The Mazda CX-30 could offer the most powerful engine in its segment – if Mazda Australia can get its hands on it.
The new flagship turbocharged 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine has been introduced by the company’s Mexican operations, where it’ll be built. It’ll go on sale in North American markets later this year.
A spokesperson from Mazda Australia confirmed the CX-30 Turbo is “left-hand drive only at this stage”.
“It’s something that we’re interested in, and we’ll continue to talk about. Until it’s made in right-hand drive form we can’t commit to it,” they said.
It’s the same story as with the Mazda 3 Turbo, built in the same factory and using the same powertrain, which has also been ruled out for now.
The Skyactiv-G 2.5 Turbo engine delivers 186kW of power and 433Nm of torque when running on premium unleaded fuel, or 169kW and 420Nm with regular unleaded fuel.
It’s available only with all-wheel drive and a six-speed automatic transmission, just like in the new Mazda 3 Turbo that remains off-limits to us.
The same powertrain is used in the CX-5 and CX-9 and – sans all-wheel drive – in the Mazda 6, too.
The US-market CX-30 Turbo appears to correspond with our flagship Astina, with a standard Bose 12-speaker sound system, surround-view camera and adaptive LED headlights.
It’s distinguished from its naturally-aspirated counterpart through the use of 18-inch black alloy wheels, larger exhaust outlets, gloss black exterior mirrors and a subtle turbo badge on the tailgate.
In contrast, Mazda makes the 2.5-litre turbo an option on its top two CX-5 grades in Australia instead of offering it as a standalone model.
If a right-hand drive CX-30 Turbo is introduced Down Under, it’ll offer more power than anything in the small SUV segment.
Distant runners-up include the Volkswagen T-Roc 140TSI (140kW/320Nm) and the Hyundai Kona and Kia Seltos 1.6T (130kW/265Nm).
The CX-30 Turbo features the same outputs as the CX-9, which weighs just over 2000kg in top-spec trim with all-wheel drive. The CX-30, in contrast, weighs just 1544kg in G25 Astina all-wheel drive trim.
