CX-30 brings coupe styling to the Mazda crossover
Mazda recently launched a new generation of vehicles with its redesigned Mazda 3. Now, at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show, the Hiroshima-based automaker has introduced what it is calling a new “core model” in the CX-30 compact crossover.
Motor Trend reports that it will fill the slot between the company’s CX-3 and CX-5 models, with a wheelbase close to that of the CX-3. We asked Mazda to confirm but haven’t received a response. A global product, the CX-30 will start sales in Europe in mid 2019, with North American sales beginning the following year.
The CX-30 will be powered by a version of the new Mazda 3’s 2.0-liter inline-four cylinder Skyactiv-X spark-controlled compression-ignition engine (now there’s a mouthful), which puts out about 180 horsepower.
With exterior styling based on Mazda’s “Kodo” design language, the new crossover has a slanted roofline, giving the vehicle a bit of coupe style. Mazda has a reputation for making fun-to-drive cars and crossovers, and the corporate press release says that acceleration, cornering, and braking have been “dramatically enhanced,” with emphasis placed on vehicle balance and responsive control.
To give the new crossover more of a premium feel, Mazda says that it will have its market segment’s lowest noise, vibration, and harshness. The CX-30 will come with the same special seats Mazda developed for the Mazda 3, said to match the S-shaped curve in the human spine. Other premium features are a new sound system and Mazda’s “plus i-Activesense” driver assistance systems, including adaptive cruise control, pedestrian sensing automatic emergency braking, and lane-departure warning. All-wheel-drive will also be optional on the front-wheel-drive CX-30.
