It is astonishing to see how far Volvo has come in the past 15 years or so. When I first started driving cars for a living, Volvos were hateful old nails driven by people wearing tweed hats with bits of dried breakfast welded to their beards. Now they’re driven by people to whom image is everything. One aspect of the Swedish cars remained the same, however: they were reliably awful to drive.

It’s sad but true that I have never sat in a Volvo that’s appealed to the enthusiast in me to any significant extent. Recently I drove the new S80 full of hope, because its underpinnings are shared with the brilliant Ford S-Max, and emerged respecting its static qualities but utterly unmoved by the driving experience.

Even driving the new C70 convertible through a desert in the Middle East failed to raise my pulse above its usual lollop. It’s great to look at, but to drive? Dull is the word for this and every other Volvo I’ve known, even the quick ones.

Until now. I got into this C30 T5 coupé with low expectations, in a filthy temper because of the filthy weather and filthy roads, yet stepped out two hours later with a spring in my step and a smile on my face. I had driven a Volvo and enjoyed almost every minute. And you will never know what a strange sentence that was for me to write.

If you’re wondering what’s happened, Volvo provides the clue: the C30, it says, is specifically aimed at those who don’t drive Volvos and it predicts that three out of every four C30s will be bought by non-Volvo-owning homes when the car goes on sale in January.

To do this Volvo has once more plundered the parts bin of its Ford parent but this time to rather better effect than it did when creating the smart-looking, dull-driving S80 saloon. The C30 — which features no fewer than eight engines and four trim levels — is based on the same platform as the Ford Focus. This means the T5, at the top of the range, uses a similar chassis to the fabulous Focus ST, which already employs Volvo’s five-cylinder turbo motor. It’s too simplistic by far to say the C30 T5 is a Focus ST with a thing for dressing up in Swedish clothes, but the relationship between the two is closer than Volvo would probably care to admit, not least because T5s start at £21,495 while the Ford can be yours for precisely four grand less.

Volvo would much rather you saw it as a cut-price rival for the likes of the BMW 130i SE and Audi S3, and cast in that light it makes a remarkably good case for itself. It’s not quite as powerful as the Germans but it still feels sprightly and, as the figures reveal, it’s not much slower. And where the Audi’s four-cylinder 2 litre turbo engine feels overworked and strained, Volvo’s 2.5 litre five-cylinder alternative is smooth, responsive and sounds charming.

It’s no match for the BMW’s creamy straight-six motor, but where the 130i fails to reach BMW’s high standards in the corners, the Volvo C30 not only does things no other Volvo could dream of, I suspect it would give the 130i something to think about, too. A Volvo that’s better to drive than a BMW? I’d need the two side by side on the same road to make sure but if you want an educated punt, I’d say yes.

In a way all this feeds the Volvo brand image: yes the car is as strong as a vault, but now that it is agile and fun to drive you’re less likely to fall off the road in the first place. Prevention rather than cure.

There’s little to criticise. It looks odd at the back and the boot is small. There’s a surprising amount of headroom in the rear but not much legroom, so if you’re a tall driver with children, don’t expect them to thank you. The ultra-thin centre console looks smart but is fiddly to operate, the driving position is too high and the optional sat nav looks old and is difficult to use.

But that’s it. Finally Volvo has found the last part of the puzzle, the one missing component that, until now, has kept the appreciative driver away. It’s just one lively car in a sea of good-looking but dull-driving Volvos, but it is a start and a fine one at that. More, please.

VITAL STATISTICS

Model Volvo C30 T5 SE
Engine type 2521cc, five cylinders
Power/Torque 200bhp @ 5000rpm / 236 lb ft @ 1500rpm
Transmission Six-speed manual
Fuel/CO2 32.5mpg / 208g/km
Performance 0-62mph: 6.2sec / Top speed: 149mph
Price £21,495
Verdict After all these years, a Volvo worth driving
Rating 4/5
Date of release January 2007

THE OPPOSITION

Model BMW 130i SE £24,770
For Splendid performance from lovely engine, well built
Against Looks awful, terrible packaging, poor handling

Model Audi S3 £26,975
For Looks terrific inside and out, four-wheel drive
Against Coarse engine, limited handling appeal, expensive