2021 Mazda CX-30 vs 2022

What's the difference?

While not perfect, there’s no doubting the CX-30 is one hell of a debut small SUV, but the variant chosen is very important.

As we found out, the mostly well-specified G20 Touring FWD is agonisingly close to being the best, with it ultimately falling short due its underpowered engine.

That said, for those that rarely find themselves on freeways and country roads, the G20 Touring FWD can and will get the job done. For everyone else, though, the G25 Touring FWD calls strongly.

Either way, so long as practicality isn’t a priority, it’s hard not to be impressed by the CX-30.

At roughly $30,000 it’s hard to do better than Mazda’s base CX-30 in the small SUV space when it comes to cabin ambiance, premium looks, and safety equipment.

While popular variants further up the range sell well, I’d recommend you resist the urge to upgrade as this version has almost everything you could need in a good-looking and relatively fun-to-drive package. 

In a highly competitive segment, the CX-30 is one slick-looking small SUV. In fact, depending on your opinion, it could be the most attractive of all.

Up front, the CX-30 is unmistakably a Mazda, with the lower edge of its large grille trimmed in chrome, which also props up the slim LED headlights that the G20 Touring FWD unfortunately pairs with halogen daytime running lights.

Around the side the G20 Touring FWD rolls on a nice set of 18-inch alloy wheels, which are wrapped in 215/55 tyres. The fastback style of the CX-30 is also most apparent here, with its roofline quickly tailing off.

At the rear, the G20 Touring FWD’s signature LED tail-lights are prominent, positioned up high on the chunky tailgate, while a rear spoiler adds some sportiness, as do its dual exhaust tailpipes.

Of course, we’re yet to acknowledge the elephant in the room: the CX-30’s love for black plastic cladding. It lays it on thick all the way around to make it obvious that it’s a crossover. Call us crazy, but I think it works in this instance, even if I'm in the minority.

Inside, the CX-30’s two-tone look could be just as divisive, depending on your feelings toward brown, which contrasts with the black (or optional white) leather-accented upholstery and soft-touch and hard plastics in the G20 Touring FWD.

If you ask me, the brown isn’t as jarring as the blue in the CX-30’s entry-level Pure and Evolve grades, but it’s the overall high quality of its interior that should be getting all of the attention.

The switchgear feels superb, and the steering wheel’s stalks are beautifully damped. Better yet, the steering wheel and armrests across both rows are generously padded. We could go on and on about how luxurious all of the little things feel.

Anyway, a 7.0-inch multifunction display is also a welcome inclusion, with it positioned between a traditional tachometer and speedometer, although its functionality is rather limited when to compared to most digital instrument clusters.

Then there’s the ‘floating’ 8.8-inch display to the left. It’s powered by Mazda’s latest multimedia system, coming complete with a sharp set of graphics - but it's not a touchscreen.

Yep, Mazda has doubled down on the rotary controller (with shortcut buttons) that it previously exclusively championed. While somewhat controversial, it’s the right move from a safety perspective, so too is the persistence with a row of physical climate controls.

What I'm not so sure about, though, is the widescreen format of the central panel it operates, with it looking particularly skinny when using the G20 Touring FWD’s in-built satellite navigation or smartphone mirroring (wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto).

Similarly, the G20 Touring FWD’s windshield-projected head-up display is too small to be completely legible, which is frustrating because it is otherwise well positioned.

The CX-30 embodies Mazda’s current design ethos to a T. It owns the swoopy lines, silver embossed grille, and tight light clusters which define the brand.

This Pure version is no exception, with even the more basic 16-inch alloy wheels finished in a more premium-looking gunmetal hue, and it maintains a sense of presence thanks to its standard LED headlights and dual exhaust.

Stepping inside, there is so little evidence pointing to the idea the Pure is the most basic grade. Sure, this interior feels as though it was built to be accompanied by leather seat trim, but this doesn’t take away from the sleek cabin ambiance built up by a digital dash cluster, attractive steering wheel, and luxurious-feeling centre console.

This basic version of the CX-30 is defined by a blue interior theme rather than the brown theme which appears on higher-grade models, and upon closer inspection you’ll notice the areas where the Pure differs from higher grades, like the more basic air-conditioning controls which replace a more premium looking dual-zone climate control set.

Sure, it’s missing some of the extra silver trims here and there, but for a base offering the CX-30 Pure is hard to go past, forgoing nasty plastics and major missing features of some of its rivals. For an SUV at this price, it is hard to do better.

Measuring 4395mm long (with a 2655mm wheelbase), 1795mm wide and 1540mm tall, the CX-30 is on the larger side for a small SUV, but that doesn’t translate across to practicality too well.

For example, cargo capacity isn’t amazing, at 317 litres (VDA), although storage space can be increased to an undisclosed amount by stowing the 60/40 split-fold rear bench, an action that can be performed via the boot with its manual release latches.

The boot itself is quite useful, though, with only a small load lip and floor hump (when the second row is stowed) to contend with, while the aperture is square and four tie-down points but no bag hooks are on hand to secure loose items.

The non-retractable parcel shelf can be removed, but it can’t be stored unfloor, with the space-saver spare wheel and tyre instead occupying that area alongside some related tools.

The G20 Touring FWD is also fairly average in the second row. While two inches of legroom are available behind my 184cm driving position alongside an inch of headroom, it doesn’t tick all of the boxes.

The rear bench isn’t particularly wide, so while three adults can sit on it during shorter journeys, they won’t want to be there on a road trip, particularly with the tall transmission tunnel taking up precious foot space.

Second-row amenities are also lacking, with no connectivity/charging on offer whatsoever and only one map pocket available. Yep, you get directional air vents, a fold-down armrest with two cupholders… and that’s it. Well, the door bins can also each accommodate a regular bottle.

For reference, there are three top-tether and two ISOFIX anchorage points on hand for fitting child seats, but it’s best to test yours before committing, because the fit could prove challenging.

Thankfully, things get a lot better in the front row, where the larger central bin features a USB-A port and a 12V power outlet, while another USB-A port is integrated into the centre stack.

Below it is a small open cubby, in front of which is pair of cupholders concealed by a sliding lid. Then there is the respectably sized glovebox, overhead sunglasses holder and tiny pull-out compartment on the driver’s side. And the door bins can take a large bottle apiece.

Sadly, the CX-30 was never the most practical of the small SUV bunch, and more basic grades even miss out in some areas.

Front passengers are treated well with ample width and headroom on offer, and the big centre console box not only offers a large storage area but will accommodate two elbows on top with ease.

On the topic of elbows, the front seat also offers lovely soft trims in the doors, as well as a large storage bin and bottle holder underneath. There are also a set of two bottle holders in front of the gearshift, and a small tray for phones and wallets under the air conditioning controls.

The screen looks great and is mounted in just the right spot but is only controlled via a dial. While it is easy to navigate the simple menus of the stock software this way, controlling phone mirroring software with it is clumsy to say the least.

The back seat is nowhere near as accommodating as the front, with my knees close up to the front behind my own driving position.

Headroom is decent although getting in requires you to duck under the descending roofline. Amenities in the base Pure grade are also limited, with a single bottle holder in each door, a single pocket on the back of the passenger seat, but no power outlets or adjustable air vents. At least the soft elbow-pad is maintained in the door trim.

The boot is also far from the largest in this class, at just 317 litres. It could just fit the full set of three CarsGuide luggage cases, but required the removal of the luggage shelf, and would have had the medium case obscuring your rear view.

The CX-30 has a space-saver spare wheel under the boot floor, as well as dual ISOFIX and three top-tether mounts across the rear row.

Price is a bit of a funny topic here, because when the CX-30 launched Mazda was talked about as though it was suddenly going ‘upmarket’. With its rivals seemingly forced into a string of price rises though, the gap between the CX-30 and key alternatives has significantly narrowed.

Wearing an MSRP of $30,390, this entry-level Pure automatic is now on-par with its rivals, which in this specific small SUV shape currently include the Toyota C-HR GXL ($30,915), Volkswagen T-Roc 110TSI Style ($35,500), and the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross ES ($30,990).

Mazda, perhaps owing to its lofty ambitions on other CX-30 grades, has packed the Pure with a particularly odd array of standard equipment. For a base model it has an impressive 8.8-inch multimedia screen, push-start ignition, and even a holographic head-up display, but doesn’t include traditionally basic items at this price like dual-zone climate control or even the convenience of keyless entry.

Expected base-grade stuff like basic cloth seat trim with manually adjustable front seats is there alongside small 16-inch alloy wheels, but then again, there’s also lovely synthetic leather trim for the steering wheel, door cards, and centre console. The semi-digital dash suite from other CX-30 grades is even included.

It makes this car feel very nice for the price, but the strange set of omissions are clearly designed to encourage you into a higher grade.

On the options front there is only the 'Vision Technology' pack ($1500) which includes some of the omitted safety items, like a 360-degree parking camera, adaptive cruise control, driver attention alert, front cross-traffic alert, and front parking sensors. Two shades of grey and Mazda’s signature 'Soul Red' exterior paint colours also wear a $495 optional price tag.

A lot of what goes into buying a car though is emotion, and I can see why prospective owners would easily be swayed into the CX-30 at this price with its upmarket look and feel compared to, say, an entry-level version of the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross.

The G20 Touring FWD is powered by a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 114kW of power at 6000rpm and 200Nm of torque at 4000rpm.

This unit is mated to a six-speed torque-converter automatic transmission with paddle-shifters as standard (there’s no manual option here), with drive sent to the front wheels (2WD).

A G25 Touring FWD is available for $1500 extra, with it upgrading to a 139kW/252Nm 2.5-litre unit, while a G25 Touring AWD with all-wheel drive can be had for a further $2000.

The CX-30 Pure has a decidedly low-tech 2.0-litre four-cylinder non-turbo petrol engine, which drives the front wheels via a six-speed traditional torque converter automatic transmission. It is the least powerful of the three engine options available in the CX-30 range, producing 114kW/200Nm.

It would be nice to see a parallel hybrid option here, but Mazda instead offers its semi-compression ignition engine technology at the top-end of the range.

The G20 Touring FWD’s fuel consumption on the combined-cycle test (ADR 81/02) is 6.5L/100km, while its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are 152g/km. Both claims are pretty good for a small SUV.

But in the real world, we averaged 7.5L/100km over 574km of driving, which was heavily skewed towards highways over city roads.

Keeping that mix in mind, that’s an underwhelming result when compared to the aforementioned claim. It just goes to show how hard the G20 Touring FWD has to be worked.

For reference, the G20 Touring FWD’s 51L fuel tank takes more affordable 91RON petrol at minimum.

This little 2.0-litre engine seems to have to push hard to keep up, and while the CX-30’s combined cycle fuel consumption number comes in at 6.5L/100km, in my real-world week-long test I saw an alarming 9.0L/100km average.

To be fair, my driving was almost entirely confined to city limits, but it is still above this car’s official ‘urban’ number of 8.0L/100km.

A small reprieve, this most basic engine option can consume entry-level 91RON unleaded fuel.

The CX-30 has a 51-litre fuel tank, which using my real-world average consumption translates to a range in excess of 550km.

As far as city-focused small SUVs go, the G20 Touring FWD is a winner, but that’s not to say it’s without its faults.

Firstly, the 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine is well suited to the urban jungle, where driving is slower, such is its character. After all, it sprints from a standstill to 100km/h in a claimed 10.2 seconds…

So, find yourself merging onto a freeway or ploughing along a country road and it quickly becomes apparent how lethargic the little unit really is. Without a turbocharger to provide low-end torque, it needs revs and plenty of them.

For much more palatable acceleration, it’s hard to go past the aforementioned G25 Touring FWD for an extra $1500. Previous experience has shown its 22 and 26 per cent increase in maximum power and torque respectively is very much appreciated.

Either way, the six-speed torque-converter automatic transmission on hand does the job well, with it offering up smooth if not quick gear changes, while it is responsive to throttle inputs when needed. The Sport mode’s higher shift points aren’t ever really needed, then.

Where the G20 Touring FWD – or any other CX-30 variant for that matter – really excels is on the ride and handling fronts.

When it comes to the former, the G20 Touring FWD’s suspension puts in a strong effort, which is good news considering it pairs MacPherson struts up front with a less sophisticated torsion beam at the rear.

While not independent, this set-up deals with most road imperfections with confidence, with only continuously broken surfaces managing to unsettle it, but even so, it’s still more than comfortable.

Better yet, the G20 Touring FWD loves to corner more than most crossovers. Naturally, a higher centre of gravity than the CX-30’s Mazda3 sibling does contribute towards more body roll, but overall control is still strong.

Go hard and the G20 Touring FWD’s 1442kg kerb weight will start to push against it, but the ensuing understeer is never prominent. Indeed, twisty roads can be approached with conviction, should you be in the mood.

And part of the reason why the G20 Touring FWD is enjoyable to drive is its electric power steering, which is well-weighted at higher speeds, not to mention nice and direct.

That said, the system is arguably a touch too heavy at low speed, which makes common manoeuvres like U-turns and parking more challenging. But either way, feedback is solid thanks to the communicative chassis.

The CX-30 feels slick and sporty from the get-go, with direct steering and an engaging ride. In most city-based scenarios this is a zippy little car which offers decent comfort levels and a lovely cabin ambiance, too.

Mazda maintains a traditional six-speed torque converter automatic transmission, which pairs nicely with the 2.0-litre engine to make for a predictable experience under acceleration, forgoing the nasty rubbery feel of many rivals’ CVT automatics, or the glitchy take-off from other dual-clutches.

The engine does leave a little to be desired however, with hollow power delivery in the mid-range meaning you’ll need to push it hard in overtaking and uphill scenarios.

It feels a bit rudimentary in today’s car landscape of hybrids and turbocharged engines, but Mazda has at least made it sound good, with a warm thrum rather than a nasty rattle at higher revs.

If you’re considering solving this problem by shopping further up the range, the alternate 2.5-litre four-cylinder behaves largely the same with a little extra power.

The CX-30 also maintains a particular firmness which permeates Mazda’s cars. While it imbues this small SUV with an engaging road feel and fun handling, big bumps and corrugations will rattle through the steering and A-pillar, making the whole car feel light and fragile and taking away from the CX-30’s otherwise semi-premium ambiance.

Ironically, the Pure improves this issue by having the smallest alloy wheel out of any CX-30 grade, providing a bit of extra tyre to soak up the worst jolts the road might offer.

The active safety items punch above their weight at this price point, making the Pure feel as though it has your back, particularly with those rare-at-this-price rear-facing items.

Like a lot of new-generation Mazdas though, the CX-30 suffers from a limited field of view from its disturbingly close rear-vision mirrors.

Overall, the CX-30 Pure offers an engaging drive experience paired with a lovely cabin ambiance. The engine and transmission are feeling a bit dated, and the ride trades comfort for sportiness, so it may not be for everyone, but ultimately Mazda’s signature drive experience is maintained, even at this lower end of the price scale.

The CX-30 comes with a high base level of active safety equipment, coming with radar-based auto emergency braking which works to freeway speeds detecting cyclists and pedestrians during the day.

It also has rear auto braking, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, and traffic sign recognition as standard, with the surprising inclusion of rear-facing items like blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert, both of which are rare on entry-level cars at this price.

Omitted items on this base Pure grade, which include the 360-degree parking camera, front parking sensors, the full adaptive cruise control suite, driver attention alert, and front cross traffic alert can all be optionally included as part of the $1500 Vision Technology pack on automatic versions. Arguably worth it.

Rounding out the CX-30’s equipment is the standard array of electronic brake, traction, and stability aids, alongside a suite of seven airbags (the standard dual front, side, and curtain, as well as a driver’s knee).

The CX-30 range is covered by a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating to the 2019 standard, scoring an impressive 99 per cent in the adult occupant protection category.

As with all Mazda models, the CX-30 comes with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty with five years of roadside assistance, both of which are average when compared to Kia’s market-leading seven-year terms with ‘no strings attached’.

The G20 Touring FWD’s service intervals are on the short side when it comes to distance, at every year or 10,000km, whichever comes first. That said, capped-price servicing is available for the first five visits, costing $1836 in total at minimum, which is fairly reasonable.

Mazda covers its entire passenger car range with a competitive five year and unlimited kilometre warranty, which also includes five years of roadside assist.

Some notable newcomers are moving to seven-year warranty promises, which should increase pressure on established players like Mazda in this space.

The CX-30 needs to be serviced once every 12 months or 10,000km, and pricing alternates between $316 and $361 per visit, for an annual average of $334. It’s not as cheap as some Toyota servicing programs but is certainly at the most affordable end of the market.