The Volvo C30, the newest entry-level of the automaker, has one great mission to do - and that is to attract the young generation drivers and make a purchase.
Volvo runs the extra mile to promote its compact hatchback. As a fact, it is going outside its comfort zones by invoking a new maxim: "The Volvo you have when you don't want a Volvo." The hatchback is especially engineered to respond to the modern needs of customers without compromising affordability. The four-seat hatchback will be the cheapest Volvo in the showroom when it goes on sale this April. The car, which is slotted under the Volvo S40 sedan, is priced at $34,450.
"The Volvo C30's target audience does not currently shop Volvo," said Alan Desselss, the managing director for Volvo Cars Australia. "The C30 heralds a whole new era for us. It will bring people into the brand that would not previously have considered a Volvo."
When asked about the convincing power of the C30, Desselss has this to say: "We're not out to convince them of anything. Our target audience is smart. They are well informed and they do their research. So we are going to engage them. We're going to ask them for their opinion on the car. Do they love it, or hate it? Do they want it, or not?" Desselss further noted, "The C30 is a departure from the traditional Volvo mindset. It's not a family car. It will appeal to a younger buyer, an active single or couple. And, at the moment, just one-in-eight Volvo buyers are in the 'pre-family' phase of their life."
The automaker noted that majority of its consumers are aged between 36 and 54. Desselss believes the Volvo C30 will resonate well with the under-35s group. The Volvo C30's goal is to bring customers into the 'family' earlier than any vehicle in its current lineup can. Desselss added, "We anticipate that three of every four C30 buyers will have not owned a Volvo before."
The Volvo C30 hatchback shares much of its auto parts with its sibling - the bigger S40 sedan. The , suspension, engines and some body panels are the same. Volvo Cars, the Swedish brand of the Ford Motor Co., allowed the C30 to use some components of the Focus including its turbocharged engine. "The diesel engine it uses is a very advanced unit, and costs significantly more than a petrol engine to produce," said Desselss. "We think buyers will be attracted to the diesel for environmental reasons."
Todd Hallenbeck, the Volvo spokesman, said, "We expect they will know these things and we're not going to try and hide it. We think they will see the value, refinement, resale and other advantages that the C30 has. "We'd love to steal sales from the Focus XR5. It's a competitor just like the Audi A3, BMW 1-Series and Volkswagen Golf."
