Behind the Wheel
Mazda Malaysia Just Surprised Us By Offering AWD With The CX-30
Back in January 2020, when social distancing wasn’t a thing yet, Mazda handed us the keys to the CX-30 to have a feel for the crossover. We drove the crossovers, with the 1.8-litre diesel and 2.0-litre petrol, and came out feeling positive.
Still warm from the oven, the 2.0-litre CX-30 has been upgraded to include the Mazda Advanced Keyless entry as well as Walk Away Lock. Previously, it was only the High spec that had these features.
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The bigger news, and why you’re here, is the coming of the CX-30 AWD that slots itself above the other two petrol variants. Mazda’s AWD system, called i-Activ AWD, lets the CX-30 drive on all sorts of roads. More importantly. It makes safer driving on roads that are slippery enough to make other vehicles lose traction.
Mazda’s all-wheel-drive system is highly-adaptable to road conditions by detecting minute wheel-speed variations that you’ll never notice. The system moves torque around to where it is needed the most or the least. So, this CX-30 capable of going from a front-drive vehicle to full four-wheel-drive crossover.
The i-Activ AWD also employs the Off-road Traction Assist system that, as its name suggests, makes sure that the wheels find traction on roads that do not seem to have any. You can refer to the CX-30 High spec for the complete list of equipment.
The bad news is, and it is something that we expect to happen, is the crossovers are now cost more than before. Starting from the base, the FWD CX-30 costs RM145,759.00 and RM164,059.00, depending on the trim level. The AWD CX-30 commands an eye-watering price of RM176,059.
Sure, it is expensive but let’s be reminded that the CX-30 comes from Japan and is engineered to be better than an equivalent from Munich, Stuttgart and Wolfsburg. So, from a certain point of view, the CX-30 is value for money. Or, you can always get a similarly priced CX-5, your choice.
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