Video: 2020 Mazda CX-30: First Impressions

So this begs two questions right off the bat. First off is this a replacement for the Mazda CX-3? That's Mazda's kind of sub-compact SUV here in the United States. Officials here at the LA Auto Show insist that this is not a replacement for the CX-3. This actually slots between the CX-3 and the compact CX-5 The CX-3 will continue. It's based on the Mazda2 platform overseas. This is based on the Mazda3 platform sold here. So that takes us to the second question. Well, why not just call this the CX-4 then? Well, actually the CX-4 already exists. It's a Chinese market vehicle sold by Mazda. So it couldn't be here. Mazda does say it has cars like the BT-50 pickup truck and-MX 30 electric car sold internationally. So double-digit names like the CX-30 aren't a foreign concept, but this would be the first for the U.S. market. The CX-30 does have a taller looking profile in both the Mazda 3 hatchback and the Mazda CX-3. It's actually about an inch higher Mazda officials say than the CX-30 that's sold overseas. Inside there are a lot of similarities with the Mazda 3. The dashboard has a lot of overlapping layers, although there's some stitching now that's kind of on the upper parts of the dashboard versus kind of the mid section of the dashboard in the Mazda 3. Interior quality is substantially better than the Mazda CX-3 with more soft touch points and areas where your arms and your elbows and your knees kind of line up against, at least in these cars at the auto show. Though, not quite as nice as the Mazda3, especially when you get to the backseat where there does seem to be kind of a little bit of a drop-off. Again, that's in cars here at the auto show, so there can be a substantial difference between what we see here and what ends up at dealerships. One quibble that seems almost assured though, is the 8.8 inch dashboard display. Now that is not a touchscreen. You operate that through a knob based controller, and we've found that to be troublesome in the Mazda3, especially with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto two features available on the Mazda3. Those will be available on the CX-30, but those were really made to be used on a touch screen. Not some knob controller and that appears to be the route that Mazda is going here with the CX-30. Backseat space, a little bit snug. Similar to the Mazda3. We measured out cargo space behind the backseat in the CX-30 and it's roughly similar to what you get behind the backseat of the Mazda3 Hatchback. Mazda has just released pricing and front wheel-drive models of the CX-30 will start around $23,000, including the destination price. That gets you a big 8.8 inch screen, but no Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You gotta move up to a $25,000 trim level to get that, but automatic emergency breaking will be standard across the whole trim lineup. Nice to see there. Now you go all the way to the other end, the CX-30 tops out just over $30,000 for a well-equipped model with all-wheel drive. Stay tuned, I'm sure we'll have plenty of driving impressions and more to share with you coming up in the next few months.