Love at first sight

Vivo the Volvo is the small, girly, stylish car that stole the heart of this Dubai researcher.

Rana Malek loves to drive her Volvo on the motorway with music blasting out.

Hatchbacks are generally cute, practical little cars, but very few are known for their sophistication and style. But when Rana Malek, a 24-year-old social media researcher from Jordan, found the Volvo C30 T5, she knew she had found a car that suited her need for style as well as being an easy car to drive, complete with the practicality of a hatchback. The C30 is the third car she has driven and it is by far her favourite.

"I never really cared or bothered about the the other two cars I drove before, maybe because they were never my choice," says Malek. Her last car was a Nissan Altima that she didn't particularly care for. "I was fed up with my Nissan Altima, not because I don't like Nissan, but I always felt I was driving a big car and somehow a family car." When she decided to replace the Altima when its performance started to flag after five years of loyal, if not especially exhilirating, service, aesthetics were the most important aspect of her decision to buy the C30.

"It's a sexy, feminine and stylish car," says Malek. "I never bothered to understand the technicality or the engines of the cars, as my concern was always about the look of the car. "I found the Volvo very attractive with its curves and rounded design that made it look like a modern and sophisticated hatchback." After contemplating the purchase of a Peugeot convertible and becoming somewhat unsure as to what car she should buy, a friend suggested Malek consider the Volvo C30 because of its reputation for quality and safety.

When she went to the dealership, it was a case of love at first sight. As well as the curved lines of the exterior, the appeal of the two-tone black-and-white interior sealed her decision to buy the C30, which Malek's sister has nicknamed "Vivo". "I was looking for a small, girly car that's also stylish at the same time," she says. "I believe the car is simple in a classy way and I just made the decision to buy it." [e-mail]