Mazda CX-30 review - Practicality, comfort and boot space

Sitting in the front of a CX-30 there is plenty of space for the driver and one passenger, and as you'd expect, Mazda has done a great job with the driving position. However, things do start to unravel in the back seats. 

All models come with a decent number of cubby holes. There are front and rear door pockets, a space for a map (or other similarly shaped items) on the front passenger’s seat, a glove box and ceiling-mounted sunglasses holder. All variants also come with two cup holders in the centre console, although these can be hidden away on the three higher-spec core trims.

Size

Mazda’s CX-30 measures in at 4,395mm long, 1,795mm wide (excluding mirrors) and 1,540mm high. That means it is longer than a Skoda Karoq but narrower and shorter in height. These dimensions mean the CX-30 is quite similar in footprint to family hatchbacks such as the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus. That said, the CX-30 is much taller. For example, the Focus is just 1,469mm tall. 

Leg room, head room & passenger space 

As mentioned, space up front is plentiful but the rear seats are less blessed. This is most noticeable if a tall passenger sits behind a tall driver, although children should be fine. Furthermore, the transmission tunnel is quite high and the middle seat suffers from limited legroom as a result.

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Headroom in the back isn’t particularly great either. Adult passengers may find that unless they sit completely upright, the angle of the roof may get in the way of a comfortable journey. On a positive note, all models come with two Isofix points on the outer rear seats. 

Boot 

The Mazda CX-30’s boot opening is nice and wide and tall, which helps take the edge off loading awkward objects. With all seats in the upright position, the boot is rated at 430 litres, which is some way off the 521 litres available in a Skoda Karoq. With the rear seats folded, the Mazda can carry up to 1,406 litres. The Skoda again comes up trumps here, with a capacity of 1,630 litres.

Towing 

Mazda says that the CX-30 can tow up to 1,300kg regardless of engine, gearbox and number of driven wheels. Compared to much bigger SUVs such as the Land Rover Discovery this figure seems rather small but considering the size of the CX-30, 1,300kg is just about acceptable. Those wanting a premium compact SUV which can tow more might be better served by a Volvo XC40, as it can tow up to 2,100kg.