Volvo has reached its design renaissance with the C30, a movement that began with the avant-garde S80 sedan in 1999 and which has since been unsuccessfully imitated by other companies.

The idea was simple: chop off half of the S40 and market it to small-car buyers. Thankfully for Volvo, that market has exploded, and the glass-hatch, "floating" center console, and spunky powertrains have made it a hit.

It's no BMW, but also doesn't pretend to be. Volvo owners understand it immediately, and in time, so will everyone else.