Mazda CX30 100th Anniversary Review

Caroline drives the 2021 Mazda CX-30 100^th Anniversary Edition!

Mazda returns with the CX-30, this time in a special birthday suit to celebrate 100 years of the Mazda brand.

To recap the Mazda CX-30 went on sale in Ireland in 2020 as the brand’s new compact SUV in the sweet spot of the family SUV market.

This 100th Anniversary model however is more than a little bit special. When fitted with Mazda’s revolutionary Skyactiv-X petrol engine, it offers the best performance of the range wrapped up in a package of exclusive styling features and the best specification of the entire CX-30 range. All to celebrate 100 years of the Mazda brand!

What’s so special about the Mazda CX-30 100 Years?

Priced from €39,165 for the Skyactiv-X petrol model on test, buyers will pay a premium for all this prestige. Our CX-30 was finished in Snowflake White Pearlescent exterior paint and contrasted with burgundy interior carpet and burgundy leather seats. The white-and-burgundy two-tone exterior/interior combination is inspired by high-grade versions of Mazda’s first passenger car: the Mazda R360 Coupe.

Slipping into the Mazda CX-30 100^th Anniversary Special Edition is a treat for sure, with the colour scheme enhancing what is already a beautifully crafted cabin. Mazda’s human-centric approach to design means that everything feels modelled perfectly to the driver. The controls are all intuitively placed and feel great to touch and interact with. This is a real driver’s car from the get-go.

The unique 100^th Anniversary badge features on the burgundy floor mats, on the key fob and is also embossed into the headrests like all the best luxury cars. You will find a 100 Years badge on the wheel centres and the side of the car also.

The CX-30 has seating for five but it is not as big inside as the larger Mazda CX-5 for example. Still it feels roomy up front and the boot opens (electrically of course!) to reveal a 430 litre boot. A CX-5 is better value for outright space inside the vehicle.

Other equipment features on this high spec model include 18” alloys, head up display, BOSE sound system, 360° view parking monitor, driver monitoring system, front cross-traffic alert and rear smart brake support.

What’s under the bonnet?

For 2021, Mazda has also updated their range topping Skyactiv-X petrol engine, the world’s first engine to use compression ignition, and part of Mazda’s ‘well-to-wheel’ approach to reducing emissions in conjunction with other technologies like the MX-30 battery electric vehicle, hybrid and plug-in vehicles.

Renamed e-Skyactiv-X, the updated version delivers increased performance and promises more efficiency. In the CX-30, the latest 2.0-litre e-Skyactiv-X petrol engine produces 186 ps at 6,000 rpm and maximum torque of 240 Nm at 4,000 rpm, an increase of 6 ps and 16 Nm respectively. Efficiency has also been improved, with CO2 emissions dropping by 5g/km.

Driving the 2021 Mazda CX-30

Numbers will only tell you so much however. The CX-30 is a fine compact SUV to drive, athletic and supple with a typical premium finish to the driving experience we have come to expect from this new generation of Mazda vehicles.

The 2.0-litre e-Skyactiv-X is a naturally aspirated engine so it delivers its power differently to a turbo petrol engine for example. As the revs build it gets nippier for sure, but it never feels quite as powerful as what the numbers might suggest. This is fine for an SUV of this ilk because it’s not a high performance car – handling is good but it’s not one you are going to seek out corners for.

In fact for many buyers the Mazda CX-30 e-Skyactiv-G with 122 hp will suffice and do the job with good levels of refinement and efficiency. In fact we achieved better fuel economy in that model than in the Skyactiv-X (6.5 vs 7.2 litres per 100 km). The e-Skyactiv-X seems better suited to the Mazda3 and its sportier image.

Did you like it?

The Mazda CX-30 always impresses for its refinement, design and premium finish. It’s already proven itself as a fantastic addition to the Mazda line-up.

The Mazda CX-30 100^th Anniversary model is a celebratory affair with a high specification, prestigious interior and high end image.

It is no doubt a delicious car to spend time in. But you certainly pay for this level of prestige for what is still a compact SUV and there is better value to be had elsewhere in the CX-30 range.

Still we admire Mazda’s pride in their heritage. The current suite of anniversary models display a brand at its very best when it comes to design and premium level of finish to rival any German car brand.

These cars prove how well Mazda cars can be built and finished with sensitivity to design that seems to be the only way Mazda knows.

Caroline Kidd

Model tested: Mazda CX-30 100^th Anniversary Edition e-Skyactiv-X
Price: €39,165
Engine: 2.0-litre e-Skyactiv-X M hybrid
Power: 186 hp
Torque: 240 Nm
Top speed: 204 km/h
Acceleration (0-100 km/h): 8.3 seconds
CO2 emissions: 128 g/km
Motor Tax: €210 per year