Mazda CX-30 2.0 AWD GT
We liked the CX-3 and the CX-5 – so would the latest addition to Mazda’s SUV range make it a hat-trick? Charlie Flindt favours fumes over philosophy
IT has been quite hard work keeping up with the SUV shuffle going on at Mazda. There was the smallish CX-3 and a bigger CX-5, and then Mazda – spotting a gap – slotted the CX-30 in between them. No, the company couldn’t use CX-4 because it is already building something with that name in China. And now the CX-3 is being phased out, leaving the CX-30 to cover the smaller end of the range. Got it?
It’s a good-looking machine making clever use of cladding and Mazda’s distinctive krill-harvesting grille. The interior is smart, too, with no sign of the CX-3’S gimmicky dashboard – the CX-30 benefits from a beautifully presented set of dials, perfectly placed through the steering wheel and just hovering on the right
MAZDA CX-30 2.0 180PS AWD GT
SPORT TECH
Engine: 1,998cc petrol
Power: 180PS
Max speed: 127mph Performance, 0 to 62: 9.0 seconds Combined fuel economy: 43.5mpg Insurance group: 18
Price: £32,240
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♦ side of being patronising. Sometimes, the old ways are still the best.
The passenger side has a curious overhanging ledge that swoops down into the door, perfect for thrilling the styling fanatics swooning over the ‘KODO’ design philosophy but not much good for safely resting a large strawberry milkshake – although a good dose of vivid sticky red would certainly have improved the icky 1970s brown that adorned the top of the dash on our test car.
Space in the front is good but in the back and in the boot things are a lot tighter – but the CX-30 is based on the Mazda 3’s platform, so that’s no surprise.
It’s when you get going that the little SUV springs a few surprises, and if you’re expecting the usual dynamic thrill of driving a Mazda then they’re not terribly nice ones. The engine – ‘ground-breaking Spark Controlled Compression Ignition (SPCCI) Skyactiv-x petrol’, according to the brochure – had a nice rorty sound at start up but seems to have an unfashionably narrow power band. It’s reluctant to push on beyond 4,000rpm and dropping below 2,000rpm can result in embarrassing pauses. Funny how we’re already missing diesel. More than once, coming home up the hill, I had to drop another of the six gears hurriedly – and the gear change is not the slick, precise cliché we expect from Mazda. Mind you, I did like the speed matching feature that sets the engine revs ready as you engage the next gear.
There’s also the small matter of the 24V ‘mild’ hybrid system, which, while it no doubt contributes to economy, has an annoying habit of popping in and out with a slight jerk to the otherwise smooth ride. Either that, or there was trouble in the AWD system. Or I was splatting some of the tiny rabbits that have reappeared in huge numbers in the Hampshire lanes.
The CX-30 is a rare beast: it’s a Mazda that doesn’t quite hit the spot. The gap between the CX-3 (which we liked) and the CX-5 (ditto) was barely wide enough to justify yet another model, and it doesn’t feel like a replacement for the CX-3. It’s lovely to look at and sit in but, dynamically, it’s a bit of a shambles. And no amount of multi-lettered acronyms or reverential references to mystical Japanese philosophy can cover that up.
It’s good-looking, making clever use of cladding and Mazda’s distinctive grille