The new generation of carsales’ Best Small SUV, the Hyundai Kona, faces off against its closest rival, Mazda’s CX-30
- How much does the Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-30 cost?
- What equipment comes with the Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-30?
- How safe are the Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-30?
- What technology features on the Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-30?
- What powers the Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-30?
- How fuel efficient are the Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-30?
- What are the Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-30 like to drive?
- Can the Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-30 go off-road?
- What are the Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-30 like inside?
- Should I buy a Hyundai Kona or Mazda CX-30?
Back in 2022 carsales declared the Hyundai Kona the Best Small SUV in Australia and named the Mazda CX-30 as its closest rival. So it was obvious what the new second-generation Kona was going to be compared with as soon as possible after launch. We’ve gone straight to the top of the pile for this exercise, pitching the flagship Kona Turbo Premium N Line up against the CX-30 G25 Astina. The new Kona is bigger, better equipped but more expensive and thirstier than before. Do the improvements achieve enough to outweigh the negatives and keep the sleek and tidy Mazda at bay? In some cases yes, but it’s not as clear-cut as you might think.
How much does the Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-30 cost?
The new-generation 2023 Hyundai Kona Premium 1.6 T-GDi N Line (to give it its full name) will set you back $46,500 plus on-road costs. That means pricing has risen more than seven per cent compared to the top-spec turbo in the Korean brand’s first-generation Kona line-up.
The Mazda CX-30 G25 Astina is $43,710 plus on-road costs. Its pricing actually went up in July, the third price rise since October 2022.
Originally the plan was to compare the $45,710 CX-30 G25 Astina all-wheel drive against the Kona Turbo because the Hyundai comes standard with AWD.
Our plans went awry at the last minute when the all-paw CX-30 became unavailable. So the front-driver stepped in to take up the fight on behalf of the Japanese brand.
There are no options apart from $595 metallic paint and the no-cost choice of white or black leather available for the Mazda. The Kona can be optioned with a $1500 sunroof, $595 metallic/mica paint and $295 light shale grey or sage green interior appointments (black is standard).
Both these vehicles are among the most expensive in the small SUV segment, reflecting the premium positioning the CX-30 has had since its 2020 launch and the new Kona has been moved to.
What equipment comes with the Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-30?
When it comes to the little luxuries in life, the 2023 Hyundai Kona Premium and Mazda CX-30 Astina have the basics covered.
Inside, both cars come with dual-zone climate control including adjustable rear vents, leather interior trim, powered driver’s seat with lumbar adjust and memory, keyless access and push-button start.
Front seats and steering wheel include heating, while only the Kona adds power adjustment for the front passenger’s seat, ventilation for the front positions and heating outboard in the rear.
Externally, both get power-operated tailgates, while the Kona picks up bigger 19-inch alloy wheels versus the CX-30’s 18s. The Hyundai alone has roof rails.
But while the CX-30 makes a virtue of clean and elegant exterior and interior presentation, the Kona Turbo pushes on a step further thanks to its N Line pack that dresses up its edgy presentation.
Outside it’s obvious thanks to body parts including an extravagant rear wing, a complex 19-inch alloy wheel design and the body-colour wheel-arch cladding. It looks more like a hot hatch than SUV.
Inside, the seats add Alcantara, there are red trim bits, dark metal finishes, alloy sports pedals and a steering wheel with perforated leather grips.
Both cars come with a temporary space-saver spare tyre and tyre pressure monitoring.
They are each protected by a five year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and short 10,000km/12-month service intervals. Both have capped-price service policies that over the first five years average out at $359.80 per visit to the workshop for the Mazda and $399 for the Hyundai.
The Mazda has five years’ complimentary roadside assistance while the Hyundai only gets one year – but that’s extended to 10 years if serviced by a Hyundai dealer.
How safe are the Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-30?
The 2023 Mazda CX-30 comes with a five-star ANCAP rating based on superseded 2019 protocols.
The new Hyundai Kona is yet to be rated by ANCAP and won’t be for some months yet, as Euro NCAP is responsible for the crash testing program and has yet to get underway.
As is to be expected, both come with a suite of airbags and driver assist systems, led by autonomous emergency braking (AEB).
But there are some detail differences to note. In addition to the usual front, front side and curtain airbags, the Hyundai adds a centre front airbag to avoid head knocks between front passengers.
The Mazda also has seven airbags, but it adds a knee ’bag in addition to the usual line-up.
The Kona’s AEB system has some new features including motorcycle detection, direct oncoming traffic detection and junction turning assist. The Mazda’s AEB detects pedestrians and cyclists as well as vehicles.
Both cars have adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go as well as the ability to monitor blind spots, relevant areas when reversing, driver attention and speed signs. They can also keep you centred in your lane and issue warnings if your car is starting to wander. The systems are switchable.
Sadly, the horrendous audible warnings that emanate from the Hyundai if speed limits are only slightly exceeded or the driver’s gaze briefly leaves the straight-ahead demand they be instantly switched off. It’s also something you have to do every time you get in the car. Very, very, very annoying!
More helpfully, the Hyundai is endowed with both automatic collision notification and an SOS emergency button courtesy of its new Bluelink connected car system. The Mazda has nothing to match that.
The Kona also gets a blind spot view monitor that shows a camera view in the left or right cluster dial down the side of the car depending on which way it is indicating to turn.
The Hyundai also has a more sophisticated parking assistance system, including a surround-view camera that can be adjusted on the screen by touch; front, rear and side parking sensors and remote smart parking via the smart key. The Mazda has a 360-degree camera view and front and rear parking sensors.
Both cars come with LED headlights, tail-lights and driving lights. The Hyundai also gets that signature seamless horizon strip light that runs across the bonnet.
Young kids are looked after by ISOFIX mounts in both outboard rear seats and three child seat top tethers.
What technology features on the Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-30?
The 2023 Hyundai Kona has a big story to tell when it comes to technology. In this regard, it simply overwhelms the Mazda CX-30.
The obvious evidence is the large curved glass screen on the dashboard that houses a 12.3-inch touch-screen and configurable 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.
It’s tied in with a new ccNC (Connected Car Navigation Cockpit) operating system, the introduction of Bluelink connected car services and over-the-air updates that will allow the Kona to have faults rectified and features updated without having to go to a dealer.
Apart from the aforementioned safety aids, Bluelink and its smartphone app bring with it a heap of new features: vehicle status, valet mode, weather forecasts, car finder, door lock/unlock, geofencing, calendar updates and more.
In this top-spec Kona you still have to plug in your smartphone to activate Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but wireless connection is expected to be available (and retrofittable over the air) within months.
The Mazda CX-30 Astina comes with a much smaller 8.8-inch non-touch infotainment screen, allied with a traditional three-dial instrument cluster – although the central speedo is actually digital. The CX-30 adds a head-up display, something the Kona misses out on.
It too has wired smartphone connection, but lacks the Kona’s smartphone wireless charging. The CX-30 also gets two USB-A connectors in the lidded bin between the seats, while the Kona has two USB-C points up front and two more in the rear.
Embedded satellite navigation and AM, FM and digital radio sources are standard in both cars, along with Bose stereos. The Mazda wins the speaker count 12 to eight and makes a better sound.
What powers the Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-30?
There’s a great deal of orthodoxy to be found under the bonnet of both the 2023 Hyundai Kona 1.6 T-GDi and Mazda CX-30 G25.
Both powertrains are familiar. The Kona’s 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine is carryover from the previous generation, as well as seeing service in other parts of the Hyundai world (including in-house rival Kia).
The CX-30’s 2.5-litre naturally aspirated engine is employed across many Mazda models.
The big change to note with the Kona is the swap from a seven-speed dual-clutch to eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission. Gears are selected via a shift-by-wire wand on the steering column or changed manually by flappy paddles.
The CX-30 employs Mazda’s familiar six-speed auto.
The Kona transfers drive to the road via an on-demand all-wheel drive system, running predominantly in front-wheel drive until wheel slip is detected. The CX-30 tested here only drives its front wheels.
The Kona has the edge when it comes to power and torque, claiming 146kW at 6000rpm and 265Nm spread between 1600 and 4500rpm. The flexible spread of torque is a characteristic of low-blow turbo engines.
The CX-30 produces 139kW at 6000rpm and 252Nm at 4000rpm.
How fuel efficient are the Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-30?
As is to be expected, the front-wheel drive 2023 Mazda CX-30 has a substantially lower 6.6L/100km combined-cycle fuel consumption claim than the 7.6L/100km ADR figure for the Hyundai Kona Turbo.
That advantage translated into the real world on test, where the Mazda averaged in the low-to-mid-sevens and the Hyundai in the mid-eights. Both climbed further when pushed harder.
The Mazda has fuel-saving cylinder deactivation and start/stop functions to moderate its engine’s thirst. The Hyundai has none of these measures.
The Kona is also heavier than the CX-30 at 1585kg versus 1478kg, so that means more fuel used as well.
Both vehicles happily run on the cheapest 91 RON fuel. The Kona has a 47-litre fuel tank and the CX-30 a 48L tank.
What are the Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-30 like to drive?
If you want evidence the driving quality of compact SUVs has come a long way then look no further than the 2023 Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-30.
These types of vehicles used to be bland at best and pretty sloppy at worst. But nowadays they drive much like the small passenger cars with which they share their core platforms and mechanicals.
The CX-30 was the second vehicle after the Mazda3 to ride on the latest Skyactiv monocoque architecture, while the new Kona employs the K3 platform also used by the Hyundai i30 sedan and Kia Niro compact electrified SUV.
Both cars have electric-assist power steering and MacPherson strut front suspension. But at the rear the Mazda employs a simpler and cheaper torsion beam while the Hyundai gets a more sophisticated multi-link independent set-up.
Dimensionally, these two are very close, but the Hyundai is now the marginally bigger car all-round. That includes wheelbase and track.
And that shows up in the driving. The Mazda feels lower to the ground, more connected and more intimate. The Hyundai has more roll and not quite the steering connection in corners.
Essentially, the CX-30 lives up to its lithe, sporting look and Mazda’s traditional driving character.
But the Kona has substantial advantages. The ride is more comfortable, despite its bigger wheels, than the firmly tuned Mazda, and its larger brakes deliver a more reassuring response when pressure is first applied to the pedal.
The Kona’s steering also lightens effort appreciably at lower speeds, allying with its better view out and array of sensors and cameras to make it the easier car to manoeuvre in carparks and other tight spots. Its sole significant drawback is the steeply raked and thick front pillars that can block the view of crossing traffic.
Commendably, the CX-30’s traction levels, despite only being front-wheel drive, are very good – even on wet roads when subject to intentionally heavy throttle pressure out of tight corners. The Kona has better grip, but the Mazda only has moderate wheelspin managed by well-tuned traction control.
In the engine bay there are differences in the driving that bely the similar outputs. Being naturally aspirated, the CX-30 responds without hesitation to the throttle. It has linear acceleration and a quiet and refined nature.
For the most part, the six-speed auto is a great partner left to its own devices, made more aggressive in Sport mode or operated manually.
It does work hard to overcome the engine’s torque deficit at low revs, but the shifts are well-cloaked. Only the occasional thump makes it obvious.
The Kona Turbo’s engine has some laggy hesitation at tip-in throttle and at lower revs, but emerges as clearly the more responsive and powerful engine once up and running. It has a growlier soundtrack as well.
The new eight-speed auto is a smooth operator. The wand gear selector requires an adjustment, but it’s more about muscle memory than anything inconvenient about its fundamental design.
The temptation surfaces to go for Sport mode or the manual shift paddles when that low-rev lagginess makes itself felt. But that’s not really an issue when cruising or trundling around town, where throttle applications are often less demanding.
Both cars are decently quiet in the cabin. There was more tyre noise generated on coarse surfaces by the Mazda’s Dunlops than the Hyundai’s Kumhos. More engine noise could be heard in the Kona, but only at high revs and never raucously.
Can the Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-30 go off-road?
Out of these two, only the all-wheel drive 2023 Hyundai Kona could be considered any form of off-roader. But venture too far and its lack of tyre traction, underbody clearance and low-range gearing will leave you well and truly stuck.
In addition to its mechanical systems – a centre clutch monitored by various sensors – the Hyundai’s HTRAC system includes a dial on the centre console that offers the choice of Snow, Mud and Sand powertrain torque and brake settings.
The absent Mazda CX-30 AWD’s i-Activ system is similar in its mechanical make-up. It includes an Off Road Traction Assist (ORTA) function that acts like a rear differential lock by reducing traction control, brakes the spinning wheel and diverts torque to the rear wheel with traction.
We did some testing of this system when the CX-30 AWD first launched.
What are the Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-30 like inside?
The external differences between the 2023 Hyundai Kona Premium N Line and Mazda CX-30 Astina continue in the interior.
The Kona is all lines and angles, big screens and banks of buttons and dials. It’s a computer programmer’s dream.
The CX-30 is softer in its line, there is less emphasis on the gadgets and it is cloaked in materials including stitched leather (some of it artificial, admittedly) that look and feel higher quality.
When you get up close with the Kona there are a lot of hard surfaces, including the door arm rest, as my sore elbow will attest.
The Mazda’s set of controls are intentionally minimalist. The idea is the driver’s eyes stay on the road. Hence no touch-screen, the limited amount of extraneous information that can be rotated through the instrument cluster and the inclusion of a head-up display
Look, it’s a great concept but because most changes of the infotainment screen happen via a dial down on the centre console you are still taking your eyes off the road.
Also, the graphics on the steering wheel controls (such as volume, cruise on/off etc) are tiny and almost indecipherable at a glance. So not sure if the no-distractions strategy is 100 per cent successful.
It’s the opposite scenario to the Kona which allows you to attack the touch-screen and its many functions with gusto, as well as set up the climate control via its own set of controls.
You can also roll through two gauge styles and three display themes in the instrument cluster that tie in with the drive modes. Oddly though, you cannot have the analogue speedo dial and a digital speed read-out in the same screen.
Nor are sat-nav maps or audio among the selectable pages in the centre of the cluster.
When it comes to real estate, the Kona wins the battle hands down. You can fit your teenage basketball prodigies in the rear seat. It’s tight in the rear of the Mazda for tall people (180cm or more), especially when it comes to legroom.
The Kona also does better in the boot. It’s not that generous but the CX-30 is downright undernourished.
The Kona has the better seats, too, but it’s a close call. Up front, they are wider, better bolstered and longer under-thigh. The Mazda’s are a little more giving and have a more premium leather trim.
Both cars come with a reach- and rake-adjustable steering wheel to aid driver comfort.
The Kona does better for incidentals storage in the cabin. One of its key gains is in the centre console thanks to the move of the shifter. There is now space for phones and more, as well as two spring-loaded pop-out cup holders. The shelf over the glove box is also handy. The Mazda’s highlight is a beautifully damped lid for its cup holders.
In the rear, the Kona has two seatback pockets compared to the CX-30’s one, although the Mazda fights back with larger door pockets.
Should I buy a Hyundai Kona or Mazda CX-30?
On the surface, these are two very similar vehicles. But drill down and there are differences that distinguish them quite substantially.
The 2023 Mazda CX-30 G25 Astina is more premium in its presentation, more sporting and economical to drive and more solid in the way it sits on the road.
The new Hyundai Kona 1.6T Premium N Line is the all-rounder. It has more interior and cabin space, a less focused but more comfortable driving experience and a huge swathe of more advanced safety gear and tech.
But it’s more expensive, thirstier, and while its powertrain is ultimately stronger, the Mazda’s engine is smoother.
That said, the Kona is still the more practical choice and therefore the one that makes sense to more people’s motoring situations.
While the CX-30 is primarily a car for singles or couples, the Kona is now big enough to be a family vehicle.
Because of that functional advantage, it wins this comparison. It does not quite hit some of the high points of the CX-30, but the new Kona’s overall package is very even and impressive.
2023 Hyundai Kona Premium 1.6 T-GDi N Line at a glance:
Price: $46,500 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 146kW/265Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 174g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested
2023 Mazda CX-30 G25 Astina at a glance:
Price: $43,710 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 139kW/252Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 153g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2019)
Keyword: Hyundai Kona v Mazda CX-30 2023 Comparison