Mazda sets free NZ-spec CX-30
Mazda NZ has launched the local CX-30 small SUV online as lockdown continues, writes Nile Bijoux.
Mazda New Zealand has decided it can’t wait for lockdown restrictions to lift and has debuted its latest small SUV online, hot on the heels of a podium finish in the recent World Car of the Year awards.
The new CX-30 will be sold here in three flavours, mimicking the lineup of the Mazda3. They are GSX, GTX and Limited, with the latter two getting the larger 2.5-litre engine and Mazda’s i-Activ all-wheel drive system. The GSX uses a smaller 2.0-litre engine powering the front wheels only. All are paired with a sixspeed automatic transmission only, no manual here.
GSX’s output is rated at 114kW/200Nm while fuel consumption is a claimed 6.4L/100km. The other two, with the larger engine and AWD, offer 139kW/ 252Nm and fuel consumption of 6.8L/100km.
Mazda says the CX-30 slots in between the CX-3 and CX-5 in terms of dimensions. The ZoomZoom company was careful not to tread on the toes of either existing SUV because every metric offered to us puts the CX-30 between the other two, except for front headroom where the CX offers the least (967mm versus 976mm for the CX-3 and 1007mm for the CX-5).
You can almost think of the CX-30 as the SUV version of the new Mazda3. The design is an evolution of the Kodo language the 3 employs, inside and out. There are a few cool new additions, like dimming turn signals.
Mazda says the indicators gradually dim after lighting up, like a heartbeat. The turn indicators in the dash and the operating sound are both tuned to match the rhythm of the external signals. Apparently this is the first time a vehicle has incorporated this sort of lighting control.
The SUV uses a Macpherson strut front end and a torsion beam around the back. Mazda has also created a new concept tyre, which has a smaller side wall and rigid tread. This lets the tyre distort when hitting a bump, reducing the load on the suspension and translating to a smoother ride for occupants. Mazda reckons the CX-30 is still good fun to drive, despite its family-friendly creds. Hopefully we’ll test that soon but Mazda isn’t often wrong when it comes to this.
Like the Mazda3, the CX-30 range pushes hard on luxury and equipment for the price point. The base GSX model gets automatic headlights, nice 16-inch alloys, an 8.8-inch infotainment screen, a headup display and an eight-speaker audio system. It also has the i-Activsense safety package, which includes lane-keep, active cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and active emergency braking that detects cyclists and pedestrians.
Buyers also get a reversing camera, rear parking sensors and various electronic handling assists.
The GTX adds larger 18-inch wheels, inbuilt sat-nav, autonomous rear braking which helps mitigate damage done from being hit from behind and more electric assists like ‘‘Intelligent Speed Assistance’’ which is linked to the cruise control system and provides additional speed limiting warnings. There are also parking sensors on the nose and an off-road traction assist feature for the AWD system.
Moving to the Limited covers the interior in leather and adds heating to the front seats, converts the headlights to LED units from halogen and swaps the audio for a 12-speaker Bose system.
This gets the same electronic safety and assist features as the GTX with the addition of cruising and traffic support to help ease the commute, and a front cross traffic alert which helps confirm safety at T intersections.
All CX-30s have been given a five-star ANCAP rating, including a 99 per cent score for adult occupant protection, the highest recorded to date.
If that sounds good but you’re wanting something more upmarket, stay tuned for the forthcoming Takami version, due later this year. It will ramp up the luxury and include the snazzy new SkyActiv-X compression ignition engine. We should see it first in the Mazda3 Takami.
For now, prices for the range start at $41,490 for the GSX, $44,990 for the GTX and $50,990 for the Limited. Expect CX-30 Takami to push the sticker closer to $60k.