Volvo C30 - C30 Volvo a slow car?

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Mon 4 Mar 2019 22:03
Volvo C30 - C30 Volvo a slow car? - Free-man

Hi gents and ladies

I took a C30 1.6 petrol out for a spin the other day and was pretty disappointed. It's supposed to be a 'R Design' but although it looks great, there was a real lack of power. Think it might be just 99bhp. Put foot to the floor in 2nd and 3rd and nothing... no change in engine noise... would not be confident overtaking etc.

Is this normal in a C30? I would've thought it would be quicker esp as petrol.

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Mon 4 Mar 2019 22:22
Volvo C30 - C30 Volvo a slow car? - Metropolis.
R-Design is just a styling package i think, you basically get the show without the go. Bit like when you see a 520d with the M Sport package, or Audi S-Line etc...
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Mon 4 Mar 2019 22:56
Volvo C30 - C30 Volvo a slow car? - Avant

Agreed - R-Design has stiffer suspension and tighter handling, but no more performance.

Despite looking vaguely sporty, the C30 is still a heavy, stodgy Volvo and the 1.6 engine wouldn't pull the filling off a Swedish open sandwich.

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Mon 4 Mar 2019 23:06
Volvo C30 - C30 Volvo a slow car? - Engineer Andy

Agreed - R-Design has stiffer suspension and tighter handling, but no more performance.

Despite looking vaguely sporty, the C30 is still a heavy, stodgy Volvo and the 1.6 engine wouldn't pull the filling off a Swedish open sandwich.

Is that the same engine as in the Focus?

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Mon 4 Mar 2019 23:38
Volvo C30 - C30 Volvo a slow car? - focussed

Turbo diesels are quicker - he he!

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Tue 5 Mar 2019 08:12
Volvo C30 - C30 Volvo a slow car? - Free-man

Is there anything you can do for cars like that? New exhaust? Clean filters? Install jet engine on roof?!

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Tue 5 Mar 2019 08:24
Volvo C30 - C30 Volvo a slow car? - andrew bairsto

Will it do 70mph and achieve that in a reasonable time.

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Tue 5 Mar 2019 08:34
Volvo C30 - C30 Volvo a slow car? - elekie&a/c doctor
Buy yourself a Focus . Same car , different badge.
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Tue 5 Mar 2019 10:05
Volvo C30 - C30 Volvo a slow car? - gordonbennet

Is there anything you can do for cars like that? New exhaust? Clean filters? Install jet engine on roof?!

Presumably a 1.6 NA engine?

Yes you can improve such vehicles but it will cost a lot of money to make little gains, and those gains will only really be of use at higher revs with the vehicle driven hard and such driving will shorten the life of the engine, such changes can make vehicles unpleasant to drive because it highlights the lack of power below a certain rev band.

VTEC engines spring to mind here, yes they produce more and aggressive power when the revs are high enough to bring the second camshaft profile into play, but not everyone wants to have to keep the revs up above 4k or whatever it is in order to make some decent power, i personally dislike this type of driving and would not want such a vehicle for myself, i want full torque available from just above tickover and not in the least interested in going above 3k rpm.

It's relatively easy to improve the power output of a turbocharged engine, albeit at some cost to emissions as it almost always involves putting more fuel through, remapping can make turboDiesels in particular more pleasurable to drive in that the annoying flat spot before turbo spool up revs can be virtually eliminated.

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Tue 5 Mar 2019 09:55
Volvo C30 - C30 Volvo a slow car? - SLO76
“Is that the same engine as in the Focus?”

Yup, tis. The 1.8 and 2.0 petrols are the same Mazda L series motor as the Mk II Focus 1.8 too. The 1.6 diesel is also the same notorious PSA motor too, one I’d avoid.

The 1.6 petrol is no ball of fire but it’s the base engine and was never intended to be. If the OP wants something faster then look for a 2.0 diesel, a D5 or a T5 or look elsewhere. The 2.0 diesel is also a PSA motor but it’s generally reliable aside from the usual DPF issues.

Edited by SLO76 on 05/03/2019 at 09:56

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Tue 5 Mar 2019 09:48
Volvo C30 - C30 Volvo a slow car? - craig-pd130

The T5 and D5 variants are very brisk indeed, but the 1.6 petrol and diesel versions are asthmatic at best.

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Tue 5 Mar 2019 10:26
Volvo C30 - C30 Volvo a slow car? - skidpan

Not driven a C30 with the 1.6 petrol but did try the 1.6 (think it was 110PS) in a Focus and it was pretty dreadful. On the other had I also tried the 1.8 petrol in the Focus and it was very good.

Worth paying extra for the bigger engine IMHO. The 2.0 would be even better with little penalty in mpg.

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Tue 5 Mar 2019 15:46
Volvo C30 - C30 Volvo a slow car? - badbusdriver

The C30 1.6 has the performance you'd expect from a car like that with 100bhp. The only problem here is that the OP, like most TBH, hasn't bothered doing any research. It is available with power outputs of 100, 125, 145, 170 and 220bhp (that is just the petrol engines). The 1.6 is indeed heavier that the 1.6 Focus, but only by 30kg or so.

I really like the looks of them, though they are very 'colour and trim sensitive'. Not that practical, being strictly 4 seaters and with a smallish boot, but a great looking car (IMO).

According to the info on this very site, the 'R Design' was introduced in March 2008 and became the 'entry level trim', absolutely nothing to do with power output.

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Tue 5 Mar 2019 17:13
Volvo C30 - C30 Volvo a slow car? - pd

The C30 is no "heavier and stodgier" than any similar car.

There is a simple solution - buy one with a more powerful engine. The 2.0d is probably the best bet all round - quite economical and decent torque.

R Design is just a styling package and can be combined with any engine and any normal trim level (SE, SE Lux etc.).

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Tue 5 Mar 2019 17:39
Volvo C30 - C30 Volvo a slow car? - craig-pd130

On the other had I also tried the 1.8 petrol in the Focus and it was very good.

Worth paying extra for the bigger engine IMHO. The 2.0 would be even better with little penalty in mpg.

Back in the mid-90s we had two Mark 1 Mondeos in succession - the first was a 1.8LX and the second a 2.0LX. In that bodyshell, there was almost nothing between them in terms of performance, the 2.0 had more on paper but the 1.8 Zetec was strong on the road too. The gear ratios were identical as far as I could tell. I suppose the difference is only 200cc and about 15bhp at peak.

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Tue 5 Mar 2019 18:47
Volvo C30 - C30 Volvo a slow car? - Free-man

Lots of great points.

Well I've driven 1.6 focuses, Hondas, both petrol, diesel, and turbo diesel, none of them was ever so sluggish. I'm actually thinking now there is something wrong with the car.

I wonder what the most common faults are in them.

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