Mazda Reviews

The Mazda MX-30 E35 Astina is a quirky, comfortable, luxurious and dynamic SUV, but suffers in Australia for a lack of competitive range, non-subsidised high pricing and poor rear-seat packaging. Yet its real-world 200km between top-ups is sufficient for most, and you get to enjoy striking design, an opulent interior and lots of standard features, making this a flawed yet compelling premium EV.

Small car, big city - seems like a perfect match right? It could be, as long as you don't bring your parents.

Mazda has entered the market with a mild-hybrid version its new MX-30, but is it hybrid enough to win over climate conscious hearts? And does it even need to?

Mazda is offering the MX-30 coupe as an internal-combustion car before the EV arrives later in the year. Dripping with unique style, a terrific interior and a sadly underpowered engine, it's probably not as sporty as it thinks it is.

The 2021 Mazda CX-8 range has a wide variety of differences - this week I tested the top-of-the-range Asaki LE model as a family car. With lots of bells and whistles inside, is it worth $30,000 more than the base CX-8?

The Mazda CX-9 scored a minor update for 2021 and the most surprising part of that facelift was the Azami LE. The top-of-the-range Azami does well for Mazda but obviously someone asked customers some questions relating to the middle seat in the back and the company discovered some people are willing to pay more for less. Seats, that is.

The Touring is the second lowest grade of CX-8 available, but is offered with a choice of petrol or diesel engines.The petrol engine is a 2.5-litre unit outputting 140kW/252Nm and sends drive to the front wheels, while the 2.2-litre turbo-diesel produces 140kW/450Nm and drives all four corners. Both come with a six-speed automatic.Added to the Touring grade is keyless entry, push-button start, electronically adjustable front seats, heated front seats, front parking sensors and a black leather interior.

The new flagship of the 2021 CX-8 line-up is the Asaki LE.Differentiating itself from the standard Asaki, the LE swaps the second-row bench seats out for two captain's chairs.The second row seats feature electronic adjustment, as well as heating and cooling functions.A unique centre console is also included for the second row, which sports storage options and USB ports for charging.Priced at $69,920, the Asaki LE is available exclusively with a 140kW/450Nm 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine with all-wheel drive and a six-speed automatic transmission.

The second-to-top GT grade adds a few more upmarket appointments to the interior, including a 10-speaker Bose sound system and a sunroof.On the outside, the GT is distinguished by 19-inch wheels, adaptive LED headlights and LED daytime running lights.Only the diesel engine is available for the GT grade, which is a 2.2-litre unit outputting 140kW/450Nm to either the front or all-four wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.The front-drive version is priced at $62,790 before on-road costs, while the all-wheel-drive GT is $63,290.

The Sport grade opens the CX-8 range and is priced at $39,990 before on-road costs for the front-drive 2.5-litre petrol and $46,990 for the all-paw 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine.The former puts out 140kW/252Nm while the latter makes 140kW/450Nm, and both are paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.Standard equipment on the Sport grade includes an 8.0-inch multimedia system with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, 17-inch wheels, digital radio, head-up display, black cloth interior and three-zone climate control.Safety systems extend to autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keep assist, traffic-sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control and a reversing camera.