Motors North: The Mazda CX-30 scores well on looks and performance
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Some people buy a specific car for the status. Others for the design and styling while the performance and economy is the most important factor when it comes to signing on the bottom line... and there are those who’ll buy a car because they like the colour.
I suspect someone buying a Mazda is more influenced by the build quality and the technical stuff under the bonnet.
The Japanese brand do things a little differently from the herd. Most manufacturers these days are using turbos, but Mazda have instead implemented some of the elements of a diesel engine to get the most from their petrol versions.
Their revolutionary Skyactiv technology is in the world’s first petrol engine with compression ignition which combines the free-revving performance of a petrol engine with the fuel economy of a diesel.
Like a diesel engine the fuel and air mixture are ignited by squeezing it and uses a spark plug only to start the process. That gives greater control and reliability and torque is improved by 30 per cent, fuel consumption is reduced by 20 per cent and emissions are much lower too.
It’s been a great success but now the Mazda engineers have taken it a stage further by adding mild hybrid technology to the 2.0 litre engine and renamed it “e-Skyactiv X”.
The result is a power boost, lower emissions and better economy, which combine to make an attractive package, especially for company car drivers who’ll save on their Benefit-in-Kind penalties.
I’ve been experiencing it in the latest version of the Mazda CX-30 compact SUV, which sits between the popular Mazda 3 hatch and the larger CX-5.
Those of an arithmetical mind might wonder why 30 comes between 3 and 5 but there’s a simple explanation. The CX-4 name has already been given to a similar car which is sold exclusively in China by a joint venture and so isn’t available for other markets.
As for the technical stuff, the new engine is efficient. In my week behind the wheel I easily achieved the claimed economy of just under 50 mpg which is impressive for a two-litre engine and welcome with the prices at the pumps.
However, you have to work the engine hard and that means your hand spends a lot of time on the six-speed manual gear-change. Thankfully, it’s a very sweet gearbox but don’t expect a relaxing, effortless drive in this machine. On a couple of occasions, admittedly on challenging back road hills, I found it struggled a bit but this was compensated by superb cruising on the major routes.
Under the surface is the same platform as the hatchback but it rides higher on the road and is aimed at taking on some tough competition from the likes of the Seat Ateca, Skoda Karoq, Nissan Qashqai and even the BMW X2 and Volvo XC40.
It looks good with smooth, flowing lines from the long sharp-nosed bonnet through to the stubby rear end with black plastic body moulding and extended wheel arches along the side.
The quality of the finish inside is impressive, sophisticated and well away from the perceived plasticky image of some other Japanese brands. The dash is dominated by an almost 9in wide screen in the centre with all the functions accessed by a rotary dial between the seats, making it more accurate and easy to use while on the move than the alternative touchscreen.
The GT Sport-spec test car came with stacks of equipment including heated steering wheel, 12-speaker Bose surround sound audio and head-up display sensibly linked to the memory on the seats which also recalled the settings for the door mirrors.
Cockpit space in the front is generous although it is a bit tighter in the back if you happen to be transporting a couple of six-footers and the boot has a removable double floor which increases capacity or can be used for hiding valuables when left in place.
Mazda CX-30 2 WD GT Sport
PRICE: £30,405 (£31,215 as tested)
ENGINE: 1998cc four-cylinder e-Skyactiv X petrol M Hybrid
POWER: 186 PS
TORQUE: 240 Nm
TOP SPEED: 127 mph
0-62MPH: 8.3 seconds
ECONOMY: 49 mpg
CO2: 128 g/km
CAR: Mazda CX-30 2WD GT Sport
