Volvo Ends Production of C30 Hatchback, Replacement Plans Unclear

Another Volvo bites the dust, with the funky C30 hatchback joining its platform-mates the S40 sedan and V50 wagon—which were discontinued here in the U.S. last year—in that, uh, place in the sky for dead Swedish cars. The move to kill off the C30 is both logical and predictable, and is part of Volvo's push to pare down its lineup to a few core, profitable models. Just as the S40 and V50 sold in low numbers toward the end of their lives, so does the C30 now; plus, it makes little sense for Volvo to keep producing just a single model on an aging platform once shared by three cars. Considering Volvo now peddles the similarly sized, brand-spanking-new V40 five-door hatch in Europe, it's a bit of a surprise that the C30 is only now being canceled. Instrumented Test: 2012 Volvo XC60 R-Design Comparison Test: 2012 Volvo S60 R-Design vs. 2012 Buick Regal GS Photos and Info: Volvo S60 Polestar Concept Production of new C30s may have ceased, but Volvo says it has enough of the three-door hatches in supply to support sales through the better part of the 2013 model year here in the U.S. It looks as though the attractive C30 Polestar Limited Edition the company recently debuted—directly or indirectly—turned out to be a sort of send-off for the C30 as a whole. The murkier aspect of the C30′s future is whether Volvo plans to replace it with anything, either here or abroad. A Volvo representative wouldn't comment on a potential C30 replacement, but it's not hard to imagine the company whipping up a three-door version of the new V40 for Europe. After all, the premium compact arena in which the V40 competes also includes the Audi A3, the latest iteration of which debuted in three-door form. (A five-door Sportback model is on its way.) Given that Volvo has yet to decide whether to send even the V40 our way, don't hold your breath for a hypothetical three-door reaching our shores, either. The more likely bet for our market is the upcoming XC30 compact crossover, which would nicely complement Volvo's larger XC60 and potentially cash in on the ever-warming luxury crossover segment. Read full story » from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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