2023 Mazda CX-30 G20 Pure Review

The Mazda CX-30 launched just three years ago down under and since being on sale, it has consistently been in the top 20 selling cars of Australia. It sits under the popular Mazda CX-5 but above the city-sized Mazda CX-3, making it almost the perfect size for those wanting a small SUV. We tested the entry-level 2023 Mazda CX-30 G20 Pure to see if you should consider it or look at other options.

The CX-30 sits in a new segment which is above the small-SUV and below the mid-sized SUV categories and rivals the likes of the Kia Seltos, Hyundai Kona, Nissan Qashqai, Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross and the Toyota Corolla Cross. Being in such a lucrative market, the Mazda CX-30 needs to do well, so let’s find out if it can stand up to its rivals.

Price & Equipment: 8/10

Priced from $30,090 plus on-road costs, the 2023 Mazda CX-30 G20 Pure is one of the cheaper options in this segment. Though it’s more expensive than the Kona and Seltos, it’s quite well equipped for a base model and importantly for enthusiasts, it’s one of the only small SUVs to offer a manual transmission. The six-speed automatic Pure we tested here is priced $1,000 higher at $31,090 plus on-road costs (or around $35,500 drive away, depending on location).

Standard equipment includes 16-inch alloy wheels, automatic LED lighting (with halogen daytime running lights), auto and wipers, cloth upholstery, four auto up/down windows, manual air-conditioning, push button start (but with remote entry), auto-folding mirrors, an 8.8-inch infotainment system with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation, digital radio, an eight-speaker sound system, a 7.0-inch digital driver’s display and much needed recent additions: a leather steering wheel and gear knob.

Safety kit includes seven airbags, auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, rear auto braking, lane departure warning with lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert (with braking), auto high beam, driver attention alert, speed sign recognition, rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, a heads-up display and tyre pressure monitoring. The CX-30 has a five-star ANCAP rating.

The standard colours available on the 2023 Mazda CX-30 are ‘Platinum Quartz’, ‘Jet Black’, ‘Deep Crystal Blue’, ‘Sonic Silver’ and our test car’s ‘Snow Flake White Pearl’ and for an additional $595, you can choose from ‘Soul Crystal Red Metallic’, ‘Machine Grey’ or ‘Polymetal Grey’. Black cloth with blue dashboard highlights is the only trim available on the base model Pure.

Stepping up to the one-step-up Evolve above adds $1,700 to the price of the automatic G20 Pure, but gains larger 18-inch wheels, dual-zone climate control with rear air vents, an auto-dimming rear mirror, a rear centre armrest, an overhead glasses holder and steering wheel mounted paddle shifters. That’s money very well spent, in our opinion.

Chief rivals to the 2023 Mazda CX-30 G20 Pure are the $29,500 plus on-road costs Kia Seltos S and the $33,000 plus on-road costs Toyota Corolla Cross GX. Both cars are very similar in size to the CX-30 and both also feature 2.0-litre petrol engines. The Seltos gains an alarm and front parking sensors over the CX-30 Pure, whereas the Corolla Cross features keyless entry, an extra airbag, stop and go functionality to the radar cruise control, rear seat occupancy warning, larger 17-inch alloy wheels and heated exterior mirrors over the Mazda.

Engine & Performance: 8/10

While the 2023 Mazda CX-30 range comes with a few engine options, the only one available on the entry level G20 Pure is the brand’s familiar ‘SkyActiv-G’ 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol unit that is also seen in the Mazda3, CX-3 and CX-5. It produces 114kW of power (at 6,000rpm) and 200Nm of torque (at 4,000rpm). Compared with the loud engines in the Seltos and Corolla Cross, the CX-30’s engine is relatively refined and in regular driving, perfectly fine. As you’d expect for a small SUV, the 2.0-litre isn’t the punchiest engine – but luckily, spending more gets you the larger 139kW 2.5-litre engine.

The 2023 Kia Seltos S also comes with a naturally aspirated 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol unit and it produces 110kW of power and 180Nm of torque. It’s mated solely to a CVT automatic transmission. While the Seltos is a great car to drive it is simply not as engaging as the Mazda, nor is it as peppy. In comparison, the petrol Toyota Corolla Cross is also powered by a 2.0-litre petrol four-cylinder though it produces more power and torque at 126kW and 202Nm. It is also paired to a CVT automatic.

The standard transmission is a wonderful six-speed manual (which is very rare in this segment), though the gearbox fitted to our test car was the optional six-speed torque converter automatic. While it could offer more gears, it’s a largely pain free and easy to use gearbox – we also love how intuitive it is, as even moving your toe slightly makes it downshift for more performance. As we mentioned before, it can hold onto gears a little at times but it shifts smoothly and putting it into sport mode makes it hold onto gears longer for more spirited driving.

The claimed average fuel consumption figure for the 2023 Mazda CX-30 G20 Pure fitted with the automatic transmission is 6.5L/100km. While this is a good rating, we found it hard to achieve even close to this in the real world. With a mixture of highway and urban driving, we saw an average fuel consumption figure of 8.3L/100km.

Ride & Handling: 8.5/10

As with many Mazda products locally, the CX-30 G20 Pure’s ride is largely excellent and it strikes a good balance between comfort and sporty handling. The ride quality is on the firmer side – even with the smaller 16-inch wheels of the base model Pure – but more than acceptable for a daily driver, and it feels more connected to the road than its rivals. That said, harder edged bumps are felt more in the cabin than in some rivals thanks to the CX-30’s unsophisticated torsion beam rear suspension – the rear is firmer than the front, for example.

Because of its firmness, the CX-30 is a fun car to drive. It’s certainly more engaging than the Seltos with well-weighted steering and a keen turn in. The extra height and weight – compared to the Mazda3 on which it’s based – hasn’t taken too much of an effect on its overall dynamic ability and it still feels quite nimble. The Mazda’s road noise levels are quite low – especially against the loud Seltos – and while the visibility is not great with thick pillars and a high shoulder line, the active safety systems are very well tuned and make you feel safe from behind the wheel.

Interior & Practicality: 8/10

Modern Mazda interiors are known for their quality and the CX-30 is no different. The first thing you notice about the interior of the 2023 Mazda CX-30 is that it is rather well built. The materials used are expensive feeling for a car that starts at just over $30,000. The dashboard is covered in faux leather, with a more substantial soft padding with stitching above it.

There are soft touch materials on most surfaces and the seats are very comfortable as well. We love the minimalist design too, with just the right amount of buttons used, and overall, it feels far higher quality than the basic Seltos and Corolla Cross GX cabins.

The CX-30’s cabin is also relatively practical with nicely-sized door bins, a deep centre console box, two cupholders and a tray ahead of the gearbox and a reasonable glovebox. We’d like to see a wireless charger and more USB ports added in for a greater number of charging options. 

Centre of the dashboard is an 8.8-inch infotainment system with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation and digital radio. Sadly, it isn’t a touchscreen, it is controlled by a wheel between the front seats (like more premium cars such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW). Mazda’s positioning of the screen far away and in line with the driver’s eyesight means that touching it is impractical, in our opinion, but it also means that drivers don’t have to take their eyes off the road when using it. It’s an intuitive system with shortcuts next to the wheel and once you’ve learnt it, it’s great. 

The rear seat of the CX-30 is not quite as positive, however. Thanks to the car’s sporting focus and slinky roofline, the amount of room in the rear of the CX-30 simply isn’t as good as the Seltos or Corolla Cross. The main issue is the lack of knee room for taller passengers – even occupants under six-feet tall will feel cramped, though it’s larger than the very tight CX-3, at least. In the base Pure, the CX-30 also misses out on rear air vents, charging ports, a centre folding arm rest and cup holders with just a single map pocket and small door pockets on offer.

The 317-litre boot is reasonable, but nothing special – a Seltos offers 468L and the Corolla Cross GX has 436L. The rear seats fold almost flat and although Mazda doesn’t give a figure, overseas reports suggest that it’s around 1,250L in total. What also disappoints is that clever boot features such as nets, hooks and a dual-floor height are nowhere to be seen. Under the floor lies a space-saving spare wheel, but that’s it.

Service & Warranty: 8/10

The 2020 Mazda CX-30 G20 Pure has a standard five year/unlimited kilometre warranty with five years of roadside assistance. Like other Mazda products, the CX-30 has short 12 month/10,000km service intervals – most rivals go a further 5,000km between services. Kia and Mitsubishi are the only rivals that have longer warranties at seven years and 10 years respectively.

The total cost of servicing the CX-30 over five years or 50,000km is $1,732 (an average yearly service cost of $346.40), compared to the $2,072 it would cost to service a Kia Seltos S and the $1,250 for a Toyota Corolla Cross GX Petrol over the same time frame – and both of those cars have longer service intervals too. Both the Seltos and Corolla Cross have longer 15,000km intervals.

2023 Mazda CX-30 G20 Pure DiscoverAuto Rating: 8.1/10

The 2023 Mazda CX-30 G20 Pure is a car that most will see as a step to models higher up in the range and while we agree that the G20 Evolve is much better value, it does offer all the equipment that anybody could need. There is a plethora of safety kit, a well built interior and excellent driving characteristics so what isn’t to like? Well, the back seat and boot are small compared to rivals and in the real world it could be more efficient, but is that enough to steer us away from the CX-30?

No, it’s not. We quite like the CX-30 here at DiscoverAuto as it’s a great size and it has a great balance of maturity and fun, like most other Mazda products. Sure, some rivals offer more interior space, better value for money and a more convenient post-sales experience, but we think the CX-30 offers a great balance of everything and it should definitely be on your test drive list.