2027 Mazda CX-30 gets new option from MX-5, more tech

The Mazda CX-30 has received various specification updates in the UK, bringing new exterior paint colours and adding both luxury and safety features, but it’s unclear when the upgraded small SUV will become available in Australia.

Many of these changes were announced for the Japanese market back in July, and are now being rolled out to the UK and Europe before the end of this year.

We've contacted Mazda Australia to confirm when these changes will arrive here.

Zinc Green Metallic joins the colour palette, after having debuted on the MX-5 earlier this year. Mazda says the paint was inspired by the colour and texture of zinc chromate primer.

Aero Grey metallic is also newly available on the CX-30, while new gunmetal and gloss-black decorative interior panels are available in some variants.

Ventilation is now available for the front seats, joining heating, while the surround-view camera gains a see-through view mode, and the blind-spot monitoring features a safe exit warning function.

Unlike in Australia, where the CX-30 is offered with only naturally aspirated Skyactiv-G 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engines, Mazda in the UK gets the mild-hybrid 2.0-litre e-Skyactiv G and compression-ignition 2.5-litre e-Skyactiv X petrol engines. Also unlike Australia, the CX-30 is available there with a manual transmission.

There’s also a new Makoto special edition coming to the UK in early 2027, bringing seats upholstered in light cloth and ‘stone’ leatherette, as well as black 18-inch alloy wheels and dark badging and mirror caps.

This aligns with the Air Edition in Japan, which features the same lighter interior colour scheme.

Mazda in Japan says the adaptive LED headlights in the updated CX-30 have also been improved to the same level as the CX-60 and CX-80, while the adaptive cruise control now features speed sign recognition and the emergency lane-keep assist system has been improved.

The CX-30's autonomous emergency braking system can also now detect motorcycles, avoid collisions in intersections and during right turns, and gains a “collision damage mitigation function for oncoming vehicles” and “forward-moving approaching object detection function”.

Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro revealed in August the second-generation CX-30 will be launched by March 2031.

In a two-part interview with Chugoku Shimbun, a newspaper based in Mazda's hometown of Hiroshima, Moro-san revealed the next-gen small SUV will "incorporate methods used for the new CX-5", most likely its cost-reduction regime that has seen the new mid-size SUV feature an arguably more downmarket interior.

The new CX-5 has also dumped the company's rotary dial-controlled Mazda Connect infotainment system, and jettisoned Mazda's long-standing commitment to a full suite of physical controls for the audio and climate control system in favour of a larger touchscreen. 

Mazda has produced over 1.4 million CX-30s since its launch in 2019.

To the end of September, the Japanese brand has delivered 9020 CX-30s in Australia this year, making it the brand's third-best seller behind the CX-5 and CX-3.

A replacement for the latter is set to enter production in Thailand in 2027.

MORE: Explore the Mazda CX-30 showroom