers today. R-design has been developed for buyers who want a refined and sporty look for their cars," says Gerry Keaney, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Sales and Customer Service at Volvo Cars.

Customers can choose between 10 exterior colours, and the R-design badge in the grille is accompanied by a range of specially designed exterior and interior details. Exterior features include a satin matt-finish grille, colour co-ordinated bumpers and lower side mouldings, rear or roof spoiler, satin matt-finish door mirror caps and five-spoke aluminium wheels (17 inches, 18 inches available as option). There is also a decotrim on the tailgate of the C30 and V50.

2008 Volvo C30 & C70: Stronger 230Hp 2.5T & Minor Revisions

Following the revised S40/V50 and the 2008 S80 models Volvo has also announced minor changes for its C30 hatch & C70 Coupe-Convertible for the 2008 year range. Starting off with the common changes, both models receive the updated 2.5Turbo first featured in the 2008 S40/V50 that gains an extra 10Hp delivering now 230Hp.

Separately now, the C30 will be offered with a 1.8 Flexifuel engine (capable of running on bioethanol E85) and a 180Hp D5 Euro V compliant engine with six-speed manual transmission. The C30 also benefits from new hazard lights that are automatically activated if any airbag is deployed and a new EBL (Emergency Brake Light) function flashes all three brake lights five times a second to warn following drivers during an emergency braking manoeuvre. Exterior-wise, three new colours are available and the Volvo iron mark badge has increased in size by 50 per cent on the front grille. Inside, the RTI navigation system is now on hard disk for faster function and a hard load cover is now available as an option. -Continued: Click “Read More…” below

The 2008 C70 features revised controls in the centre console complemented by a multi-function centre tunnel storage area, a more compact handbrake design, and a new armrest that’s longer and further forward for better driver comfort as well as offering a larger storage area. Other changes include more dynamically styled instrument panels for the T5 and D5 models and a new hard drive-based RTI road traffic information and satellite navigation system. As you’d expect, Volvo also offers four new exterior colours and a new matt real wood interior inlay, called Nordic Light Oak.

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