Volvo, once known for its boxy vehicles, now has one of the most stylish cars on the road in the all-new C30.

The C30, a compact three-door hatchback, blends the old and the new quite effectively. There are strong hints of the well-loved 1800 ES of the 1960s, melded with some strongly Scandinavian, contemporary thinking.

It's like a piece of art on wheels, with eye-catching shapes, unexpected angles and a surprise or two every time you look at it.

Our test car had a base price of $22,700. With metallic paint and an automatic transmission, among other features, the price hit $25,170. Power comes from a 2.5-liter, 227-horsepower, five-cylinder turbocharged engine. Estimated fuel economy is 19 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,048.

I rank Volvo as one of the top two or three companies when it comes to innovative, safe, yet beautiful interiors, and one look at the C30 confirms my view.

The beautiful polished metal console and center stack feature controls that are intuitive and pleasing to the eye, too. The climate control system is guided by an outline of the human body: Simply push the section you want to cool or heat.

The seats are among the most comfortable I've seen in a vehicle. They are supportive and the headrests seem to be angled just right, no matter how tall you are. Unfortunately, the passenger seat headrest blocked the visibility to the rear of the car on that side.

Adjusting the seat provided little relief, but that could be because I'm not tall.

Another concern is the glass hatchback: There's no cover to conceal any items you might have back there.

Overall the C30 is a real winner for Volvo -- and for anyone who appreciates style and substance.