Squeezing safety into small cars

Volvo's new C30 hatchback shares its front end with the larger S40 sedan. When Volvo engineers were working on that nose, they put it through computer-simulated 35 mile-per-hour impacts. The space that was left uncrushed after the "crash" was where engineers were allowed to mount an engine. Changes were then made to the engine design so it could fit into that space.

The C30 is almost 9 inches shorter than the S40. The extra length was taken entirely from the back end of the car. That created the additional challenge of designing the back end to protect back seat occupants from rear impacts.

Engineers designed the back end with a high-strength steel cross-member that pushes down on two steel beams in a crash, folding them down to absorb the blow. The spare tire is mounted so that it angles upward as the back end crushes rather being pushed straight into the passenger cabin.

NEXT: Taking it to extremes