Comparison - Mazda CX-30 Skyactiv-X Sport Lux 2020 - vs - Kia Niro EX 2023

Perhaps we need to stop calling these cars SUVs, because the new Mazda CX-30 is really just a Mazda 3 on stilts, and all the better for it.

Pros
Excellent dynamics
Interior fit and finish
Audio and infotainment system
Active safety features
Exterior and interior design, practical, makes more sense than a Mazda 3

Cons
Ride felt a tad firm (European spec)
Expected price premium over the Mazda 3
Infotainment housing a little old school
Fits four adults at best

Slotting into the Mazda SUV lineup in the narrow space between the subcompact CX-3 and the compact CX-5 is the new—and curiously named—CX-30. Why isn't it called CX-4? We asked Mazda: It's kind of a long story. Regardless, we like the way it looks. Mazda's designers gave it a more severely forward-canted rear window and chunkier black-plastic body cladding to help differentiate the 2020 Mazda CX-30 from its other crossover siblings.The 2020 CX-30 shares much of its mechanicals and platform with the all-new Mazda 3 sedan and hatchback, so we expect it to have a 186-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, a six-speed automatic transmission and either front- or all-wheel drive. It's possible that Mazda's new gasoline-powered compression-ignition engine—which the company calls Skyactiv-X—is likely to be available in the CX-30 at some point down the road.