Mazda CX-30 2.0 e-Skyactiv X MHEV Exclusive-Line 5dr Auto

  • Automatic
  • Petrol
  • 44.8 mpg
  • 5 door suv
  • 140 g/km CO2
  • 140 g/km CO2 emissions
  • 44.8 mpg Fuel efficiency
  • 8.7 secs 0 to 62 mph
  • 186 bhp Engine power

Ten Second Review

Mazda's third compact SUV is this car, the CX-30. It borrows its engineering from the Mazda3 hatch, but clothes it with the trendier SUV body styling that family buyers now increasingly want. Consider it carefully if you're not fussed about having a premium badge, like the idea of eye-catching looks and cutting-edge engineering and find yourself interested in trendy segment contenders like Toyota's C-HR and Ford's Puma.

Background

Really, this car - launched back in 2020 - ought to be called the 'CX-4'. It does, after all, sit between just above the old CX-3 (no longer on sale in our market) and just below the CX-5 in Mazda's SUV line-up. Unfortunately for European zone continuity though, the 'CX-4' badge already exists in the Chinese market, where it's applied to quite a different car, so the model we're going to look at here has adopted a 'CX-30' moniker. Glad we got that cleared up. Basically what we've got here is a Crossover version of the Mazda3 family hatch - no bad thing; that's the sort of product the market wants. It features the second chapter of the brand's 'KODO' design language and a clever Skyactiv-X petrol engine we really liked when we tried it in the Mazda3. Sounds promising.

Driving Experience

Mazda is offering a choice of two engines to CX-30 buyers, both petrol-powered and both borrowed from the Mazda3 hatch. The base unit is now a 140PS 2.5-litre Skyactiv-G petrol powerplant (a mild hybrid). Compared to the previous 122PS 2.0-litre unit it replaces, this larger-capacity powerplant increases torque from 213Nm to 238Nm, so there should be a noticeable improvement in real-world performance. We'd suggest though, that you try and stretch to the alternative engine, the brand's more advanced Skyactiv-X Spark Controlled Compression Ignition engine, a 180PS supercharged unit which runs on petrol but uses a combination of spark ignition and compression ignition to deliver, Mazda claims, the driver appeal of a petrol unit along with the fuel efficiency and torque of a diesel. This Skyactiv-X powerplant is able to switch from compression ignition, which best suits day-to-day driving, to a form of spark ignition, generally when the engine is started from cold or the driver demands maximum power at high revs. The 'X' engine comes paired with front wheel drive or four wheel drive and either way, there's the choice of manual or automatic transmission. Mazda isn't bothering to offer the diesel powerplant that's available on this car in other markets. The drive dynamics aren't very different from those of the Mazda3 hatch, which means that they're very good indeed. It also means that this car gets the slickest-shifting manual gearbox you can have in the compact SUV segment. With both engines, there's the option of auto transmission.

Design and Build

Mazda reckons that the CX-30 combining the bold stance of an SUV with the sleek profile of a coupe, styling that's supposed to be a sophisticated evolution of the brand's KODO design philosophy. Looks are certainly one reason why you might want to consider this car. The other reason you might want to consider this model would be if you liked the Mazda3 hatch but found it lacking in terms of rear seat space and luggage room. The CX-30 certainly does better than its showroom sibling in these two regards, though legroom in the back still isn't what you'd call generous. Headspace in the rear is quite good, but the D-pillar is substantial, which darkens the interior rear half of the car quite a lot. The 430-litre boot is a big improvement on the limited trunk you get in the Mazda3, a substantial 135-litres bigger. Mind you, it's still quite a bit smaller than the space you'd get in something like a comparably-priced BMW X1. As in the Mazda3, the front-of-cabin experience is impressive, with a digital instrument cluster display and a big, clear 8.8-inch screen on top of the dash nicely angled towards the driver. And there's a lower rotary controller for it so you don't have to stab away at inexact touchscreen functionality in the kind of way that's necessary with many rival set-ups.

Market and Model

CX-30 prices sit in the £25,000-£37,000 bracket, spread across five trim levels, 'Prime-Line', 'Centre-Line', 'Homura', 'Exclusive-Line' and 'Takumi'. Every version features a colour windscreen projecting head-up display, radar cruise control and LED headlights. With a choice of eight exterior colours, 'Prime-Line' and 'Centre-Line' cars feature 16-inch grey metallic wheels, while from 'Homura'-spec onwards, 18-inch wheels are standard. Inside, premium dark grey cloth with navy blue accents is standard, as is a 7-inch TFT instrument display. So is an 8.8-inch central infotainment screen incorporating Navigation, an 8-speaker DAB audio system and 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto' smartphone-mirroring. There's also radar cruise control, Smart Brake Support autonomous braking and Intelligent Speed Assist, which can adapt your velocity according to posted speed limits. 'Takumi' models feature black leather seat trim with rich brown accents. From 'Exclusive-Line' upwards, there's a 12-speaker Bose surround set-up. And 'Takumi'-spec gets you a 360-degree View Monitor camera system.

Cost of Ownership

Let's get to the figures. The base petrol Skyactiv-G engine manages 47.9mpg on the WLTP combined cycle and 134g/km of CO2. Or 44.1mpg and 143g/km as an auto. We'd recommend you try and stretch to the more powerful but, conversely, more economic Skyactiv-X petrol unit, which in 2WD form improves that showing to 50.4mpg and 127g/km as a manual or 46.3mpg and 137g/km as an auto. This same Skyactiv-X petrol engine also comes with AWD. In this guise, it manages 46.3mpg and 137g/km as a manual or 42.8mpg and 149g/km as an auto. We should also mention the warranty, the usual unremarkable three year / 60,000 mile package. If you want to extend that, you can do so via optional 'Essential', 'Elite' and 'Complete' plans. Included in the standard package is a three year paintwork warranty and 12 years of anti-perforation cover. In addition, there's a 'Mazda Accident Aftercare' scheme which sees the company liaise with your insurer after an accident, making sure that you have access to a courtesy car if you need one and ensuring that all repairs are carried out to full Mazda standards.

Summary

The CX-30 continues to make a reasonable case for itself in an increasingly crowded segment. It lacks a premium badge on the bonnet of course, but then it also lacks the kind of inflated prices you'd pay from premium brand contenders in this market space. Plus under the bonnet of a Skyactiv-X variant, there's arguably the cleverest petrol engine you can have in the compact SUV segment, delivering an enticing combination of very sprightly performance and diesel-like economy. Yes, there are more practical choices in this market segment. And arguably, there are also more fashionably-styled ones. But our overall impression of the CX-30 is of a very complete and thoughtfully-positioned package. Add it to your lengthening shopping list if you're in search of a car of this kind.

  • Engine start/stop button
  • Power lift gate
  • Tailgate
  • 2 x USB Type-C inputs
  • AM/FM and DAB radio
  • Bose surround sound system with 12 Speaker, Bose center point, Bass match and audio pilot technology
  • Multimedia Commander including separate volume dial
  • Steering wheel mounted audio/bluetooth controls
  • B-pillar and C-pillar garnishes in gloss black finish
  • Chrome finish signature wing in front grille
  • Dual bright finish exhaust tip trim
  • Gloss black front grille
  • Gloss black rear roof spoiler
  • Power tilt/slide sunroof
  • Rear side wing doors
  • 12V power outlet in centre console
  • Bright interior trim accents with steering wheel centre bezel, surround of engine start / stop button and glove box handle
  • Cloth upholstery with interior accents
  • Dark cloth door panel inserts
  • Dashboard, door cards and front centre armrest in black cloth
  • Driver, front passenger and two rear door storage
  • Driver, Front passenger and two rear grab handles with coathooks
  • Folding rear centre armrest with two cup holders
  • Front armrest
  • Front centre storage with two cupholders with lid
  • Gear shift indicator
  • Leather wrapped gear shift knob
  • Leather wrapped steering wheel with telescopic and tilt adjustment
  • Light roof headlining and pillars
  • Paddle shift controls
  • Roof mounted sunglasses holder
  • 3 point ELR front seat belts x2 with pretensioners
  • 3 point ELR rear seat belts
  • Drivers knee airbag
  • Front and rear curtain airbags
  • Front dual stage driver and single stage front passenger airbags
  • Front passenger airbag cut-off switch
  • Front side airbags
  • Manual child lock in rear doors
  • Seatbelt reminder for driver/front passenger and rear seats
  • Tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
  • Remote central locking with deadlocking and automatic door lock when driving
  • Smart keyless entry
  • Thatcham accredited alarm and immobiliser
  • HC+NOx: N
  • Particles: N
  • Standard Euro Emissions: EURO 6
  • WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Comb: 140
  • WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Comb - TEH: 140
  • WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Comb - TEL: 139
  • Camshaft: DOHC
  • Catalytic Convertor: True
  • CC: 1998
  • Compression Ratio: 15.0:1
  • Cylinder Layout: IN-LINE
  • Cylinders: 4
  • Cylinders - Bore (mm): 83.5
  • Cylinders - Stroke (mm): 91.2
  • Engine Layout: FRONT TRANSVERSE
  • Fuel Delivery: SUPERCHARGER
  • Gears: 6 SPEED
  • Number of Valves: 16
  • Transmission: AUTO
  • EC Directive 1999/100/EC Applies: False
  • WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Comb: 6.3
  • WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Comb - TEH: 6.3
  • WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Comb - TEL: 6.2
  • WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Extra High: 6.8
  • WLTP - FC (l/100km) - High: 5.3
  • WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Low: 7.5
  • WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Low - TEH: 7.5
  • WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Low - TEL: 7.4
  • WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Medium: 5.9
  • WLTP - MPG - Comb: 44.8
  • WLTP - MPG - Comb - TEH: 44.8
  • WLTP - MPG - Comb - TEL: 45.6
  • WLTP - MPG - Extra High: 41.5
  • WLTP - MPG - High: 53.3
  • WLTP - MPG - Low: 37.7
  • WLTP - MPG - Low - TEH: 37.7
  • WLTP - MPG - Low - TEL: 38.2
  • WLTP - MPG - Medium: 47.9
  • Alternative Fuel Qualifying: False
  • Badge Engine CC: 2.0
  • Badge Power: 186
  • Based On ID: N
  • Coin Description: e-Skyactiv X MHEV
  • Coin Series: Exclusive-Line
  • Insurance Group 1 - 50 Effective January 07: 20E
  • Man Corrosion Perforation Guarantee - Years: 12
  • Manufacturers Paintwork Guarantee - Years: 3
  • NCAP Adult Occupant Protection %: 99
  • NCAP Child Occupant Protection %: 86
  • NCAP Overall Rating - Effective February 09: 5
  • NCAP Pedestrian Protection %: 80
  • NCAP Safety Assist %: 77
  • Safety Concerns: False
  • Service Interval Frequency - Months: 12
  • Service Interval Mileage: 12500
  • Special Edition: False
  • Special Order: False
  • Standard manufacturers warranty - Mileage: 60000
  • Standard manufacturers warranty - Years: 3
  • Vehicle Homologation Class: M1
  • 0 to 62 mph (secs): 8.7
  • Engine Power - BHP: 186
  • Engine Power - KW: 137
  • Engine Power - PS: True
  • Engine Power - RPM: 6000
  • Engine Torque - LBS.FT: 177
  • Engine Torque - MKG: 24.5
  • Engine Torque - NM: 240
  • Engine Torque - RPM: 4000
  • Top Speed: 127
  • Emissions Test Cycle: WLTP
  • RDE Certification Level: RDE 2
  • Alloys: True
  • Space Saver: False
  • Tyre Size Front: 215/55 R18
  • Tyre Size Rear: 215/55 R18
  • Tyre Size Spare: TYRE REPAIR KIT
  • Wheel Style: N
  • Wheel Type: 18" ALLOY
  • Height: 1540
  • Height (including roof rails): N
  • Length: 4395
  • Wheelbase: 2655
  • Width: 1795
  • Width (including mirrors): 2040
  • Fuel Tank Capacity (Litres): 51
  • Gross Vehicle Weight: 1965
  • Luggage Capacity (Seats Down): 1398
  • Luggage Capacity (Seats Up): 422
  • Max. Loading Weight: 501
  • Max. Roof Load: 75
  • Max. Towing Weight - Braked: 1300
  • Max. Towing Weight - Unbraked: 600
  • Minimum Kerbweight: 1464
  • No. of Seats: 5
  • Turning Circle - Kerb to Kerb: 10.6