2020 Mazda CX-30 2.0L SkyActiv-X AWD Review

Since the early 2000s, there’s been a massive amount of change in the automotive industry. Gone are the days where the average family bought a large sedan powered by a V6 or V8 engine – these days it’s all about downsizing engine size and physically upsizing the size of the car: the rein of the SUV continues. Yet Mazda hasn’t taken downsizing to the extreme and instead of downsizing, the company has introduced radical new tech to keep the petrol engine around for as long as possible. Enter the 2020 Mazda CX-30 X20 Astina.

This new variant to the CX-30 range uses a radical new engine from Mazda’s ‘SkyActiv’ engine family. It uses a mix of petrol and diesel engine tech, which is then combined with a mild hybrid system, to improve the efficiency of the petrol engine. Make no mistake, there is some serious magic going on under the bonnet of this CX-30, with Mazda having poured billions of dollars into this new engine. But has it worked? Let’s find out as we test this new engine in one of our favourite small SUVs.

Price & Equipment: 7/10

Like the introduction of the first SkyActiv engine in the BL-series Mazda3 in 2012, the SkyActiv-X sits at the top of the CX-30 range. Badged X20 Astina, it’s exclusively available with all-wheel drive and an automatic transmission – the same engine is also available in the Mazda3 too, with both manual and auto transmissions available though it’s solely front-wheel drive.

The 2020 Mazda CX-30 X20 is priced from $46,490 plus on-road costs, and while that is quite a lot for a small SUV, it is fully loaded with standard kit. Highlights include 18-inch alloy wheels, LED lighting, auto lights and wipers, leather upholstery with driver’s 10-way electric adjustment and memory functionality, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, an 8.8-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, inbuilt nav, digital radio, a 12-speaker Bose sound system, a sunroof, keyless entry and start and an electric tailgate.

Standard safety kit is very impressive too, with seven airbags, low- and high-speed auto emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind-spot monitoring with front and rear cross-traffic alert, rear automatic braking, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, Matrix headlights, adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality, driver attention monitoring, a colour heads-up display, traffic sign recognition, a 360-degree parking camera and front and rear parking sensors.

Options are limited to the colour you choose – ‘Soul Red Crystal’, ‘Polymetal Grey’ and the ‘Machine Grey’ of our test car are $495, but ‘Deep Crystal Blue’, ‘Sonic Silver’, ‘Snowflake White’, ‘Titanium Flash’ and ‘Jet Black’ are no-cost options. 

If you absolutely have to have the X20 engine, the Astina is your only choice so far in the CX-30 range – if not, we think better value exists in the lower-spec Evolve or Touring, which manage to offer the same luxury feel but for around $40k. The CX-30 X20 Astina is over $51,000 drive away, and the larger CX-5 Akera 2.5L AWD? Just $200 more.

Performance & Economy: 8/10

There is no mistaking that one of the main talking points of this car is what’s under the bonnet of the CX-30. Producing 132kW of power at 6,000rpm and 224Nm of torque at 3,000rpm, this SkyActiv-X engine claims to marry the best of both a petrol and diesel engine into one sophisticated engine. By offering the smooth characteristics of a petrol engine with the impeccable fuel economy of a diesel, Mazda has shown us what they believe is the immediate future of their drivetrain technology. The 2020 Mazda 3 X20 introduced this entirely new engine for Australia recently, with the CX-30 following closely afterwards.

Mazda has been tinkering with its petrol engines for a while now to improve their efficiency, with their ‘SkyActiv’ tech focussing on burning petrol more efficiently without the use of a turbocharger to save fuel. The magic of this new engine centres around its use of very high pressure in its four cylinders to ignite the fuel, much like in a diesel engine where no spark is used.

Having said this, spark plugs can still be found on the SkyActiv-X engine where they trigger a small explosion in the cylinder which then causes the simultaneous combustion of all of the fuel and air mixture. This ensures that all of the fuel is burnt uniformly inside the engine, meaning that nothing is wasted. Clever. The engine also features a tiny supercharger designed to force additional air into the engine, which helps the SkyActiv-X achieve a drastically leaner fuel burn whereby even less petrol is used.

“Mazda claims that the SkyActiv-X engine offers a 20 to 30 percent improvement in real-world fuel consumption”

Mazda claims that the SkyActiv-X engine offers a 20 to 30 percent improvement in real-world fuel consumption compared to existing 2.0 litre engine on sale in the CX-30. Mazda claims 6.0L/100km combined and we saw a combined average of 7.4L/100km during our stint during a mix of driving around Sydney, and our test car was barely run in as well. Unlike the regular CX-30, the X20 needs minimum 95RON fuel.

The engine itself is incredibly well insulted and is much quieter than most existing Mazda engines. It pulls well from low revs and then continues to race towards the red line. The revised six speed might be one or two gear ratios short, but it shifts smoothly and offers intuitive gear choices on the move. As it’s a traditional torque converter, it’s super smooth at low speeds unlike the dual-clutch auto found in a Skoda Karoq Sportline.

The 2020 Mazda CX-30 X20 also features a 24-volt battery coupled with a mild hybrid system that uses regenerative braking to charge a battery which operates the air conditioning and other car accessories. Having said this the car can never drive purely one electric power alone, unlike a Toyota Corolla Hybrid, which is a true hybrid car.

Ride & Handling: 7/10

Like the standard car, the 2020 Mazda CX-30 X20 has a bit of soul in the way it drives. It’s a fun car to punt around, though don’t expect it to be an MX-5 in overall handling ability. Firstly, the negative: the brake pedal feel is a bit wooden and hard to modulate, and the steering is a bit heavy for our tastes, plus the ride quality needs a bit of fine tuning. But it’s otherwise a positive story with the CX-30.

It’s not as nimble as the entry level Pure that we tested thanks to the addition of the SkyActiv-X tech and all-wheel drive (and 165kg of extra weight as a result), but it’s still much more polished overall than something like the Subaru XV. The grip from the large 18-inch hoops and their Bridgestone tyres is great, and the reactive all-wheel drive system adds confidence to the driver as you can feel it moving power from the front to the rear to help out.

Of course, it’s not a sports car and regular people will like the way the CX-30 drives. Its ride can be a touch firm at times, but it’s very easy to drive. Road noise levels are pleasingly low, though visibility is poor thanks to small windows, large pillars and a high waistline. 

Interior & Practicality: 8/10

Like every other CX-30, the Astina X20’s interior sets the class standard for quality and luxury. It’s an excellent place to spend time – the leather is excellent quality; the plastics are soft and even the window controls feel great to touch. It’s typical of Mazda’s excellent attention to detail where every part of the interior is well thought out.

Centre of the CX-30’s cabin is an 8.8-inch infotainment screen that’s shared with the new Mazda3 and is gradually making its way across the entire Mazda range. Like the previous system, it uses a rotary dial between the front seats but it’s not a touchscreen – something we like, as the screen is mounted far away to be close to the driver’s line of sight. It’s easy to use, and very easy to understand.

The system is fully featured with inbuilt nav, digital radio and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring – though it would be nice to see live traffic updates, wireless ability for the smartphone mirroring and a wireless charger for phones. There are two USB A inputs (including one under the centre armrest so phones are out of sight) and a 12V socket too.

It’s reasonably practical in the front with large door bins, a little tray ahead of the cup holders, a tiny tray to the right of the driver and a large centre console storage hole with a sliding armrest.

It’s not the most spacious interior though – the back seat is tight for somebody around the same size as my six-foot frame in both leg- and headroom. There are rear air vents and a centre arm rest there too, though no charging ports, only one map pocket and the windows are smaller – still larger than the CX-3, though. 

The boot of the CX-30 isn’t large either at just 317-litres. It’s well finished with lovely carpeting, but that’s it – there are no hooks, nets or under floor storage to help practicality. The seats fold relatively flat, though there’s a ridge between the seat and the boot floor. Mazda doesn’t claim a seats folded volume figure, though based on overseas reports, we guess it to be around 1,250L – the similarly-sized Skoda Karoq can hold more than 1,800L, for reference.

Service & Warranty: 8/10

The X20 Astina comes with the same five-year/unlimited km warranty with five years of roadside assistance as the rest of the Mazda range. The SkyActiv-X engine also comes with the same 10,000km/yearly service intervals as the Mazda passenger car range, which are shorter than many rivals.

Servicing the 2020 Mazda CX-30 X20 over five years costs $2,052 ($410 per service) – just $118 more than the 2.5-litre CX-30 over the same time period.

The 2020 Mazda CX-30 SkyActiv-X DiscoverAuto Rating: 7.6/10

Mazda has provided us with an interesting look into the future with the 2020 Mazda CX-30 X20 Astina. This engine tech is genuinely groundbreaking, and the rumour mill provides a more exciting use for the SkyActiv-X tech – reportedly the tech will grace larger six-cylinder engines in future models. But right now

The engine doesn’t detract from the overall CX-30 package though, as it’s still as classy, high quality and fun as ever before. We just wish it had more practicality, though considering how well it’s selling, not many buyers agree.