Mazda CX-30 Turbo coming
Japanese rival for Volkswagen T-Roc R small performance SUV to bring 186kW turbo engineMazda is set to reveal a power-packed turbocharged petrol version of the Mazda CX-30 small SUV.
According to leaked dealer order guides from Mazda, the North American market will get a Mexican-built Mazda CX-30 2.5 Turbo in late 2020, mimicking the driveline set-up of the Mazda3 Turbo hot hatch.
That means the Subaru XV and Kia Seltos rival will be offered in the US with a 2.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine punching out 186kW of power and a muscular 434Nm of torque.
Mazda's CX-30 Turbo would provide the small SUV range with a sporty hero model loaded with premium equipment and technology.
According to US website
, the Mazda CX-30 Turbo will carry-over pretty much everything from the Mazda3 Turbo, including its six-speed auto and all-wheel drive set-up.While Mazda Australia is keen to offer the Mazda3 Turbo hot hatch Down Under and will “continue to ask for it”, the vehicle is only built in left-hand drive for the Americas and is unlikely to be offered here in the short-term.
That means the mooted Mazda CX-30 Turbo is probably also off the menu for the Australia -- not unlike another rival, the Volkswagen T-Roc R (221kW/400Nm).
The Mazda3 Turbo is the brand’s first hot hatch since the Mazda3 MPS was retired in 2013 and rivals the likes of the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Ford Focus ST.
But the Mazda CX-30 Turbo would unique in its class in Australia, with no other high-performance small SUV models available here outside of high-end luxury marques such as Audi and Mercedes.
However, the Hyundai Kona N (202kW/378Nm) and Toyota GR C-HR (192kW/370Nm) could bring big firepower to the small SUV class when they break cover in 2021. Both are expected to pump out similar power but less torque as the Mazda CX-30 Turbo.
The torquey 2.5-litre turbo-petrol engine is currently available in Australia in the CX-9, CX-5 and Mazda6.
Essentially a Mazda3 on stilts, the CX-30 is priced between $29,990 and $46,490 and has proved popular in Australia with 4474 sales to the end of July in 2020, accounting for 8.5 per cent of the small SUV market segment.
It is also the Japanese brand's third best selling SUV behind the CX-5 and CX-3, which have notched up 11,946 and 7504 sales respectively thus far in 2020.
Tags
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
