• More space inside than the regular 3 hatchback
• Plus a bigger boot than a Qashqai
• But visibility out the back isn’t great

How much space is there?

Mazda’s design ethos ensures that its interiors are uncluttered and clean looking. This means despite its compact proportions, it feels like there is plenty of space in the car.

Front visibility is good, but rear isn’t great because of the sloping roofline. Thankfully, the latter doesn’t eat into rear headroom too much though, and passengers over six feet tall won’t feel too claustrophobic in the back. There’s certainly more space on offer than the closely-related Mazda 3 hatchback, with easier access, too, thanks to the raised height.

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Boot space and storage

The boot holds 430-litres, more than a Volkswagen T-Roc but a fair bit less than the slightly larger Audi Q3. It’s big enough to hold a buggy and a couple of plush carry-on bags, but not much else. A folding boot floor was fitted as standard in 2020 to improve practicality, acting as a partition to stop objects rolling around. This works with varying degrees of success.

There’s also a powered tailgate on mid-range Sport Lux models and above.

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Is it easy to park?

The Mazda CX-30 feels more like a jacked-up hatchback compared to its full-size SUV rivals, so it’s not too bulky to manoeuvre.

All CX-30s come with rear parking sensors as standard, while all models, bar entry-level SE-L, come with front parking sensors and a rear-view camera as well.

Safety

• Impressive safety credentials
• Five-star Euro NCAP score
• Long list of safety kit available

The CX-30 was tested by Euro NCAP for crash safety late in 2019, scoring an impressive five stars and managing to achieve the highest score for adult occupant protection up until then, along with the closely related Mazda 3 hatchback. 

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All cars come with a generous amount of safety and driver assistance tech as well, including:

• LED headlights (adaptive units are fitted on mid-spec models and above)
• Blindspot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert
• Driver attention alert system
• Traffic sign recognition
• Adaptive cruise control (with stop and go function on cars with automatic gearboxes)
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Head-up display

Higher-spec models also come with Smart Brake Support for the rear of the car and rear crossing traffic, as well as front cross-traffic alert. 

We’d best describe the adaptive cruise control’s reactions as cautious due to the time it takes to react to traffic conditions and build up speed again. This is great in wet weather conditions when you want to take a bit more time in low visibility, but it can otherwise feel slow in normal dry conditions. The application of the brakes could be smoother as well, while the front radar sensor gets covered easily in heavy rain, disabling the cruise control systems altogether.