Mazda CX-30 review

The CX-30 offers a mature, surprisingly fun drive – the handling is reliably pointy and the car resists lean admirably. The ride is verging on firm but is pleasantly comfortable on all but the worst road surfaces. Though sadly many of our roads only seem to offer the worst surfaces these days. 

It steers, brakes and corners in the same smooth, fluid fashion as the 3 hatchback the car is based on. Overall, it's a very agreeable car to do distance in, easy to place in town and on a country lane, and you might even find yourself accidentally enjoying life. 

What about the engines?

The CX-30 gets the exact same engines as the Mazda 3 hatchback – the choice of two different 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrols (Mazda continues to buck the ‘downsizing’ trend, favouring larger naturally aspirated engines over smaller turbocharged ones). Both of the petrols now have mild hybrid tech (which essentially amounts to extended periods of stop/start) and there’s no longer a diesel offered, in the UK at least. 

The more conventional of the two engines is the 120bhp e-Skyactiv G, which uses an unusually high compression ratio to maintain efficiency. Claims are between 44.1mpg and 47.9mpg and it’ll emit between 134 and 144g/km of CO2. It’s also only available with front-wheel drive. 

Did you mention an 'interesting' engine?

Happily, there’s also Mazda’s fantastically clever petrol ‘Skyactiv-X’ engine that’s now known as the e-Skyactiv-X. Also of 2.0 litres and four cylinders, it claims to offer the efficiency and low-down grunt of a diesel with the high-revving character and feel of a petrol. Something made possible, says Mazda, by ‘spark controlled compression ignition', a system that allows the engine to switch between spark and compression ignition methods as required.

Pretty much all you need to know is that with its additional hybrid boost you now get 183bhp and in real world driving we managed reasonably impressive early 40s mpg.

What about the transmission?

All-wheel drive is available in combination with the e-Skyactiv-X engine, but even then don’t expect the CX-30 to get very far off-road. That’s not what it’s for. Save your money and some weight by sticking with FWD.

Mazda’s manual gearboxes are usually among the best fitted to mainstream cars (Honda’s are notably brilliant, too), and the CX-30’s is no different. The automatic is of the old-school, torque-converter variety and… it isn’t great. It’ll cost you a fair chunk more than the manual, and it can be a bit clunky and indecisive. Double-clutch transmissions offered by other manufacturers are way ahead, even though many seem to have been somewhat compromised by WLTP economy and emissions testing procedures.