New Mazda CX-30 priced from $29,990

AUSTRALIAN pricing for Mazda’s new middling-sized CX-30 SUV will start at $29,990 plus on-road costs – just $890 under the $30,880 entry price for the bigger Mazda CX-5.

Unveiled at the Geneva motor show in March and due to go on sale in Australia in February next year, the all-new CX-30 has been designed to split the difference between the compact CX-3 and medium CX-5, going up against the likes of Nissan’s Qashqai and Skoda’s Karoq.

Mazda Australia is hoping there is just enough difference – in style and specification – in the CX-30 to attract new buyers to the marque without cannibalising sales of existing Mazda SUVs.

At 4395mm long and 1795mm wide, the CX-30 is 155mm shorter and 45mm narrower than the CX-5, but 120mm longer and 30mm wider than the CX-3. A 740mm gap between the new model’s front seats is claimed to be on par with the bigger CX-5, providing room for broad armrests.

Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi described the new model as “the perfect middle ground between small and medium SUV, giving customers a really sensible alternative that is equally stylish and innovative”.

“Cutting-edge features such as a front cross-traffic alert and a driver monitoring system, which monitors the driver’s face to detect fatigue before sending an alert, place Mazda CX-30 at the forefront of technology and innovation in the segment, delivering greater value for money for our customers,” he said.

The CX-30 will be offered in Australia with four specification levels – Pure, Evolve, Touring and Astina. The majority are front-wheel drive, but the top two can be optioned with all-wheel drive at a $2000 premium.

There is a choice of two four-cylinder petrol engines plucked from the latest Mazda3 – a 114kW/200Nm 2.0-litre and 139kW/252Nm 2.5-litre, both mated exclusively with a six-speed automatic transmission.

The smaller engine can accelerate the CX-30 from 0-100km/h in 10.2 seconds, while the bigger unit takes 8.7s in front-drive form or 9.1s with all-wheel drive.

Official combined-cycle fuel efficiency of the 2.0-litre engine is 6.5 litres per 100km, with front- and all-wheel-drive variants of the 2.5-litre unit respectively rated at 6.6L/100km and 6.8L/100km.

Mazda expects 92 per cent of CX-30 customers will opt for front-drive, with three quarters also going for the 2.0-litre engine.

Only the larger 2.5-litre engine can be paired with AWD, and unlike its CX-3 and CX-5 stablemates, no diesel engine will be offered on the CX-30.

The new CX-30 – the fifth SUV in the Mazda range – kicks off with the front-wheel-drive 2.0-litre Pure automatic at $29,990 plus on-road costs.

By comparison, the Mazda’s top-selling CX-5 starts at $30,880 for the front-drive 2.0-litre Maxx with a manual gearbox. The six-speed automatic transmission takes this price to $32,880.

Rival Nissan’s Qashqai starts at $27,490 for the ST 2WD, while Skoda’s Karoq kicks off at $29,999 for the manual and $32,290 for the auto.

The CX-30 range tops out with the 2.5-litre Astina AWD at $43,490.

Mazda Australia predicts the entry-level Pure will be the most popular CX-30 variant in its first year on sale, accounting for 23 per cent of total volume.

This places it slightly ahead of the Evolve (22%) and Touring (21% for the 2.0-litre version and 13% for the 2.5-litre).

The flagship 2.5-litre Astina is expected to capture 12 per cent of sales, with the 2.0-litre Astina mopping up the last 9.0 per cent.

The Pure and Evolve variants come with a navy and black interior colour scheme with black cloth upholstery, while the upper variants get a choice of black or white leather within an otherwise brown interior finish.

All variants have an 8.8-inch touchscreen with sat-nav and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring, satellite navigation, AM/FM/DAB+ radio, Bluetooth with audio streaming and USB input.

Standard safety and driver assist technologies include adaptive cruise control with stop and go function, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist with lane-departure warning, driver alertness monitor, autonomous emergency braking in forward and reverse gear including rear cross-traffic detection, forward collision warning, a reversing camera, rear parking sensors, road-sign recognition and tyre pressure monitoring.

Also included are seven airbags, dusk-sensing LED headlights with automatic high beam, keyless push-button start, a 7.0-inch multifunction instrument display, auto-folding electric exterior mirrors, an electric park brake with auto-hold and hill-start assist and four-way steering column adjustment.

Stepping up to Evolve trim level increases the alloy wheel size from 16 to 18 inches and replaces manual air-conditioning with dual-zone automatic climate control, along with the addition of leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear selector, self-dimming interior mirror, sunglasses holder and paddle-shifters for manual control of the automatic transmission.

The Touring adds black leather upholstery with 10-way adjustment with two-position memory and lumbar support control for the driver, front parking sensors, keyless entry, auto-dimming, position memory and automatic reverse tilt for the exterior mirrors and a pair of illuminated vanity mirrors.

Going for the top-spec Astina nets a 12-speaker Bose premium audio system, adaptive LED headlights, the option of white or black leather upholstery and a bright finish for the 18-inch alloys. Going for the 2.5-litre engine on this variant also brings a glass tilt/slide sunroof.

A package of additional driver aids included on the Astina – and optional on other variants for $1500 – comprises 360-degree monitor, semi-autonomous cruising and traffic support, front cross-traffic alert and a more sophisticated driver drowsiness monitor.

Mazda says it went to a lot of trouble with the CX-30’s ergonomics, ensuring regularly used storage spaces and controls are easily reached and conveniently angled, as well as developing seats that match the S-curve of the driver’s spine.

Packaging was also carefully considered, with Mazda taking into account the cramped feeling smaller drivers can experience when moving their seat forward to reach the pedals by adjusting the relative positioning of steering wheel and gear selector.

Other development goals were to enable all occupants to easily see each other’s face and for them to make getting in and out of both front and rear seats as undemanding as possible for people of all shapes and sizes.

A 430-litre boot – just 12L smaller than that of the CX-5 – is claimed to accommodate a stroller and one carry-on suitcase, with its broad 1020mm tailgate opening and low 731mm floor height said to simplify the loading and unloading of bulky items.

The colour palette has a choice of eight exterior paint finishes: Polymetal Grey Metallic, Soul Red Crystal Metallic, Machine Grey Metallic, Sonic Silver Metallic, Snowflake White Pearl Mica, Titanium Flash Mica, Deep Crystal Blue Mica and Jet Black Mica.

Pricing for premium colour options has not yet been confirmed, but the new CX-30 will come with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and roadside assistance package.

2020 Mazda CX-30 range pricing:*

 *Excludes on-road costs