How’s this for a surprise: while it’s a given that we’ll be seeing the three-row CX-8 real soon, it seems Mazda Philippines is pulling yet another rabbit out of their magic hat: the CX-30.
Teased via a Facebook post with the caption, “Soon, you will see this beauty,” the announcement of the CX-30’s imminent arrival is sure to douse the excitement over Kia’s new sub-compact crossover, the Seltos.
Regardless, don’t expect the CX-30 to be priced in the same league as Kia’s newest offering though. Basically a tall riding Mazda3, it’s positioned to do battle against the Subaru XV and Honda HR-V. And while it’s not going to be a direct replacement to the CX-3, it’s likely going to slot between the CX-3 and CX-5 in terms of price and positioning.
Using the same Skyactiv-Vehicle Architecture, the CX-30 uses steel rated at 980 MPa for approximately 30 percent of its body. Together with a two-walled construction, it should make for good NVH insulation. Like the Mazda3, the front suspension uses an independent MacPherson Strut while at the back is Torsion Beam Axle with a spherical shape to realize a lag-free and linear action.
Dimensionally, the CX-30 is longer (4,395 mm versus 4,275 mm) and wider (1,795 mm versus 1,765 mm) than the CX-3. It keeps the same overall height (1,540 mm), but ground clearance is higher at 175 mm (versus 160 mm). Interestingly, the wheelbase, 2,655 mm approaches levels close to the CX-5’s 2,700 mm.
The most likely engine that’ll power the Philippine spec models would be the very same 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G engine together with a 6-speed automatic found in the Mazda3. In this guise, expect a healthy 154 horsepower and 200 Nm of torque. The safest bet would be a purely 2WD line-up for the CX-30, but Mazda Philippines may pull out a shocker and bring in an AWD variant likely to compete against the Subaru XV.
While Mazda Philippines has yet to reveal any exact timeline for the CX-30’s reveal, one thing’s for certain: there sure looks to be a war in the sub-compact crossover segment brewing.
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