---
title: "The 2021 Mazda CX-30 Turbo Is Essentially a Smaller, Taller Hot Hatchback"
description: "It's the same powertrain you'll find in the new Mazda3 Turbo, just in a higher-riding package."
date: "2020-09-17"
modified: "2020-09-17"
authors:
  - name: "James Gilboy"
    job_title: "Contributing Writer"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/james-gilboy"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/36474/the-2021-mazda-cx-30-turbo-is-essentially-a-smaller-taller-hot-hatchback"
categories:
  - "Mazda News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
tags:
  - "CX-30"
  - "mazda"
  - "suv/crossover"
---

# The 2021 Mazda CX-30 Turbo Is Essentially a Smaller, Taller Hot Hatchback

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2020/09/2021-Mazda-CX-30-2.5-Turbo_01.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Now that the Mazda3 is getting a turbocharged, 2.5-liter engine and all-wheel drive for 2021, why stop there? Surely this torquey, turbo drivetrain could bring [Mazda's other small models](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/32886/2020-mazda-miata-rf-review-why-its-better-than-a-760-hp-mustang>) to life. Mazda seems to think so, because, alongside the turbo Mazda3, it will introduce a similarly boosted subcompact crossover: the 2021 CX-30 2.5 Turbo.

Enhancements to the CX-30 2.5 Turbo closely mirror those made to the [2021 Mazda3 Turbo](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/35366/the-250-horsepower-2021-mazda3-turbo-hatchback-starts-at-30900>) and start with the addition of the aforementioned power plant. Both produce 227 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque on 87-octane gas, though if fueled on 93, numbers leap to 250 and 320 respectively.

Although not divulged at first, Mazda confirmed to *The Drive* that the CX-30 Turbo will feature a "very similar" six-speed automatic transmission as the one found in the Mazda3 Turbo. The same goes for the all-wheel-drive system; it's Mazda's predictive I-Activ system, but with added off-road programming to utilize the CX-30's extra ground clearance.

![message-editor%2F1600310595840-2021mazdacx-302.5turbo\_02.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1600310595840-2021mazdacx-302.5turbo_02.jpg>)
*2021 Mazda CX-30 2.5 Turbo, *Mazda**

It's a similar story styling-wise, with standard 18-inch alloy wheels, enlarged exhaust tips, gloss black mirror caps, and a big ole Turbo badge on the hatch to let Chevy Trax drivers know what they're messing with. Within is an 8.8-inch infotainment screen linked to a 12-speaker Bose audio system, though Mazda makes no mention of the heated steering wheel to be found in the turbo Mazda3.

On the tech front, the CX-30 adopts a near-identical array of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to ease commutes and reduce the chance of a crash. It'll automatically brake for unsighted obstacles while reversing, manipulate its own steering to hold lane position under 40 mph with radar cruise active, and optionally, display a 360-degree view of its surroundings.

![message-editor%2F1600310625016-2021mazdacx-302.5turbo\_03.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1600310625016-2021mazdacx-302.5turbo_03.jpg>)
*2021 Mazda CX-30 2.5 Turbo, *Mazda**

![message-editor%2F1600310636107-2021mazdacx-302.5turbo\_04.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1600310636107-2021mazdacx-302.5turbo_04.jpg>)
*2021 Mazda CX-30 2.5 Turbo, *Mazda**

Mazda's escargot-charged CX-30 will hit dealers by the end of 2020, and though pricing hasn't been confirmed, it's not hard to estimate where it'll land. There's a $9,400 gulf between the base 2021 Mazda3 sedan and the Turbo model, so applied to the 2020 CX-30's base price, that premium takes the 2021 CX-30 2.5 Turbo to an estimated $31,300.

Considering [the CX-30 manages a fair impression of a hot hatchback with a smaller engine](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/31666/2020-mazda-cx-30-review-a-great-car-makes-a-great-crossover>), a torquey 250-horsepower powerplant may be all the CX-30 needs to complete the illusion.

![message-editor%2F1600310652610-2021mazdacx-302.5turbo\_05.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1600310652610-2021mazdacx-302.5turbo_05.jpg>)
*2021 Mazda CX-30 2.5 Turbo, *Mazda**

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## Author
James is a former staff writer for The Drive. He has changed the conversation around electrification, debunked misinformation online, and become a prominent hunter of what he calls "automotive cryptids."

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/jamesgilboy>)