This is the facelifted Volvo C30, revealed ahead of its public unveiling at next week’s Frankfurt motor show next week.

The front and rear of the car have been redesigned, taking cues from the S60 concept and the recently revealed C70.

Front-end changes include new panels for the wings and bonnet, and a larger Volvo logo in the restyled honeycomb grille, in line with all the other current models. The air intake has also been enlarged to reflect the design of the XC60′s.

The rear has also been tweaked, and buyers can specify the rear bumper assembly in the car’s body colour or an alternative colour.

Buyers of all engine variants except the 1.6D DRIVe stop-start model can also opt for a new Sports chassis, which Volvo describes as giving the car “a sharper ride”. Changes include sharper steering, a tighter steering ratio that gives a 10 per cent faster response to inputs, increased spring stiffness (up by 30 per cent) and stiffer dampers.

Volvo is also making the polished stainless steel exhausts visible on T5 and D5-powered models, adding metallic orange to the colour choices, and offering two new wheel options, one of which is white.

Interior changes include a range of new upholstery colours.

The C30 can also be specified with a new styling kit, which includes a fog lamp surround and front and rear skidplates.

There are five diesel options, ranging in power from 107bhp to 177bhp, and three petrols, ranging from 99bhp to 227bhp. These include two DRIVe eco models powered by the 1.6-litre diesel engine. The version with stop-start averages 72.4mpg and emits 104g/km of CO2, while the version without the system averages 62.8mpg and emits 119g/km.

The facelifted car will go on sale early in 2010, with prices announced nearer to that date.

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