Mazda CX-30 2.0 Skyactiv-X test and review: a gasoline SUV that consumes like a diesel and has an ECO label

Mazda is a brand that always surprises. It does so with cars that you fall in love with for their design, with finishes and interior quality comparable in many cases to cars from premium brands, and with technological bets like this Skyactiv-X engine, which I was really looking forward to trying.

What's more, the best thing is that all of this doesn't come at a prohibitive price. In general, many buyers don't consider Mazda when they're looking for a car, thinking that they're much more expensive than other mainstream brands. But then, once you look at prices and equipment, and when discounts come into play, Mazdas are not that expensiveWe could put it on par with Volkswagen, to give a reference among the generalist brands that come closest to the “premium” border.

We have seen it recently with its first electric car in the Mazda MX-30 testAnd now we see it again with a very special SUV, the CX-30 with the Skyactiv-X engine. As we mentioned in the title, a car with a gasoline engine that consumes almost as much fuel as a diesel… and has an ECO label from the DGT, although it is not a hybrid.

And this is where Mazda would be, closer to the premium, competing with its CX-30 with cars like the BMW X2 or even the Mercedes GLA, although for me, one of its most direct rivals would be the Volvo XC40. From here, there are SUVs in this category of all prices and colors: Skoda Karoq, Toyota CHR, Kia Niro, Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross...

Some key points of Mazda's revolutionary Skyactiv-X engine

Without going into too much detail on the technical issues, it is worth reviewing what Mazda's Skyactiv-X technology brings to the table. We are looking at the world's first gasoline engine which works by combining the conventional spark ignition of this type of engine with the compression ignition characteristic of diesel engines.Mazda calls it SPCCI (Spark Controlled Compression Ignition), and promises improvements of 10% in torque and 30% in fuel consumption. Don't worry, behind the wheel you won't even notice when it's operating in normal mode or in "SPCCI" mode.

The 2.0-litre 4-cylinder Skyactiv-X produces 180 hp at 6.000 rpm and 224 Nm of maximum torque at 3.000 rpm. It actually improves the performance figures of Mazda's previous petrol engine without this technology. Although, as we will see when talking about driving sensations, the truth is that behind the wheel it does not seem that the improvement is so great in terms of performance. However, the promises are kept in terms of consumption, especially when driving in the low engine load range, that is, when the accelerator is "pampered".

There are two things to know about this engine. The first is that The technology is geared towards being able to operate for as long as possible with a lean mixture. (too much air and not enough fuel). In conventional gasoline engines with spark ignition from a spark plug, when they operate with a lean mixture, combustion instability occurs. Mazda eliminates this problem with the spark-controlled compression ignition SPCCI.

The second important thing is that it is not about the Skyactiv-X engine working sometimes like a gasoline engine, causing the combustion of the mixture with the spark of a spark plug, and sometimes like a diesel, making that combustion occur only by compression, something that would be impossible. Although they are achieved Compression ratios of 16,3:1, the highest you'll see in gasoline engines, Mazda's 4-cylinder Skyactiv-X alternates conventional spark plug ignition with compression ignition… but always using a spark plug to start both types of combustion.

This is how dual ignition works

For the more curious: what the system does is inject a very lean mixture of air and gasoline during the intake stroke, and then highly pulverized high-pressure fuel is injected near the spark plug during the compression stroke. The latter allows the spark in the spark plug to ignite the richer mixture zone, increasing the pressure in the combustion chamber to the point that the lean mixture also rapidly burns. You can see it in detail in this article video:

The technology therefore makes it possible to operate for most of the time with a mixture 2 to 3 times leaner than a conventional petrol engine. When starting from cold, when the engine is not at its optimum temperature or when a high load is required, the compression ignition mode is not used.

Furthermore, This engine incorporates Mazda's M Hybrid technology. It is NOT a hybrid car, in which the electric motor can move the wheels on its own at some point. It is a hybrid system mild hybridization or mild hybrid, with a 24 volt battery, in which The electric motor acts as a starter motor., provides energy to assist the combustion engine in certain situations, and recovers energy during braking, which is stored in a small battery. This allows you to enjoy the advantages of the DGT ECO label.

Behind the wheel of the Mazda CX-30 Skyactiv-X

A comparison of the official performance figures of the “conventional” 2.0-litre petrol engine offered by Mazda as the entry-level model for the CX-30, the Skyactiv-G, highlights the advantages of the Skyactiv-X technology. The “G” produces 122 hp, which allows it to reach a top speed of 186 km/h and accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 10,6 seconds. The “G”, with its 180 hp, accelerates in 8,8 seconds (almost two seconds less is a world in this measurement), and has a top speed of 204 km/h. And with more power and better performance, it has an approved consumption of XNUMX km/h. WLTP lowest in any measurement, with a average in the combined cycle of 5,9 l/100 km, by 6,2 for the less powerful engine. There is no other car of the size of the CX-30 Skyactive-X with a petrol engine that offers a lower homologated consumption.

All this theory is very well. But, in practice, what does it feel like to drive the Mazda CX-30 with this engine? How much does it consume in real use? Well, as first conclusions, after several days testing the CX-30 Skyactiv-X in all kinds of situations, the car stands out for a Exquisite running smoothness, and for a Consumption that can be very low, although it is not always easy to achieve.

Day-to-day driving is surprisingly smooth, with the engine performing in a very refined manner. There are no jerks or hesitations, no matter how hard you try to get the engine revving from very low revs in high gears. However, here we don't have the help of any kind. superchargingIf you want verve, you have to pull the gear shift and make the engine work in the upper range of the rev counter; otherwise, the feeling is that you are driving a car that is even slow or lazy, especially for the power it claims.

This means that you will have to choose: to move with agility you have to use the gearbox and give up the advantage that the CX-30 Skyactiv-X offers in terms of consumption. If traffic conditions and the route allow you to drive the car with the engine on, Always driving at low revs, between 1.500 and 2.000 rpm, consumption will remain around 6,5 l/100 km, or even less.There is no problem in practicing this type of driving, as we have already said, there are no jerks, and you will not know whether the SPCCI system is acting or not, unless you consult the information in the corresponding energy flow menu on the multimedia system screen.

However, when the terrain is not favourable, things change. On mountain roads, or on the motorway when you have to recover cruising speed or maintain it in areas where the gradient is unfavourable, the feeling is that of driving a car with less than the 180 HP that this Mazda claims, and you have to “pull the gear” decisively. Then you discover another of the Mazda CX-30’s strong points: a manual transmission that is a delight, for precision, feel and lever travel. But you will also see on the computer that the advantage in consumption that this engine provides when driving very gently (which is when it can run for a long time with a lean mixture) fades away. Consumption here does not shoot up like in turbo engines of similar power and smaller displacement. But we are now talking about averages of between 8 and 8,5 l/100 km, much more “earthly”.

In this context, The Mazda CX-30 Skyactiv-X is somewhat reminiscent of hybrid cars like the Toyota Corolla: It may be very fuel efficient if you drive very gently, but it is not possible to keep consumption so low if you cannot maintain a constant speed. The difference is that the Mazda CX-30 achieves this without resorting to hybrid technology… and that it runs much more pleasantly and smoothly.

By the way, the start-stop Mazda's engine works wonderfully here, one of the best in terms of smoothness and quick restart, without interfering with driving.

Dynamic behaviour: more compact than SUV

If we combine the smoothness of its engines (the rest of the options in the range also stand out in this section, the 2.0 hp 122 Skyactiv-G and the 115 hp Skyactiv-D diesel) with a chassis that offers a driving feel more similar to that of a passenger car As an SUV, the CX-30 rounds off an exemplary panorama from a dynamic point of view. So much so that some will miss versions with engines that provide more verve.

Its platform is the same as that used by the Mazda3, which it is very similar to in terms of reactions. It is closer to the compact than to the CX-5, Mazda's SUV that is positioned in the range above the CX-30. Therefore, the CX-30 is the ideal car for those looking for an SUV aesthetic but do not want to give up the sensations of being behind the wheel of a conventional car.

With a McPherson strut front axle and a torsion bar rear axle, Mazda achieves a balance between comfort and stability that other cars with multi-link rear suspensions cannot achieve. The CX-30 is a car that, without particularly standing out for agility or precision, moves easily and comfortably on any type of road, whether it be twisty sections or long motorways. Also contributing to this is proper insulation, powerful and adjustable brakes and the aforementioned feel of the gear lever.

Optionally, can be equipped with an automatic torque converter box very smooth and with several operating programs, with a price of about 2.300 euros. Mazda also offers the possibility of choosing the Four-wheel drive, but only with the top trim and with automatic transmission.

The Mazda CX-30 inside

Although the CX-30's front seats are positioned almost 10cm higher than in the Mazda3, making entry and exit easier, once seated the position is also more reminiscent of that of a passenger car than an SUV. So much so that it is difficult to tell whether we are driving a CX-30 or a Mazda3, as the design is identical, highlighting the good ergonomics and the high quality of finish.

For the multimedia system, Mazda has not fallen into the digitalization trend, and uses a 8,8 inch The dashboard is high up on the dashboard, making it easy to consult its information. It's not touch-sensitive, but you won't miss it: the central rotary control on the console between the seats, with its satellite buttons, allows you to control all the systems more quickly, easily and safely than systems that rely on the touchpad. It also has voice control and a multifunction steering wheel. And there's no shortage of compatibility with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

The instrumentation also does not use the increasingly fashionable configurable digital screens. But you will not miss it, due to the simplicity and clarity with which it presents the information. It has a large central clock for the speedometer that is digital, although it simulates an analogue indicator very well. It is flanked by the tachometer on the left and a second sphere on the right that includes the indicator engine temperature and fuel tank level, all of them with conventional hands. On either side of the central clock there are two indicators that show the remaining autonomy and the instantaneous consumption at all times, without having to go through any menu.

In the centre of the speedometer there is a screen that can display different information, such as trip data (kilometres, average consumption, etc.) or the multimedia system. It has practical details such as an indication on the speedometer scale that shows the maximum speed of the road, so that it can be constantly compared with the speed at which you are travelling.

In terms of space, the CX-30 is not as far removed from the Mazda3 as other SUVs are from the compact cars from which they are derived; for example, a Seat Ateca or with a Seat LeonThe rear seats are perfectly usable by two adults, but it should be noted that the width here is below average for SUVs of this size; there is also no adjustment for the seat or the inclination of the backrests.

The same thing happens with the trunk, which stays in 430 liters, clearly below average, and more in line with a compact car than an SUV. It does have regular and very useful shapes, and a practical Smart Cargo organisation kit can be fitted with a tray adaptable to panels; it's a pity that it's a bit expensive, around 390 euros. It's also possible to fit a emergency spare wheel kit (when not equipped with the high-end audio system, whose subwoofer is located under the boot floor), although again the price seems very high to us, around 500 euros.

Mazda CX-30 Skyactiv-X prices and equipment

The CX-30 Skyactiv-X is currently offered in Evolution and Zenith trim levels, with a Price from 33.074 euros for the Evolution version, according to the brand's configurator, prices already updated for the year 2021. The Zeniths have a premium of about 1.300 euros. These are the official prices in the configurator:

Prices without discounts Mazda CX-30 Skyactiv-X

• CX-30 Skyactiv-X Evolution: 33.074 euros
• CX-30 Skyactiv-X Evolution Aut.: 35.984 euros
• CX-30 Skyactiv-X Zenith: 34.373 euros
• CX-30 Skyactiv-X Zenith Aut.: 37.283 euros
• CX-30 Skyactiv-X Zenith AWD Safety: 38.323 euros

Mazda CX-30 Skyactiv-X Discounts

BE CAREFUL, because at these prices you have to discount the current 2.800 euros of Mazda promotion for all CX-30s, and an additional 1.200 euros for this Skyactiv-X version. Subtracting these 4.000 euros, you have a CX-30 Evolution with this interesting engine from around 29.000 euros, and from just over 30.000 with the Zenith finish. A price that, with discounts, is very competitive compared to its rivals.

The main difference between the two trim levels is that the Zenith versions add specific decorative elements, a superior audio system and headlights with automatic high beams, and can also be equipped with the optional Black or White packages, and the safety pack, which are not available in the Evolution. The AWD version with all-wheel drive and automatic transmission disappears from the offer, being available only with a manual transmission, and requires the Safety package.

The Evolution comes very well equipped as standard, with climate control, cruise control, electrochromic rearview mirrors, LED headlights, lane departure warning system, blind spot detection, city emergency braking, climate control, rain and light sensor, keyless start, navigator and 18-inch alloy wheels.

Our test unit was a Zenith with the Soul Red Chrystal body colour (costing 800 euros) and the two packages, White (2.000 euros) and Safety (3.000 euros). The first includes a nice two-tone interior finish that combines white on the leather upholstery and brown on the console and dashboard, as well as heated seats with electrical adjustments and memory.

In turn, the safety pack It features front and rear cross traffic detection with active braking, fatigue detection with camera, 360-degree monitor and active traffic and cruise control.

Among the many optional items available, Mazda offers mirror trim (175 euros), bumper protector in the cargo area (165 euros), wrecking ball (730 euros), roof bars (488 euros), wireless mobile phone charger (210 euros), aluminium pedals (235 euros) and rubber protector on the boot floor (90 euros).

Mazda CX-30 Image Gallery