Test drive: Mazda CX-30 Skyactiv-G, the best SUV alternative to a compact car

The Mazda CX-30 could not better represent the balance between what a compact car should offer and the qualities you would expect from an SUV. In terms of efficiency or driving feel, it resembles a Mazda3, with which it shares its platform. And aesthetically it offers that sought-after SUV silhouette which, in the case of Mazda, combines elegance, sportiness and exclusivity in equal measure.

It is available with two petrol engines: the Skyactiv-G with the 122 CV naturally aspirated 2.0 that features in our test, and the revolutionary 180 CV Skyactiv-X, which we have not yet tried but which promises a very interesting balance between performance and consumption. Mazda also continues to offer a diesel version, the Skyactiv-D, with a 116 CV 1.8 engine.

Both petrol versions come with a Mild Hybrid light hybrid system and therefore with the advantages of the DGT ECO label. This, together with a price 2,000 euros lower than the diesel – starting from less than 24,800 euros, including discounts, which can be lower if you finance the purchase – led us to choose this Skyactiv-G version for the first test of Mazda’s compact SUV.

And I can already tell you that it left us with very good impressions.

Mazda CX-30: bodywork and exterior design

The Mazda CX-30 is 4.40 metres long, 1.80 metres wide and 1.54 metres high. For many, it may look more like a compact in which you sit a little higher, although the driving position is closer to that of a conventional saloon than to a typical SUV. The wheelbase is 2.65 metres.

In fact, compared with a Mazda 3, it is around 6 cm shorter and 10 cm taller. That higher driving position, together with the SUV styling, can be a selling point. Getting into the car is easier than in a compact, and the driving position is more comfortable, as you sit more “upright”.

Without going as far as a very coupé-like design, the CX-30 is one of the SUVs that conveys sportiness, with a very fluid and minimalist silhouette. It does not feel like a car designed to leave the tarmac; nor is that its purpose. The front has a lot of character, with a grille that takes centre stage on a front end where the bumper is so discreet it seems not to exist.

Interior: quality and practicality

Inside, the sense of quality conveyed by the Mazda MX-30 has little to envy in other more expensive and luxurious SUVs. And this is another of the car’s strong points. You feel comfortable at the controls, with a sense of being “at home”.

At this price level there is no other car so well finished, with such attention to detail. You notice it when touching the materials, in the solid and precise feel of the controls, in the quality of the camera system images, or in how easy it is to find the controls you need and how comfortable the seats are. It also offers various customisation options, including two-tone finishes.

By the way, the dashboard design is not just reminiscent of the Mazda3’s; it is practically identical.

The MX-30’s advantage over the compact should become apparent when you measure it. But in the rear seats, occupants of the MX-30 will not travel more comfortably because of a few extra centimetres compared with the Mazda 3, but because of a higher seating position, with the seats set somewhat further from the floor. It would have been a good idea to offer some kind of longitudinal adjustment of the bench or backrest recline, which this Mazda does not have.

The boot capacity is indeed greater than in the Mazda3. It is rated at 430 litres, about 70 more than the Japanese brand’s compact, although it falls short of the average among SUVs of its size, which easily approach 500 litres. The shapes are very square and usable. Beneath the floor there is a compartment for objects which, if you opt for the high-end multimedia system – by Bose, with 12 speakers – also houses the subwoofer.

On the higher trim levels the tailgate has electric operation, while the loading height, due to the shape of the car, is only 730 mm, which makes loading and unloading luggage easier.

Multimedia system and driver assistance

More things I liked about the CX-30, and which are going out of fashion in other cars. On one hand, the instrument cluster, with a classic layout of analogue dials that is very clear and easy to read, although I am a supporter of the new configurable digital instrumentation.

On the other hand, a multimedia system that retains a practical control knob on the centre console, which makes it unnecessary for the screen to be touch-sensitive and allows it to be positioned high and elevated, where it is easier to check without taking your eyes off the road or your hands off the wheel. There is also voice control for the main functions. To keep the dashboard clear, some buttons are grouped below the air vent to the left of the dashboard.

The multimedia screen measures 8.8 inches, is compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and offers good resolution with operating logic that makes it easy to move through the menus and find what you need.

As for driver assistance systems, the MX-30 can be equipped with active cruise control capable of adapting and following the vehicle in front in dense traffic, a camera-based driver fatigue detector that tracks the driver’s eye movements, and an emergency braking system.

With a discount of 2,800 euros off the list price, the CX-30 is available from 24,775 euros in Origin trim, a price 2,000 euros lower than the 1.8 diesel with the same power. The Evolution version costs 26,425 euros, and the Zenith trim rises to 27,675 euros. An automatic gearbox can be chosen, but from Evolution trim upwards, for an extra 2,800 euros. Four-wheel drive is also available, for an extra 2,000 euros.

Naturally aspirated petrol engine and Mild Hybrid

Finding a car in this category with a petrol engine that does not rely on a turbocharger, and which also carries the DGT ECO label thanks to the light hybrid system, is far from common.

This 2.0 Skyactiv-G is not a spectacular engine in terms of performance figures, but it is so in how smoothly it works. So if you accept that you will have to use the gearbox frequently in situations where you need the engine to pull, this version is absolutely recommended. So, just so you know: lugging the engine in high gears will not do here; you need to work the right hand and left foot in situations such as overtaking or steep gradients.

The good news is that the engine is just as silky at low revs as when the needle heads towards the red zone, and the gear lever has a magnificent feel. The immediate throttle response makes it very pleasant to use in town.

On the road with the Mazda CX-30

Thanks to solutions such as the system that temporarily deactivates two of the four cylinders when cruising on flat roads at constant speed (the driver won’t even notice) and the M HYBRID system, the Mazda CX-30 Skyactiv-G is one of the SUVs with around 120-130 CV that consumes least. Our test route averaged 7.5 l/100 km, with constant-speed stretches where the average approached 6 l/100 km, and without soaring in town, where we came close to 9 l/100 km.

The M HYBRID system works as is usual in Mild Hybrid cars: an electric motor that can work as both alternator and starter motor, driven by a belt from the crankshaft, provides driving assistance and helps the engine restart more quickly after stopping at a standstill. The supposed support to the combustion engine is not very noticeable, but the start-stop is among the quickest and smoothest we have tested. The 24-volt lithium-ion battery stores the energy recovered during deceleration and braking.

The steering feel of the Mazda CX-30 came as no surprise, being one of the SUVs whose driving sensations are closest to a compact car. As a result it is more agile in its responses and feels more precise than the vast majority of its main rivals, such as a Seat Ateca, a Skoda Karoq or a Nissan Qashqai. The closest in dynamic behaviour would be a BMW X2, clearly in a different price bracket.

The suspension with conventional dampers offers a fine balance between comfort and effectiveness, and body movements are very well controlled. The GVC Plus system also contributes to the MX-30’s effectiveness. It works by applying a light intervention to the brakes of the outer wheels when leaving a bend and returning the steering to the neutral position, smoothing out the transitions when the load shifts.

CX-30 image gallery Mazda

Technical specifications of this car

CrossoverMazda CX-3061 versions · from 31,340 €