I’ve lived with the C30 for a month now, and I’m finally starting to understand it. At first I couldn’t get my head around the fact that the safety-conscious Swedes would want to build a hot hatch. Why would someone with spiky hair and disposable income (that’s me), want to have that badge sitting on their drive? Surely it’s the STs, Type-Rs and GTIs that get the younger generation fired up? Seems not.

‘Wot is it mate?’ said a young lad holding his mobile phone up for a quick snap recently.

‘It’s a Volvo C30 T5,’ I replied. ‘Ever heard of it?’

‘No, but it looks well tough, mate. Nice ride. Slamming wheels. Laterz!’

At that moment everything clicked into place, my thoughts about the Volvo brand instantly changed by that Motorola-wielding hoodie. All my life I thought that you bought a Volvo when kids came along and your hair had gone away. When looking for a new car I would have driven straight past a Volvo dealership. But not now.

This car is really getting under my skin. We are bonding, which has surprised me. It’s actually a laugh to drive, not least because people aren't expecting you to pull away so quickly. I like being different too, and I’ve yet to see another C30 T5 while out and about. Well, unless you count the ones on bus shelters and the sides of buses that form part of Volvo’s intense advertising campaign for the C30.

AJ57 WKN has been getting a great reaction from friends and family too. Everyone seems to like it, even with that distinctive rear end and metallic brown bodykit. Seems Volvo’s plan to attract a new generation of car buyers with the C30 might just work…

Can it deliver the driving thrills to match those STs and GTIs? I’ll be taking ours on track next month to find out.