Article by Natalie Anderson

Volvo, the world’s most renowned car manufacturer when it comes to safety standards, have been absent from the Montreal International Auto Show for the past couple of years stating that the absence is because the auto show was not part of their marketing strategy. The company started their absence at the said auto show back in 2005 with other car manufacturers like Jaguar and Land Rover. Last year was the same and Volvo sure was not showing off their wares at the Montreal auto show. But this year, the company returned to unveil their current lineup of cars including the star of their show, the all-new Volvo C30.

The company’s primary reason for returning to the auto show is to launch its new two-door, four-seater car. This new vehicle is the smallest in its lineup of safety systems packed cars. Another factor that may have made the company return to the auto show is the drop in its sales in Canada which was down 15 per cent. Though the company was absent in the auto show for the past two years, they claimed that they have not ignored the Montreal and Quebec market and they have used alternative marketing strategies in the said regions. But the release of their new car has prompted the Ford Motor Company owned luxury brand to get back to their original marketing strategy which is to show off their new car at the Montreal International Auto Show.

The star of the company’s show at the said grand auto event is its Volvo C30 which was designed by Simon Lamarre who is fittingly a native of Ste. Therese. The car was designed to be a compact sized car for those busy people living in cities. It uses the same styling elements taken from Volvo’s Safety Concept Car which was the highlight of the company’s entry to the 2001 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The concept car has received much praise for its design that the company sees it fit that their new entry to the premium compact market should have the same styling elements.

The cutting edge design will be complemented by a 2.4-liter 5-cylinder in-line engine that can produce 170 horsepower for the 2.4i base model. This engine will be coupled to either a five-speed manual or automatic transmission. A souped up engine would come along on the T5 model; the model will have a 2.5-liter turbocharged engine with a maximum output of 218 horsepower capable enough to compete with the best in its class and will either come with a six-speed manual or a five-speed manual transmission. Both engines, of course, would be carrying that reputation for having high performance Volvo engine parts and other reliable parts for every system in the car.

As the car is from Volvo, it would surely be coming packed with tons of safety features that have previously been employed by cars already being mass produced by the company. These safety features will no doubt raise the car’s stock against heavy competition in its class which includes the much praised Audi A3, the Volkswagen GTI and the Mini Cooper.