Brookside
Schwarzwald Sprinter
An icon for Volvo design
John LeBlanc/CanWestNewsService April 28.2006
For more than five years car buyers have been tantalized with the idea of a sporty, small Volvo.
The automaker's first hint was its 2001 Safety Concept Car (SCC). A 15-second teaser movie at last year's Detroit auto show was the second. Most recently, the oh-so-close-to-production C30 Design Concept debuted at this year's show in Motown. This only means that when the production C30 is finally unveiled in Paris this fall, no one should be shocked.
What is a revelation is that a Canadian -- Montreal-born Simon Lamarre -- penned the new C30, which is to become an icon for Volvo design much like the Mini Cooper is to BMW's Mini brand or the TT is to Audi.
Driving's John LeBlanc sat down with Volvo's Studio chief designer to discuss the significance of Volvo's new entry into the blossoming premium compact segment and what it means for the future plans of the Swedish automaker.
John LeBlanc: In a country better known for producing hockey players and doughnut shop workers, how does a Canadian end up running a design studio for a Swedish car company?
Simon Lamarre: After graduation from university in Montreal, I met a Swedish girl and moved there not even thinking of becoming a car designer. My mom thought I would be back in a year, but it's been 15 now. I joined Volvo in 1995 as a clay modeller and was lucky to come into Volvo at the beginning of the current design revolution started by Peter Horbury (now Ford's North American design chief) with the S80. Eventually, I ended up as part of a team that did the interior for the XC90.
JL: Volvo has stated that the objective of the C30 is to attract a new type of customer to the brand. How so?
SL: With [the C30], we want people to be aware that Volvo will be coming out with a smaller car. In many people's minds, Volvo is a big, large car -- a family car. We're being very open about this: This is not a car for people with children. We spent a lot of time talking to these people. They want good performance, a good sound system, big wheels and a stylish interior. They very seldom have more than the driver or passenger in the car. They'll take their car to go to their friends, hang out and then take their car home again. They don't go on a Saturday and do their shopping, they live more on a day-to-day basis. They go and get some Chinese takeout, they'll go to the cinema and then the gym. When we showed them all the concepts, they definitely leaned toward the C-segment car, not a V-segment (mid-sized wagon) car. The C30 has traditional Volvo design elements, but it's a bit of a jump outside our comfort zone.
JL: What styling elements make the C30 a Volvo?
SL: If you look at the car, first and foremost the shoulder. In this case, we have the smallest Volvo but the biggest shoulder. The V-shaped hood, the upright grille, this is something we've been pushing for the past 10 years. As we were doing this concept, we were also showing the Safety Concept Car all around the world. People were saying, "That's a cool car, that's a really nice design. When's it coming out?" So the design direction became very clear: Try and take as much of the SCC design language and bring it into a manufacturable car. [The C30 Design Concept] is a show car, but we want people to keep this feeling when we show the real C30 at Paris in September.
JL: There are only two bucket seats in the back. Why?
SL: The cockpit narrows as we move to the back of the car to give the massive shoulders, so we put the seats closer to the centre line for more elbow room. This way you can see forward without having to lean your head and you can visually communicate with the driver. We really worked hard to keep the space in between. First, it emphasizes the four-seater look, plus a sense of room and utility. You can put your snowboard [or] your skis or any long objects through there without having to put the seats down. And, when you look at the C30's all-glass tailgate, it definitely has an advantage. It's light and, therefore, easy to use.
JL: What does the C30 say on how important design is to selling Volvos?
SL: I think it's becoming more and more important. Design is becoming more and more important in everyday life, too. We are bombarded with design. Hair designers, food designers, home designers -- design is in everybody's life now. Volvo has been working hard, dedicated and focused on developing our designs to give them some emotion. I think the C30 does a great job in expressing that.
