2025 Mazda CX-30 review

The Mazda CX-30 consistently continues to be one of the most popular small SUVs in Australia. But what’s the catch?

The CX-30 was the fourth best-selling small mainstream SUV in Australia last year, behind the MG ZS, Hyundai Kona, and GWM Haval Jolion.

Originally released in 2019, the Mazda 3-based crossover SUV has received numerous updates over the years with the latest 2025 model bringing Mazda Connected Services with remote mobile app functionality and a tweaked line-up.

Six years later, why is the Mazda CX-30 still so popular? I tested the second-from-the-top G25 GT SP for a week to see why.

NOTE: The press vehicle was provided by Mazda Australia for a seven-day independent evaluation. We have no commercial arrangements with the company and it had no editorial control.

Vehicle tested:

Model	2025 Mazda CX-30
Variant	G25 GT SP
Starting price	$43,140 before on-road costs
Exterior colour	Platinum Quartz Metallic (no cost extra)
Interior colour	Burgundy and black leather with red stitching
Options	All-wheel drive (+$2000) Vision Technology Package (+$1300)
Country made	Japan

Design and quality.

The Mazda CX-30 may date back six years, but its design hasn’t aged and offers an impressively upmarket interior.

The Mazda SUV’s exterior hasn’t changed much at all since its debut, though it still holds up well with curvaceous crossover body, a sloping rear roof, and the thick plastic cladding that was once controversial isn’t so anymore.

The exterior cladding is quite practical to help protect the paint, even though its rounded shape arguably may not look as nice as the more integrated design on the Hyundai Kona.

The penultimate flagship GT SP grade adds some sporty touches, including 18-inch gloss black wheels and wing mirror caps, and a swish burgandy-black interior.

The cabin feels like you’re in a Qantas flight… in a good way. It’s an acquired taste.

Interestingly, unlike the Mazda 3 and CX-70, the CX-30 GT SP doesn’t incorporate a burgundy-coloured dashboard with a dark headliner, too.

Material quality is premium for a sub-$50K small car – on par with Mazda’s pricier models – with soft-touch leatherette armrests, door cards, dash, and even on the sides of the centre console.

All physical buttons offer a tactile and solid feel, especially when twisting the satisfyingly clicky dual-zone climate control dials.

The only downside? The CX-30 still uses gloss black materials around the gear shifter and door window controls – which are prone to attracting microscratches, fingerprints and dust.

On our tester, we also observed loose plastic trim around the C-pillar and boot.

Practicality.

2025 Mazda CX-30 G25 GT SP dimensions:

Length x width x height	4395 x 1795 x 1540mm
Wheelbase	2655mm
Ground clearance	175mm
Boot space (min)	317 litres
Rear seat split fold	60:40
Child seat anchors	2x ISOFIX and 3x top-tethers
Air-conditioning system	Two-zone climate control with rear air vents

The CX-30 isn’t as practical as its small SUV rivals with a low coupe-style roofline.

The 317-litre boot is spacious enough with LED illumination, although most small SUV rivals offer more capacity, it’s lacking any bag hooks, and has a minor loading lip.

Buyers also must step up to the most expensive Astina to have an electric tailgate – but the door is light enough to close manually and there’s a button to conveniently lock all the doors from the boot.

Mazda doesn’t quote a figure once the rear seats are folded.

At the back seats, the CX-30 only offers adequate legroom and headroom, with a large centre floor hump making sitting three people a tight fit.

Thankfully, the rear ceiling is carved in to provide more head space – but taller passengers may still bump their heads on the uncarved section of the roof when sitting upright or getting in and out.

Rear air vents, a fold-down armrest with cup holders and well-sized door bottle holders are available, though there aren’t any USB charging ports for passengers and only one seatback pocket.

Meanwhile, the front centre armrest needs to be slid back in order to open – further impeding rear row legroom if someone is on the centre seat. It isn’t entirely closed-off, though it’s quite deep and offers two USB-C charging ports.

Two cup holders with grips are ergonomically placed in a horizontal layout ahead of the gear shifter, but grabbing your phone from the Qi wireless charging tray is slightly fiddly.

The Mazda CX-30’s glovebox is large as are the front door bottle holders, a sunglasses box is conveniently available above, and LED interior lights illuminate the interior well throughout both rows.

The CX-30 GT SP grade and upwards includes a standard-sized sunroof with a manually-operated sunblind.

The seats are comfortable and supportive with electric and lumbar adjustment for the driver only, three-level heating, two memory settings, and auto dip-down wing mirrors when reversing.

However, the front heated seats turn off as soon as the engine shuts down as part of its start/stop system, the heated steering wheel is lukewarm, and the front sun visors can’t be extended on the side.

The dual-zone climate system performed well in the Australian summer, with the driver benefiting from two sensibly higher-placed air vents.

Technology.

2025 Mazda CX-30 G25 GT SP tech features:

10.25-inch touchscreen running Mazda Connect	7.0-inch driver instrument display with analogue dials
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto	Heads-up display
Built-in maps	Eight speakers
Qi wireless charging pad	Proximity key with auto folding mirrors and walk-away locking
2x USB-C and 1x 12-volt power socket

The 2025 Mazda CX-30 offers simple to use technology with an ergonomic controller dial.

The 10.25-inch widescreen is clear, responsive, and set forward towards the windscreen – so it is easy to glance at while driving.

The central rotating dial is easy to learn and navigate the built-in software, although it takes some time to adjust to using the physical controls in Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Scrolling through each touch-based interface element can feel tedious and prolonged at times, making it a distraction to use while driving. The map, music, home and back shortcut buttons help, though.

The touchscreen is available while on the move, but it’s a very far reach from the driver’s seat and is tucked into the dashboard.

Wireless Android Auto connected quickly and worked reliably in our experience. Unfortunately, the Qi wireless charging pad is slow and lacks fan cooling, so it often stopped charging my phone to prevent overheating – you’ll need to eventually plug in on longer drives.

As for the part digital driver’s instrument cluster, the analogue needles blend well with the 7.0-inch display – which is simple and legible with analogue and digital speedometer themes.

I mainly looked at the heads-up display on the windscreen – standard on all CX-30 models. While it’s smaller than Mazda’s pricier models, it conveniently projects the speed, detected road sign, and map and lane guidance directions even from Android Auto.

New for 2025 CX-30s is Mazda Connected Services with a remote mobile app, but it lacks some functionality such as starting the engine and climate control, and unlocking the doors. We weren’t able to test it out this time due to the 2024 model-year tester.

Safety.

2025 Mazda CX-30 G25 GT SP safety features:

Front AEB with vehicle/pedestrian/cyclist detection	360-degree camera system*
Rear AEB	Front and rear parking sensors
Blind-spot alert	Lane-keep assist
Rear cross-traffic assist	Driver attention monitoring camera*
Front cross-traffic alert*	Traffic sign recognition
Adaptive cruise control with lane-centring assist*	Full LED headlights and tail-lights with front halogen DRLs

The CX-30 includes a range of generally well-tuned safety assistance systems as standard, but it’s a shame some more advanced features are still optional on the $43K GT SP.

The base Evolve already has the essentials covered, but you’ll need to step up to the flagship Astina or option the Vision Technology Package (+$1300 on the GT SP) to gain the complete suite.

Newer systems such as junction churning detection for the front auto emergency braking (AEB), active blind-spot assist and door open warning are unavailable – a sign that CX-30’s age is starting to show.

The Japanese carmaker’s safety systems work mostly well with smooth and dependable adaptive cruise control, subtle and non-intrusive lane-keep assist, and generally reliable road sign recognition system that doesn’t sound any incessant warning chimes.

Critically, Mazda chooses to implement a flat right wing mirror, instead of the commonplace convex type as used on the left mirror.

Everything looks more zoomed-in and closer to the car than in reality, while it creates a large blind-spot area when a road user is closer to the CX-30 – making changing lanes and parking unnerving. I’d strongly recommend a good test drive to find out whether it’s a dealbreaker for you.

Fortunately, blind-spot monitoring is standard on all models – but I sometimes had some false-positive warnings, alerting me to a vehicle that isn’t in the adjacent lane.

The available driver monitoring camera system isn’t sensitive at all and didn’t chime when I was using the infotainment system for short periods. A press of a button instantly mutes selected safety systems, too.

All Mazda CX-30’s feature full LED headlights and tail-lights as standard with the brand’s signature slow pulsing indicators.

However, it’s disappointing that all variants except the top-spec Astina have a halogen bulb for the daytime running lights (DRLs). Even on the GT SP as tested, the DRL looks cheap and unbefitting for its $43K price tag.

All 2025 models with Mazda Connected services enables automatically calling emergency services when the airbags are deployed, along with remote vehicle location tracking.

The 2025 Mazda CX-30 small SUV received the full five-star safety rating by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), albeit under outdated 2019 criteria. The rating is due to expire at the end of this year, unless retested.

Range and fuel consumption.

2025 Mazda CX-30 G25 GT SP AWD fuel and efficiency specs:

Claimed driving range (combined cycle)	706km
Claimed fuel efficiency (combined cycle)	6.8L/100km
Fuel tank size	48 litres
Minimum fuel quality requirement	91 RON unleaded petrol (E10 compatible)
Claimed CO2 exhaust emissions (combined)	157g/km
European emissions compliance	Euro 5

The Mazda CX-30 G25 AWD achieved an average fuel efficiency of 9.7L/100km with a mix of urban and highway driving.

This provides 495km real-world driving range from its 48-litre fuel tank.

The tested fuel consumption is higher than ideal for a small SUV, even with the engine being able to deactivate two cylinders when coasting or slowing down.

The CX-30 isn’t available as a hybrid, unlike some of its more fuel-efficient rivals.

The small SUV can accept cheaper 91 RON and E10 unleaded petrol, with the fuel lid accessible via the left-rear quarter of the vehicle and an easy to twist spring-loaded cap.

Driving.

2025 Mazda CX-30 G25 GT SP AWD powertrain specs:

Engine	2.5-litre naturally aspirated inline four-cylinder petrol engine
Power	139kW @6000rpm
Torque	252Nm @4000rpm
Transmission	Six-speed auto (torque convertor)
Drive type	AWD
Kerb weight	1546kg
Turning circle	10.6 metres
Towing (unbraked / braked)	600 / 1200kg (max 80kg tow ball download)

The Mazda CX-30 may be a SUV, but it is surprisingly enjoyable to drive, especially with the punchier G25 engine.

The G25 badge means a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine producing up to 139kW of power and 252Nm of torque via a conventional six-speed automatic.

It provides plenty of push to get up to speed with a decent engine sound and smooth-shifting transmission.

The cylinder deactivation feature works imperceptibly.

Meanwhile, the steering feels engaging and nimble, with small dimensions and a light weight, and a good to hold leatherette steering wheel featuring thin spokes. I also love the traditional physical gear shifter that simply feels more satisfying and connected with the car.

The crossover SUV is front-wheel drive as standard, but we tested the optional part-time all-wheel drive system – which isn’t worth the extra $2000 cost on selected variants unless necessary for your driving needs.

The ride is generally comfortable and much more compliant at dealing with potholes and bumps than Mazda’s latest-generation premium SUVs, in addition to good noise insulation.

Though, it’s worth noting that, driving under the bright midday sunlight, it caused some glare on my eyes from the reflection of the steering wheel chrome trims.

The CX-30 provides a slightly higher driving position, but feels more akin to a hatchback or even a sedan with a low roof and sloping rear.

As a result of the latter, rear window visibility is small and the C-pillars are on the thicker side.

The small SUV is easy to drive and manoeuvre with a 10.6-metre turning circle.

Warranty and servicing.

2025 Mazda CX-30 G25 GT SP AWD capped-price servicing costs:

1 year/15,000km	2 years/30,000km	3 years/45,000km	4 years/60,000km	5 years/75,000km
$352	$552	$427	$552	$352

The 2025 Mazda CX-30 comes with a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty.

Servicing is required every one year/15,000km (whichever occurs first) for all models, with prices capped for up to seven years/105,000km.

Maintenance costs are the same across all variants, whether G20 or G25, FWD or AWD. The CX-30 will cost $2235 in total to service after the first five visits – pretty reasonable.

Five years of roadside assistance is included, provided you service it with Mazda each time.

Three years of Mazda Connected Services are included from the date of activation, but the Japanese brand hasn’t disclosed how much it’ll cost afterwards (as at the time of publication).

A temporary space-saver spare tyre is included underneath the boot floor.

Price and rivals.

2025 Mazda CX-30 model range pricing (accurate as at the time of publication):

Pure	Evolve	Touring	Touring LE	GT SP	Astina
From $33,490 before on-road costs	From $35,840 before on-road costs	From $39,640 before on-road costs	From $41,940 before on-road costs	From $43,140 before on-road costs	From $44,840 before on-road costs

The 2025 Mazda CX-30 is priced from $33,490 before on-road costs in Australia.

Six variants are available with two engines and either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

The G20 engine is standard on the Pure, Evolve, Touring and Touring LE.

Making things even more confusing is the fact that the G25 engine is optional on the Touring and Astina, but standard on the GT SP only. Oddly, the Touring LE is G20 only.

AWD is only optional on the GT SP and Astina.

Additionally, certain variants can be optioned with the Vision Technology Package (+$2000 on Pure and Evolve, +$1500 on Touring, or +$1300 on GT SP), which adds:

• Front cross-traffic alert
• Adaptive cruise control with lane-centring assist
• 360-degree surround-view camera system
• Front parking sensors (Pure and Evolve only)
• Driver attention monitoring camera
• 10.25-inch touchscreen (Pure, Evolve and Touring only)

These features are standard on the mid-spec Touring LE and flagship Astina.

Most CX-30 exterior colours are free, but certain signature colours cost $595 extra.

The 2025 Mazda CX-30 directly rivals the following small SUVs:

• Volkswagen T-Roc (full review)
• Hyundai Kona (full review)
• Kia Seltos (full review)
• Nissan Qashqai (full review)
• Toyota Corolla Cross
• Honda HR-V
• MG ZS
• Chery Omoda 5
• GWM Haval Jolion
• Subaru Crosstrek
• Skoda Kamiq
• Renault Arkana
• Peugeot 2008

Other alternatives to the CX-30 include:

• Mazda 3
• Kia EV3 (coming soon)
• Leapmotor C10
• Jeep Avenger
• BYD Atto 3

Would I pick the 2025 Mazda CX-30 G25 GT SP?

The 2025 Mazda CX-30 is a premium and enjoyable to drive small crossover SUV, but it isn’t as practical and lacks value at the top-end.

The CX-30 offers a premium interior, punchy powertrain in G25 guise with a comfortable ride, and SUV requisites including practical plastic exterior cladding and an elevated height without feeling like a big vehicle to drive.

However, it just isn’t as spacious and family-friendly as its small SUV rivals – including the Nissan Qashqai and Hyundai Kona – fuel efficiency is unimpressive, and the flat right mirror is disconcerting to use.

Also, it’s about time to ditch halogen DRLs Mazda, as you have done with your larger SUVs.

I’d pick the base G20 Pure and add the Vision Technology Package (+$2000). The Mazda CX-30 line-up can be confusing, but the best value is at the entry level where it provides most features as standard, except a handy proximity key function found on the Touring and higher grades.

It may be six years-old, but the CX-30 is still a good premium small SUV option in 2025.

Photographs by Henry Man

READ MORE: 2025 Volkswagen T-Cross review

READ MORE: Living with the 2024 Nissan Qashqai Ti e-Power

READ MORE: 2024 Hyundai Kona Hybrid review: The new default.

Pros:

• Premium quality interior
• Enjoyable to drive
• Comfortable ride
• Non-intrusive safety tech
• Practical plastic cladding

Cons:

• Tight headroom
• Not as fuel efficient
• Halogen DRLs at ~$45K!
• Bewildering model line-up
• Flat right mirror could be a dealbreaker