Volvo welcomes back its smallest car this year, the stylish and sporty 2009 Volvo C30. This is the newest car in Volvo’s line-up and represents their vision for a budget sport hatchback. Classically designed with Volvo aesthetics in mind, it’s still an imposing presence on the road, even for such a small car. Volvo has great hopes for the C30, predicting that the majority of its purchasers will be first time car owners.

Let’s get the givens out the way to begin with: The C30 is decently built, has a well configured interior and looks great. The basic models also lack all but the most common entertainment and luxury features. Volvo won’t mind me pointing out; the C30 is all about the drive.

So how does it drive? Pretty good, as it turns out. From the broad choice of engines available, one of the best (in terms of price and performance) is the 2.0D, which produces around 134hp with 236lb of torque. It takes around 9 seconds to hit 60. Decent performance, then, and the handling is equally tight. The wide berth of the wheels combined with the low set body provides a very clingy ride, it’s difficult to fault the handling.

Overall, the 2009 Volvo C30 is a great entry into the market, and shows some promise to fulfil Volvo’s desires for the brand. Though initial price is lower than competing products, adding extras can quickly increase the price. We advise buyers to price their configuration of C30 and then check the competition, they may find the C30 is less competitive than it initially seems.