Mazda CX-30
Compact SUV guns for Seat Ateca
Naming a new car is always a tricky business. Not only does it have to somehow suit the car – not always easy if you’re just mixing letters and numbers – but it also has to fit in with the wider range. The latter point is something that appears to have been forgotten when Mazda named the CX-30, the first SUV based on the Japanese brand’s latest hardware.
The CX-30 sits between the compact CX-3 and large CX-5, but the CX-4 moniker is already used in China for a crossover coupé, hence CX-30. At least it being a multiple of three makes sense when you consider that underneath the flowing lines and tough plastic wheel-arch extensions, you’ll find the Mazda 3’s platform.
Not that it’s just a 3 on stilts. The wheelbase and overall length have been reduced to help it feel more at home in town and the styling has been subtly tweaked to create a handsome if not particularly lofty crossover. Indeed, even though I’m a mere 5ft 4in, I could easily see over the roof – not something that can be said of the Seat Ateca.
Both four-wheel drive and Mazda’s clever Skyactiv-x compression ignition petrol engine will be available at launch, but neither was available for our early drive. Instead, we were limited to front-wheel drive and regular combustion engines.
With the petrol and diesel having around 120bhp, performance is
TESTER’S NOTE Mazda is so focused on driver comfort that it decided against any form of touchscreen for the infotainment as it puts too much strain on your back. ATJ
adequate two-up but nothing more. The diesel certainly feels easier going thanks to its far greater torque below 2000rpm, but it’s the petrol that would be our pick. It is much more refined and there’s something rather appealing about a naturally aspirated engine in today’s downsized, turbocharged world.
Yes, you have to make the engine spin well beyond 3000rpm for the car to move with any great urgency, but that just means you have to interact with the deliciously tactile manual gearchange even more. An auto is available, but it feels distinctly old school.
Keen drivers have more to appreciate than the manual ’box, too. The steering might not feel particularly quick off centre, but it’s precise, with an oily weight that builds progressively as you load up the chassis. Factor in perfectly weighted and ideally placed pedals and you’ve a car that’s satisfying to drive, even in stop-start traffic.
It also feels agile. On the smooth twists and turns just outside Frankfurt, where we drove it, the CX-30 proved keen to scythe through S-bends with minimal body lean and strong grip. The idea of a 178bhp Skyactiv-x under the bonnet is a tantalising one, for sure.
Mazda’s interiors have been impressive of late and the CX-30’S is no exception. All models get lashings of leatherette on the dashboard, plenty of squishy plastics and controls that have a pleasing precision to them. Forget the Ateca and Nissan Qashqai: this is quality to worry a BMW X2.
Infotainment is taken care of by the 3’s 8.8in screen mounted high on the dashboard. This is controlled by a rotary dial between the seats, something that makes it easy to navigate, even on the move. The graphics are sharp and Apple Carplay and Android Auto are standard.
There’s certainly space to stretch out in the front of the CX-30 and it’s easy to find a driving position that suits, thanks to plenty of adjustment for the seat and wheel. Just remember that although you do sit higher than in hatchbacks, Ateca and Qashqai drivers will look down on you. Rear space is less impressive as head and especially leg room are tight for a six-footer sitting behind a similarly lofty driver. Boot space is also behind the class best and there are no clever features to boost practicality.
All things considered, we’d certainly recommend putting the CX-30 on your shortlist of crossover hatchbacks to try if your budget is around £25,000. Based on this brief encounter, it could give the Ateca a run for its money as a driver’s tool and the perceived quality of its cabin is unbeatable unless you consider something with a posh badge on its nose. Although we do wish it had a bit more punch, the Skyactiv-x engine should scratch that itch.
Satisfyingly agile and blessed with a high-quality interior, the CX-30 is a tempting choice if you don’t need vast amounts of space inside.