Mazda CX-30 Homura long-term test: our small SUV offers genuine driver enjoyment

Mazda is a rather curious manufacturer. Never afraid to innovate and tread where others fear to go, it’s perhaps been a victim – certainly in terms of sustained UK sales – of its more individual approach to automotive design and technology.

With UK car registration data showing that SUVs are now the most popular cars in the country (dethroning the out-of-favour supermini), it’s important that every brand succeeds in this competitive segment. That’s why we’re putting Mazda’s smallest pure-petrol SUV, the CX-30, under the spotlight.

I’ll be running the stylish compact SUV for 12 months to see how it shapes up and how it copes with the rigours of family life. Mazda says the CX-30 epitomises ‘Jinba ittai’, which translates as “horse and rider as one”. It’s the approach Mazda’s designers and engineers base all their work on, so that everything falls easily to hand for the driver and responds as you’d like – promoting a comfortable, safe and enjoyable drive. Whether the CX-30 lives up to its billing remains to be seen, but early signs are good.

Based on the striking Mazda 3 hatchback, the CX-30 arrived in what, at least in my opinion, is the best colour Mazda currently offers. The Soul Red Crystal finish adds a touch of class and has already garnered nods of approval from friends and family.

I’m not sold on the black plastic cladding around the wheelarches and lower portions of the car, particularly because it’s hard to keep looking fresh. But I suppose it fits in with the raised ride height and slightly more rugged aesthetic compared with the 3.

‘My’ CX-30 comes in mid-range Homura specification and features Mazda’s new 2.5-litre e-Skyactiv G mild-hybrid petrol engine, producing 138bhp and 238Nm of torque. Mazda says it offers better performance than the 2.0-litre unit it replaces, while reducing noise, vibration and harshness. Other efficiency-improving systems include Mazda’s i-Stop technology, which cuts the engine when you come to a halt, and cylinder deactivation that switches between four and two cylinders to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions at cruising speeds.

I must admit, I’ve found the set-up to be very smooth and well integrated, although my current average mpg is a little lower than anticipated, with most of my journeys being shorter urban trips. I’d expect the figure to rise closer to the WLTP average of 47.1mpg as the CX-30 adds more motorway miles.

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The six-speed gearbox is a delight. The leather-wrapped lever looks ace and reminds me of the stubby version found in the Mazda MX-5. On the road it moves crisply between each gear, too – I didn’t have the CX-30 down as an exciting drive, but it’s a genuinely engaging experience. Despite this, I recently managed a 200-mile, four-hour trip and found the seats supportive, while good refinement made for a relaxing time at the wheel.

From a driver’s point of view, then, I think Mazda has done a fine job with the CX-30 – although some sterner family testing awaits, dealing with the demands of my two teenage children and chunky labrador.

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.