The world according to ARP, Volvo-style

Volvo is hyping its new C30 small car as a "cool design aimed to suit the tastes of young singles or couples with an intense urban lifestyle".

President and CEO Fredrik Arp said the C30 was part of a broadening of the carmaker's model programme to appeal to new, younger customers.

"These people prioritise excitement in design and driving characteristics, and this car is designed to suit their taste and lifestyle," he said.

Those motorists who don't have or want an "intense" - earnest, serious, forceful - urban lifestyle presumably don't fall into Arp's C30 buyer profile.

There are other categories and other Volvos for them among Volvo's plans to boost annual production to 600,000 vehicles.

The C30 is a two-door coupe/hatchback based on the design study unveiled at the Detroit motor show in January.

At 4250mm long, it is the smallest member of Volvo's model range - 220mm shorter than the Volvo S40.

It has two doors and four "adult-sized" seats.

The rear seats are slightly centred to provide a feeling of space, says Volvo.

The standout styling feature of the C30 is the rear glass tailgate, a design borrowed from the Volvo SCC (Safety Concept Car) of a couple of years ago.

The tailgate dovetails with the car's rounded rear shoulders, which are accentuated by the horseshoe-shaped lighting pattern of the tail-lights.

"The distinctive tail lamps ensure that no one will be uncertain about which car they have in front," says Volvo design director Steve Mattin.

The C30 will be launched at the Paris motor show in September and go into production later this year. Volvo aims to build 65,000 C30 models a year, with 75 per cent of sales going to Italy, Germany, Spain and Britain. It is expected to be available in New Zealand late next year, with a choice of four-cylinder petrol and five-cylinder diesel engines.