The Mazda CX-30 adopts Mazda’s Kodo design philosophy - artful design which is deeply rooted in traditional Japanese aesthetics. The honing of every element according to the ‘less is more’ principle has created unprecedentedly clean, beautiful surfaces and brought an entirely original form to the compact crossover SUV segment.
The Mazda Vision Coupe concept model introduced in 2017 embodied this more sophisticated design language through finely honed, minimalist styling: its elegantly restrained body form generating a delicate play of light and reflections that change over time to create styling with a natural, dynamic feel.
The Mazda CX-30 was developed to mimic this ‘Sleek and Bold’ design concept with exterior styling that exudes the supple and flowing elegance of a coupe combined with the toughness of an SUV. As beneath a sleek upper body with the streamlined silhouette of a coupe, the black cladding to the lower body creates an impression of stability, ruggedness and power appropriate to an SUV.
The styling is controlled by the design expression: 'Charge and Release'. This style was derived from the brushwork used in Japanese calligraphy and developed to integrate the three key factors of the evolved Kodo design theme: Yohaku, the beauty of empty space; Sori, curves with poise and balance; and Utsuroi, the play of light and shade.
In particular, Sori is clearly embodied in the arc of the shoulder running from the front wing to the rear wheel, giving a sense of speed and vitality. Utsuroi may be seen in the body surfaces beneath the shoulder line, which reflect the surroundings in an S shape that changes as the car moves. These expressions of body form finally come together in a single undulation at the rear where they diffuse.
By eschewing character lines in favour of the movement of surfaces, the Mazda CX-30 achieves styling with both the beauty of a work of art and a powerful sense of dynamism.
The front styling conveys a refined, yet bold personality. Mazda’s signature wing takes on a sharper and deeper form that combines with the solid, sculpted contours of the front bumper to achieve a composition strongly suggestive of forward motion. The size and pattern of the radiator grille’s triangular motif are tightly controlled to show rich variations according to the viewing angle and changes in light. From Sport Lux models onwards, the grille is gloss black, as are the B and C Pillar garnish trims.
Equipped with 18 or 16-inch alloy wheels depending on trim level: SE-L and SE-L Lux cars feature 16-inch Grey Metallic wheels, while Sport Lux, GT Sport and GT Sport Tech cars powered by the e-Skyactiv G engine have 18-inch Silver Metallic wheels. Sport Lux, GT Sport and GT Sport Tech cars powered by the ground-breaking e-Skyactiv X engine are marked out by 18-inch Bright Silver wheels.
From the back, the rear wings stand proud from the tapered rear cabin and the tailgate has a correspondingly narrowed arch shape. In combination, this creates a sensuously powerful rear form akin to the wide, dynamic stance of a sports car. From Sport Lux onwards the CX-30 features Signature LED rear lights with LED rear turn lights. Across all trim levels, nine body colours - Arctic White Solid, Polymetal Grey Metallic, Snowflake White Pearlescent, Jet Black Mica, Deep Crystal Blue Mica, Sonic Silver Metallic, Machine Grey Metallic and Mazda’s signature Soul Red Crystal Metallic. New for the 2022 model year, Platinum Quartz is introduced across the CX-30 range.
Click here to read more about Mazda’s Kodo Design philosophy.