2021 Mazda CX-30 vs 2023

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.

I’m glad we checked in on our old friend, the Mazda CX-30. Despite being a car with two wheels planted in the future, and two firmly planted in the past, it manages to hold the line against many of its newer rivals, both on the cheaper and higher-tech end of the spectrum.

What you see really is what you get with this Mazda; it’s lovely to drive, looks fantastic, and punches above its weight when it comes to cabin ambiance. While what’s under the bonnet might no longer be in vogue, driving this car again has only reinforced its standing as small SUV royalty.

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.

While the Haval Jolions of the world look ready to hit up the McDonald’s drive thru with their youthful flair, and cars like the Toyota Corolla Cross want to save money and dine at home with their conservative appearance, the Mazda CX-30 looks dressed to impress, as though it should be seen at the valet stand of your nearest Michelin-star restaurant.

A few years of age or not, the design of this car is still spectacular at this price, placing it right at the forefront of looks for the mainstream small SUV segment.

The delicate panel work, signature big grille, and large wheels at this Astina grade match nicely with the minimalist light fittings which themselves come complete with a soft-fade effect for the indicators.

It’s attention to detail like this which makes the CX-30 look like it belongs in a price-bracket above, and demands rivals pay attention.

The interior meets expectations, too, which is no small feat given some cars in this space prove it’s one thing to look great, and quite another to match it with a truly premium feel.

Mazda has done a fantastic job in the cabin which feels the part with an abundance of soft-touch materials, a dark, modern colour scheme, and an overall vibe which is ageing well even compared to more recently launched rivals.

I would go so far as to say, at the Astina grade the CX-30 feels more like it should be competing with Lexus, certainly punching above the mark, even at its mid-$40K price-point.

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.

It looks good and feels good, but is it practical? While the CX-30 is larger than its smaller CX-3 sibling, it still leaves space to be desired, especially compared to some other segment-bending small SUVs it competes with.

The front seat is not where the bad news starts though. It feels spacious enough inside for a couple, with large seats, plenty of space separating the front two occupants, and plenty of comfort on offer with padded armrests on both sides.

There are big bottle holders in the doors and in a flip-open bay in the console (wouldn’t want to interrupt this design… ), and there’s additional storage once you slide and flip open the armrest.

To keep things tidy, your USB and 12V power connections are also located in the console bay. No need for messy cables, and there’s a little divider, too.

On the downside here, there’s a chunk of dead space under the climate unit, which looks like it could be filled with a shelf or, better yet, wireless charger. As it is, it’s just a plastic panel with a small bay underneath which barely fits a phone.

Adjustability is great for the driver, with a reach- and tilt-adjustable steering wheel, and high belt-line offering a sporty hatch-like feel, which I instantly felt comfortable with.

The rear seat isn’t as impressive. While the fancy seat trim and soft-touch points mostly continue, some of the padding in the doors has been replaced with hard plastic, and there’s a raise in the floor to facilitate all-wheel drive on some variants which eats into the centre occupant’s foot space.

Behind my own seating position, my knees have a tiny amount of room, and so does my head, at 182cm tall. Technically, I fit, but it’s close, and feels it.

Rear occupants get a padded drop-down armrest with two bottle holders, an extra two surprisingly large ones in the doors, but no power outlets. There are two adjustable air vents on the back of the centre console.

The coupe-like design also has a cost when it comes to boot space. There’s 317-litres (VDA) of space available, although we could only fit the CarsGuide luggage set when the parcel shelf was removed.

The space is suitable for a couple on a weekend adventure, but a bit tight if you have more requirements, like a pram-age child, for example.

There is an under-floor space which houses a space-saver spare wheel and part of the Bose sound system.

When Mazda started what seemed like a push upmarket at the time, the CX-30 was an expensive small SUV. The intention with this car’s look and feel seemed to match the pricing, though, so we all thought Mazda was trying to establish a new semi-premium positioning.

As fate would have it, though, through a pandemic and various fluctuations when it comes to supply and raw material costs, every other manufacturer in this mainstream small SUV space has pushed up the price-scale, too, now making even the more expensive versions of the CX-30 look not so bad value after all.

The specific version we have for this test is the top-trim Astina, using the larger 2.5-litre engine in front-wheel drive form.

The CX-30 range is expansive and confusing, because you can also have an Astina with the smaller 2.0-litre engine, or in all-wheel drive, or even with Mazda’s odd new ‘X20’ engine option which is effectively a supercharged compression-ignition science experiment.

This front-drive 2.5-litre version is probably the pick of the Astina bunch, though, offering the larger engine without the weight or unnecessary cost of all-wheel drive.

Wearing a before on-roads price-tag of $43,310, it now goes into battle with the surprisingly expensive Toyota Corolla Cross (Atmos FWD - $43,550), Honda HR-V (e:HEV L - $47,000), Volkswagen T-Roc (R-Line AWD - $45,200), and the almost as expensive top-spec Kia Seltos (GT-Line FWD - $41,500).

Of course, if these prices, which will approach $50K once you factor in on-road costs, are making you wince, there’s always the more affordable Haval Jolion (from $36,990 for an equivalent high-spec S) or the MG ZST (from $34,990 for an equivalent Essence) from China.

If you’re thinking neither will hold a candle to the Mazda’s dynamics or quality, you’d be right. Read on to learn why.

Before we go on, though, at this Astina grade equipment includes 18-inch alloy wheels, an 8.8-inch multimedia panel with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, LED headlights, a sunroof, heated front seats with power adjust for the driver, a 7.0-inch digital instrument element, surprisingly nice leather interior trim for the seats and wheel, dual-zone climate, a head-up display, and a 360-degree parking camera.

Interesting omissions at this price include a wireless charger, wireless phone mirroring, USB-C connectivity, and while there’s a great safety suite included, there’s also no true hybrid option in the CX-30 range.

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.

This is where the Mazda is really showing its age. G25 variants are powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine, which isn’t turbocharged, nor is it assisted at the wheels by electric motors in a hybrid arrangement.

It’s punchy enough to keep the pace with most of its turbo rivals, putting out 139kW/252Nm, and some will love the fact it’s paired with a traditional torque converter automatic instead of a rubbery continuously variable or glitchy dual-clutch set-up, but it’s certainly not for the eco-conscious.

Not only is it a relatively large displacement engine, but aside from a start-stop system there’s little to mitigate your emissions. In fact, this unit only complies with Euro 5 emissions regulations, well behind the pace today.

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.

Some bad news, of course, comes at the fuel pump. The official claim for this relatively large engine is a bit bold, at 6.8L/100km on the ADR combined cycle, but if you’re using it for mainly urban duties as we did for this review I wouldn’t be surprised to see figures more in the region between 8.0 and 9.0L/100km.

As it stands, our car produced an average of 7.8L/100km, which is better than expected, but still painful in the era of hybrids and fuel-sipping turbos, especially when fuel is close to $2.00 a litre in most capital cities.

Mercifully, the lack of complexity from this engine does mean you can put bog-standard 91 RON unleaded in the tank.

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 is awesome to drive. In a sea of lacklustre small SUVs, it’s instantly easy to connect with this Mazda. Yes, the engine and transmission here aren’t the most recent additions to the landscape, but they are predictable, smooth, and easy to deal with.

In fact, one thing Mazda is particularly good at is making its entire range feel homogenous in terms of the drive experience, maintaining the great dynamics which the brand has become synonymous with.

The touchpoints continue to be fantastic on the move. The steering feels light and easy to turn at low speeds, but becomes purposeful and full of feel at higher speeds.

The direct feedback on offer from the rack and the firm springs up front give a great handle on what the front wheels are doing.

The overall feel is firm and reactive, ready for action, and while not everyone will love the hard edge to the suspension, it helps the car feel springy and agile in the corners.

You can feel the Mazda 3 DNA on full display when you’re driving this car in haste, and it’s a kind of dynamism which most rivals can’t match, even if the Mazda’s drivetrain is feeling a little low-tech.

You certainly don’t need to worry about the six-speed transmission, which is a smooth-shifting unit.

There’s no glitchy behaviour on hills or from a stop like you might get in a dual-clutch, or rubbery surging under acceleration often delivered by a CVT, just the feeling of the car riding each gear out, and shifting between clearly defined ratios.

Drivers of older vehicles especially will appreciate its instantly familiar feel.

Ergonomically, it’s pretty straightforward, with the one major downside being the dial set-up. We like physical controls rather than touch controls, but Mazda has taken this to the extreme by not making the main multimedia screen a touch unit.

Instead, you’re forced to negotiate with phone mirroring software using a rotary dial, which is at best clumsy, and at worst distracting.

It’s also a tad difficult to see over this car’s high beltline, making it hard to tell where the corners are, front and rear, and a common Mazda problem is the wing mirrors which seem to have a zoom factor on them. Why? It limits your view into the lanes next to you.

Thankfully the active safety suite spends most of its time in the background and unlike some more recent offerings in the small SUV space, not interfering with the excellent drive experience.

The lane keep software is light handed, and the driver monitoring tech is more basic, which is honestly all you should need.

Overall then, the CX-30 is predictable, familiar, and has a fantastic quality to its handling which fits the Mazda brand promise.

Aside from a few blemishes then, it’s one of the best cars to drive in the segment, just don’t expect it to feel as cutting-edge as it could.

I love the lack of invasive safety tech in the CX-30, but that’s not to say this car lacks any of the required gear.

Active equipment includes freeway-speed auto emergency braking, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring with rear- and front-cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, adaptive high-beams, driver attention alert, and traffic sign recognition.

You also score a very nice 360-degree parking camera and sensors, as well as a suite of seven airbags.

The CX-30 scored particularly highly across all of ANCAP’s testing criteria, with a particularly impressive 99 per cent in adult occupant protection. It achieved this rating in 2020.

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.

As with all Mazdas, the ownership proposition is pretty straightforward. There’s five years of warranty, five years of roadside assist, and five years of capped price servicing.

Service costs are pretty tame, too, with our front-drive G25 Astina working out to an average of $360 per year for the first five years.

You’ll need to visit a workshop once every 10,000km or 12 months, whichever comes first.