2026 Mazda CX-30 G25 Astina FWD review

The Mazda CX-30 has been in Australian showrooms for close to six years, but it has still attracted more than 9000 sales so far this year, and is one of the best-selling small SUVs on the market.

Stretching the Mazda 3 hatch up into a higher-riding format, it is the model that truly began the multiplication of Mazda’s SUV range that now spans seven models here in Australia.

With incremental updates in recent years adding new features and technology, we’re reacquainting ourselves with the top-of-the-range G25 Astina to see if it’s still worth considering in this hotly contested category.

On test in this review is the second-most-expensive step in the 10-variant CX-30 range, the G25 Astina 2.5-litre front-wheel drive, priced from $46,460 plus on-road costs.

The line-up starts from $34,060 plus on-roads for the G20 Pure. The Astina grade is available with a less powerful 2.0-litre G20 petrol engine for $44,960, while adding all-wheel drive to the G25 brings the RRP to $48,460 plus on-road costs.

This test vehicle is optioned with $595 Soul Red Crystal Metallic paint and $235 floor mats, for an indicative drive-away price in metro Sydney of $48,299, according to the Mazda website.

There is no shortage of rivals at this price point, many of which are hybrids: the Hyundai Kona Hybrid Premium ($45,950 plus on-roads), Nissan Qashqai Ti-L non-hybrid ($48,165 plus on-roads), Toyota Corolla Cross Atmos Hybrid 2WD ($47,990 plus on-roads), and Kia Seltos GT-Line AWD non-hybrid ($46,670 plus on-roads), to name a few.

Astina grade feature additions over the GT SP trim include adaptive LED headlights, a 12-speaker Bose sound system, 360-degree camera, front parking sensors, front cross-traffic alert, a frameless rear-view mirror, lane-centring assist, and an electric tailgate.

Features shared with cheaper model grades include 18-inch alloy wheels, a 10.25-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, rear-view camera, 7.0-inch instrument display, leather upholstery, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats and steering wheel, an electric sunroof, dual-zone climate control, and a head-up display.

The Mazda CX-30 is similar in size to its small SUV rivals on the outside.

Inside, it feels more hatchback-like than a Toyota Corolla Cross, Nissan Qashqai or MG ZS. Drivers sit lower in the car, with smaller windows, a higher window line, and less-than-perfect over-the-shoulder visibility, not helped by the magnified driver’s side mirror that makes judging the distance of cars behind unnecessarily difficult (this is a common Mazda trait).

The 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat (which includes two-way lumbar) is very comfortable, with plenty of adjustment in the steering column to allow longer-legged drivers to stretch out in the footwell.

The steering wheel is a highlight – the buttons take a moment or two to learn, but the rim is thin, the leather covering feels high-quality, and it’s slightly oversized for a small vehicle, but not so large that it’s cumbersome.

The burgundy/brown leather on the dashboard, doors, armrests and even the knee pads won’t be to all tastes, but we think they contrast the black leather seats nicely, and feel plush for a vehicle at this price point.  

Unlike rival brands, Mazda has committed to conventional switchgear – a normal gear lever, a rotary controller for the infotainment screen, and traditional climate control switches and dials, all simple enough to decode without an aerospace degree.

Storage is well accounted for, with deep door pockets, a decently sized glovebox, and two cupholders, plus room under the adjustable centre armrest, which can be split with a sliding tray.

Amenities include two USB-C ports, a 12-volt socket, wireless phone charging pad, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, illuminated vanity mirrors, an electric-opening and sliding sunroof with a manual shade, and keyless entry and start.

Rear-seat space is not as impressive. At 186cm (6ft 1in) tall, my knees touch the seatback with the driver’s seat configured for my position, and I’ve found that I sit closer to the wheel than Drive colleagues of a similar height.

Head room is limited to a few centimetres, toe room is ample but not outstanding, and there’s a large central tunnel for the middle passenger – who has even less head room – to straddle.

The cabin is quite narrow, too, so if you plan to use the rear seats frequently, a Qashqai, Kona or Haval Jolion would serve you better than the CX-30.

Rear passengers are given access to a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders, air vents, and bottle holders in the doors, but no USB ports, and a single map pocket on the passenger side.

Boot space is also small for the class, at a quoted 317 litres – about 25 per cent smaller than a Hyundai Kona. It won’t fit much more than a large suitcase and a few soft bags around it, though as a second car for around-town use, not road trips – nor for families with younger kids still in strollers – it will likely suffice.

There is a temporary spare wheel under the floor, as well as bag hooks, a light, and some extra space on the side of the cargo area, though there’s no 12-volt power socket. The rear seats fold in a 60:40 split for more room.

Standard in high-grade versions of the CX-30 – including this flagship Astina – is a 10.25-inch infotainment display, offering wireless and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation, Bluetooth, and AM, FM and digital DAB+ radio.

It has been designed to be controlled through the rotary dial on the centre console, and its positioning – up high, and far away from you – reflects that, as does the list-like structure of the in-built Mazda system.

That is less than ideal in Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, which are designed for touchscreens.

But the screen is hard to reach while driving, and you need to turn the touch functionality on through the menus when you first take delivery of the car before it can be used all the time. By default, it only works when stationary.

The resolution of the screen is good, and response times are reasonably snappy, but even though this is the larger display in the range, it’s looking a little small compared to rivals with 12-inch displays.

Wireless Apple CarPlay worked without issue in our testing, and it was quick to connect.

The 7.0-inch instrument display is basic – only able to flip between a traditional speed dial, fuel consumption, and a view of the safety systems (with a digital speed read-out) – but owners are likely to use the head-up display most of the time, which works well.

The 12-speaker Bose stereo in the Astina grade is above average compared to rivals with premium audio systems, though it is not a standout in highs nor lows.

The CX-30 is equipped with Mazda Connected Services, allowing owners to use a smartphone app to remotely lock/unlock the car, control the lights, and start the car remotely, plus unlock access to stolen vehicle tracking and SOS call functions. It is free for the first three years of ownership, before it switches to a paid subscription.

The Mazda CX-30 is covered by a five-star safety rating from ANCAP, based on testing conducted by its European sister organisation Euro NCAP, with which its criteria are aligned.

However, the safety rating is old – the vehicle was crash-tested in 2019, when the benchmark needed for five stars was not as high as it is now – so there is no guarantee it would earn top marks again if re-tested today.

The score is due to expire after December 31, 2025, after which time newly produced examples will be sold as ‘unrated’, even if Mazda does not make any changes to the car compared to those built a day earlier with five-star ratings.

In refreshing contrast to many new vehicles, the safety features in the Mazda CX-30 do not infuriate the driver, though there remains some room for improvement.

The lane-keep assist system is generally well calibrated, and not too pushy, though it can make its presence known when the lane grows tight, or when moving the vehicle to the side of the lane to accommodate a truck or motorcycle.

Not as refined is the lane-centring assist feature – branded Cruising and Traffic Support – which works well on straighter roads at high speed, but can struggle with sharper curves.

There were no false activations of the autonomous emergency braking system, and the driver monitoring system did not berate me for brief glances away from the road, as many rivals can.

The speed sign recognition system offers the option of an overspeed warning that sounds when the vehicle exceeds the limit it has detected, but it’s an opt-in, not opt-out system, and once it’s switched off, it stays off.

It does a good job of reading fixed speed limit signs, though it doesn’t always figure out time periods on school zones, or digital speed signs in tunnels.

The Mazda CX-30 is covered by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, with five years of roadside assistance.

Service intervals are pencilled in the logbook every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first, and amount to $1366 over three years/45,000km, or $2294 over five years/75,000km.

For comparison, five years or 75,000km of scheduled maintenance is quoted at $2770 for a Hyundai Kona Hybrid and $1995 for a Nissan Qashqai.

A year of comprehensive insurance coverage from a leading provider comes in at $1620, based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

Mazda claims fuel consumption of 6.6 litres per 100 kilometres for the 2.5-litre, front-wheel-drive CX-30 in mixed conditions, split across 8.5L/100km in urban running, and 5.5L/100km in extra-urban conditions – all according to laboratory testing.

Over a week of primarily city driving, but with some highway and country kilometres thrown in, the trip computer settled on 10.2L/100km – thirsty for an SUV of this size and power.

In city traffic, we saw indicated consumption north of 11L/100km, while in less intensive driving we saw closer to 8.0L/100km.

None of these figures are very impressive for a small SUV that’s not intended to be a performance car. Owners with a lighter right foot may be able to do better, but we have returned sub-5.0L/100km consumption from hybrid Toyota and Hyundai rivals in similar circumstances.

Fortunately, the CX-30 will run on the cheapest 91-octane regular unleaded petrol – as well as E10, if you so desire – with a 51-litre fuel tank that, if you can achieve 6.6L/100km, is good for a 770km range.

In contrast to rivals with turbocharged or hybrid engines, the Mazda CX-30 is a simple and honest car to drive.

The 2.5-litre petrol engine is not a powerhouse, but in most scenarios it doesn’t leave buyers wanting for performance, and it has more to give than the 2.0-litre engine in cheaper models, which is easily strained on hills or in overtakes at city speeds.

That said, it lacks the effortlessness of a turbocharged Volkswagen T-Roc or hybrid Hyundai Kona, and needs to rev the engine out to get anywhere in a hurry. We timed it from 0–100km/h in 8.6 seconds, just above average for the class.

The six-speed automatic transmission is also a straightforward operator. Shifts are smooth and reasonably crisp, but it can be caught off-guard at slow speeds in traffic jams, occasionally producing a shunt as it finds the right gear.

The engine’s need for revs to extract its best can also see the car ‘groan’ in a low gear under acceleration, but it’s not as intrusive as a Toyota transmission. A Sport mode is available to hold a lower gear, as desired, as well as a manual setting with shift paddles.

The CX-30’s transmission settles down in sixth gear at freeway speeds – another gear or two would help to reduce engine noise – accompanied by a modest, not overwhelming, amount of tyre roar and wind noise.

Mazda has opted to engineer a sportier edge into the way the CX-30 drives. There’s a heavier-than-average feel to the steering, but it’s not too weighty for around-town manoeuvres, and instils the driver with confidence in the car at higher speeds.

The suspension is on the firmer side of the spectrum, and it will be a bit too busy for some tastes over sharp bumps, but it is not too harsh to live with, and it gives the driver a sense of connection with the road that we appreciate.

The CX-30 is an easy car to park, with a compact turning circle and clear cameras, but visibility is more limited than rivals, with a high window line, and Mazda’s typical ‘zoomed-in’ non-convex driver’s door mirror that not everyone will get used to.

That sporty edge translates to sharp handling on country roads. The taut suspension around town is more forgiving at higher speeds, and offers the body plenty of support to reduce roll in corners, though the rear of the car can skip over bumps in the middle of corners.

Accurate steering and grippy Toyo Proxes tyres make for a surprisingly enjoyable car to drive, even without all-wheel drive, which isn’t really needed in 99 per cent of scenarios. It’s even more of a shame the more potent 2.5-litre turbo CX-30 offered in the US isn’t available in Australia.

The brake pedal has a slightly firm but approachable feel, though emergency braking performance is merely average for a vehicle of this size (39.7m from 100km/h), and drivers will feel an unusual sensation of the pedal progressively pushing back at them in the event of a hard stop.

The Mazda CX-30 is rated to tow 1200kg braked or 600kg braked – on par with many rivals in the small SUV class.

More limiting is likely to be the 80kg maximum towball down-weight, which falls short of the rule often quoted of 10 per cent of the vehicle’s braked towing capacity.

A payload – the maximum mass of passengers, cargo, and accessories the car is rated to carry – is quoted at 460kg, sufficient for four 100kg people and lots of luggage, or five lighter occupants and less in the boot.

With stylish design, a well-appointed interior, long equipment list, and a fun-to-drive character on the road, the Mazda CX-30 remains a likeable small SUV that’s easy to live with.

Buyers who plan to use the rear seats or load up the boot frequently would be better served by one of its myriad rivals, it’s not as supple as some of its peers, and it doesn’t offer a hybrid option that many customers are looking for these days.

It’s not for everyone, but for singles or couples – or families using it as a second car – the CX-30 may be a perfect fit.

Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner

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