Browse over 9,000 car reviews

Mazda CX-30: you can thank the BT-50 for it

The all-new Mazda CX-30 compact SUV will fill a gap in the range, but won't follow the existing naming structure.

The all-new Mazda CX-30 compact SUV will slot in between the CX-3 and CX-5, so why not call it CX-4? According to a Mazda US representative, its because of the BT-50 ute.

Car and Driver reports a US exec explained the brand decided to call the CX-30 that because there was already a precedent for a four-digit alphanumeric nameplate: the company has used BT-50 on its ute since 2006.

There’s also the little problem that there is already a Mazda CX-4, which is made and sold exclusively in China. And that meant some internal pushback on using CX-4 on a global level. And we assume using CX-40 may have resulted in some dyslexic Googlers ending up buying the Volvo XC40 SUV instead of the new Mazda model.

So will the CX-30 replace the CX-3 when it goes on sale in Australia in 2020? 

Not at all - it is designed to sit in between the compact, city-friendly CX-3 and the larger, more expensive CX-5. The CX-30 offers better boot capacity, a bigger interior and different styling presence to the CX-3, and it is expected to sit between that model and the CX-5 on price.

But there will be some crossover in terms of the model range pricing, as you’d expect. The current CX-3 range runs from $21,790 to $39,190, while the CX-5 range commences at $29,770 and tops out at $49,670. 

If we were to hazard a guess - and by doing the maths - the new CX-30 model could be priced from $25,870 to $44,430. We look forward to seeing if the CarsGuide crystal ball was right. 

Do you like the CX-30 name? Tell us in the comments below.

Matt Campbell
Managing Editor - Head of Video
Matt Campbell has been at the forefront of automotive media for more than a decade, working not only on car reviews and news, but also helping manage automotive outputs across...
About Author

Comments