2012 Volvo V30 rendering
With cars like the BMW X1 and a planned Mercedes-Benz BLK compact crossover based on the next-generation B-Class, European luxury marques are starting to venture into territory normally dominated by South Korean and Japanese automakers. It would seem then that there is no barrier to the types of segments automakers, be they luxury or mainstream, can compete in these days, which is why we’re going to see more competition between brands that only a few years ago wouldn’t have even been mentioned in the same breath.
Take Volvo, for example. The Swedish automaker is set to launch a new compact crossover in 2012 that will compete with the likes of the BMW X1 and Mercedes-Benz BLK, as well as the more familiar Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V. The new model will be called the XC30 and will be the fourth crossover in Volvo’s lineup after the XC90, XC70 and XC60.
However, just as there is both an XC70 crossover and a V70 wagon, Volvo’s baby C30 will likely spawn both the XC30 model and a five-door wagon version dubbed the V30. This computer-generated rendering provides a glimpse as to what the new wagon could look like.
Its mechanicals will be based on the C30 hatchback but its styling will be derived from the bigger V70 model. Expect a range of gasoline and turbodiesel engines as well as a Haldex-sourced all-wheel drive system.
The new V30 wagon is expected to be launched in the first half of next year. The big question remains, however, why didn’t Volvo launch a five-door version of the C30 initially?
