By Aida Sevilla-Mendoza
Philippine Daily Inquirer

PICTURE in your mind this photo op: the 2008 Volvo XC70 AWD in all its rugged elegance parked on a sandy beach, the waves lapping at its 17-inch alloy wheels while the sun sets behind it on the horizon of the South China Sea.

The opportunity to set up this photo op came last week, so I broached it to the Volvo representatives present. But unfortunately the beach at Puerto del Sol resort in Bolinao, Pangasinan is fenced off and therefore inaccessible to cars.

But let me tell you how an XC70 ended up at a beach resort in the distant north.

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By Aida Sevilla Mendoza
Inquirer

AS a member (and past president) of the Car Awards Group Inc. (Cagi), I didn’t give high marks to the Volvo C30 that won the Car of the Year (Coty) Award for 2007. But that’s only because I was absent when the C30 was brought to the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Cavite on the last car testing day of Coty 2007 in October.

Thus the great expectations when I was given the chance to drive the Volvo C30 for four days early last month after it had already garnered the most coveted Cagi trophy. Were these great expectations met?

Yes, as far as the C30’s styling is concerned. While the C30’s face resembles the Volvo S40 with which it shares the Ford Focus’ platform, its sloping rear end/big glass hatch sets it apart from the rest of the crowd. The C30 is simply stunning. It looks like nothing else on the road, at least from the back. Its clean lines, short overhangs and aggressive, fast-forward stance give it an eye-catching profile.

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By Aida Sevilla-Mendoza
Inquirer

THE 4TH Car of the Year (Coty) Philippines Awards program, which was held at the Rockwell Tent in Makati last Thursday, established quite a few firsts.

It was the first time that: a European brand won the big trophy. The 2007 Car of the Year, the Volvo C30 (shown in photo) is a sports coupe that aced the Luxury Subcompact category versus the BMW 120i and the Mercedes-Benz B160.

What’s more, the Swedish carmaker outshone its German rivals two more times when the Volvo S60 T5 won the Executive Car of the Year Award and the Volvo S80 2.5L topped the Luxury Car category.

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