Volvo’s vision is to develop cars that are entirely free from harmful exhaust emissions and environment-impacting carbon dioxide. The vision is called ‘DRIVe Towards Zero’ and the carmaker’s electrification strategy promises that plug-in hybrids will be on the market as early as 2012.

The company is already making waves after introducing seven high-efficiency diesel DRIVe models with very low CO2 emissions in 2009.

The Volvo C30 range had a 104g/km version using start-stop technology from summer 2009, but it launched in the last few months before a new-look model arrived in the UK early in 2010.

Improvements for the facelifted version tested here result in ultra-low CO2 emissions of 99g/km.

That puts it into the lowest BiK bracket and makes it exempt from the ‘showroom tax’ effective from April, 2010.

This version of the Volvo C30 DRIVe is also capable of 74.3mpg on the combined cycle and up to 857 miles on a single tank.

The C30 DRIVe is also available without the start/stop system, removing the price premium, but with CO2 at 119g/km.

“For the first time in Volvo’s history we have a car that emits only 99g/km of CO2 per km,” said Peter Ewerstrand, head of CO2 at Volvo Cars.

The Volvo C30 has undergone an extensive facelift, with the entire front remodelled, including the front wings, linking it to the new S60 and C70.

“The front of the Volvo C30 has become more dramatic and expressive,” says Fedde Talsma, exterior chief designer at Volvo Cars.

“The angled lines of the front bumper together with the new headlamps, which are drawn offset and up, reinforce the impression of speed and sportiness.”

In the grille sits the new, larger iron mark, as seen in the rest of the Volvo range.

The air intake has been enlarged and resembles the intake in the XC60.

The grille also has a new honeycomb pattern, unique to the C30.

The P11d price for the Volvo C30 1.6D DRIVe S with start/stop is £17,310 but our version came with a range of options, including rear park assist.

Its performance and ride were not diluted in its quest to become friendlier to the environment.

It reaches a top speed of 118mph, delivered through a five-speed manual transmission and achieves 0-60mph in 10.7 seconds.

Volvo expects around 7,000 sales of C30 this year, with 60% of those likely to be DRIVe variants and a fleet/retail split of 30/70.

The version without start/stop achieves 119g/km of CO2 and 62.8mpg on the combined cycle.