Mazda CX-30 vs Volkswagen Tiguan

What's the difference?

About to enter its fifth year in market the Mazda CX-30 is holding up well and this GT SP FWD grade delivers solid value relative to its key competitors, of which there are many. It’s also space-efficient, practical and performs well with top-shelf safety, decent refinement and good dynamic ability.

Alternately, it’s crying out for a hybrid powertrain to improve fuel efficiency, the interior form and function is starting to date and while it meets the market the ownership promise could be sharper. But this little SUV is still worthy of a spot on your new-car short list.

It's a hard to deliver a definitive verdict yet, because we’re still some way out from the Tiguan’s local arrival.

Expect a pricier mid-size SUV, but one which leans into its best traits as a semi-premium option, with a stellar cabin and a significant tech upgrade. What sets it apart in such a crowded segment is its ability to appeal to the keen driver, although it’s a shame Australia will miss out on some of the more ambitious and modern powertrain options available overseas, at least initially.

For now though, consider us impressed.

Tune back in in the second quarter of 2025 for all the details on the Tiguan’s local launch and pricing.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

Mazda continues to follow a disciplined design path with everything from the MX-5 sports car to the BT-50 dual-cab ute sharing key attributes like the brand’s signature trapezoidal grille, simple flowing lines and sleek head- and tail-lights, all wrapped up with a subtle hint of chrome here and there.

Car-spotters with the GT SP on their checklist should look out for 18-inch black metallic rims as well as black exterior trim, including the mirror caps. 

Inside, the CX-30 maintains Mazda’s restrained approach with smooth surfaces integrated across the multi-layer dash and primo leather-trimmed seats.

That said, this car is starting to show its age with the multimedia screen plonked on the top of the dash (in typical Mazda fashion) and a largely conventional instrument cluster.

Yes, the main dial is configurable courtesy of a central 7.0-inch TFT screen, but next to more recent arrivals boasting sleek, often twinned, flat screen displays the CX-30 looks and feels out of touch. 

Functionally, there’s a sensible mix of digital controls and physical buttons (points for audio volume and ventilation dials!), but… the multimedia screen can only be accessed by a rotary controller in the centre console once the car is mobile (it works as a touchscreen when you’re stationary).

Some say touchscreens take your eyes off the road so the controller makes sense, but with a sequential app like Spotify it can take a lot of twirls to get to where you want to go, which upsets concentration and takes your eyes off the road, anyway. I’d prefer the relative ease of a quick press on a screen.

Aside from all that, the materials used are high quality with soft-touch surfaces across key contact points and hard plastics confined to high-wear areas. 

There’s a lot of familiarity with this new Tiguan. It doesn’t stray far from the sturdy, boxy, but pragmatic shape of the current car, at least at a distance.

Up closer, though, it’s clear there are some significant changes this time around. The previous car’s hard and angular character lines have been replaced by curvy finishes over the top of the wheel arches, paired with heavier contours down the doors and across the nose.

The face has dumped the previous chrome highlights, moving the grille lower and replacing the horizontal strips which used to sit behind the VW badge with a solid plastic bar (incorporating an LED light) running across the top.

The grille has been moved lower, and chrome has largely been replaced with gloss black and matt silver finishes. While the outgoing car was attractive in a relatively conservative way this new Tiguan makes more of a statement.

Round the back, expect a similar contemporary translucent plastic light-bar treatment to marry the rear two light fittings, with the VW badge taking pride of place alongside the TIGUAN typeface, as is the current trend.

Design elements carried over in the rear three-quarter include the shape of the rear side windows, the tough extruded bumper and the little roof-mounted spoiler. Trendy aerodynamically-styled wheel choices round out its modern appeal.

Perhaps the strangest thing about this design is how it somehow manages to make the Tiguan look smaller where most next-gen designs make new cars look much larger than their predecessors. There’s something subtle about it.

Inside is a radical departure from the now significantly dated outgoing vehicle. The somewhat drab greyscale dash, which was also strangely upright, has been replaced by something much more intriguing.

A huge piano black panel defines the character line of the dash, housing the air vents, dashboard, and new ambient lighting, sitting behind the enormous pride-of-place 15-inch media screen.

VW clearly heard the audience and for this car has put a major focus on tech. The new software to match looks much better, the screen is sharp and fast, and as usual the brand’s digital dash is easily one of the best on the market.

Swapping out old switchgear has also allowed for a more contemporary, pared-back centre console with the nicely-designed steering wheel carrying across. EV-like controls from the ID series take their place on the steering column.

This is not a car you can judge from several metres away. This is a car that's been well and truly launched into the 2020s.

At just under 4.4m long, close to 1.8m wide and little over 1.5m tall (with a 2655mm wheelbase) the CX-30 is in the middle of the pack it competes with in terms of key dimensions.

And space up front is more than adequate, with an impressive feeling of roominess for a relatively small SUV.

For storage, there’s a large lidded box (which doubles as an armrest) between the front seats as well as a pair of cupholders in front of the gear-shifter with a bay for wireless device charging ahead of that.

The glove box is big, there are bins in the doors with room for decent size bottles and a drop-down tray for sunglasses sits overhead.

Move to the rear and the amount of space on offer is surprisingly generous. Sitting behind the driver’s seat, set for my 183cm position, I have plenty of head and legroom, although three full-size adults across the back seat will be an uncomfortable proposition for anything other than short trips. A trio of up to mid-teenage kids will be fine.

Adjustable air vents at the back of the front centre console are a welcome inclusion for back-seaters and storage runs to a map pocket (weirdly, on the back of the front seat only), a pair of cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest and bins in the doors with room for smaller bottles.

In-cabin power and connectivity includes two USB-C outlets and a 12-volt socket in the front centre storage box. No USBs specifically for those in the rear, which is a miss for road trips and no 12V in the boot which can be handy when camping or picnicking.  

Speaking of the boot, cargo volume with the rear seat upright is okay for the class at 317 litres, which expands to a healthy 1479L with the 60/40 split-folding backrest lowered. For comparison the Kia Seltos coughs up 433L with the rear seat upright.

The space is illuminated, there are tie-down anchors to help secure loose loads and there’s a space-saver spare sitting under the floor.

And if you’re keen on towing a tinnie or similar you’re good to go for a 1200kg braked trailer (600kg unbraked).

The previous Tiguan was always notable for how spacious its cabin was, and for the most part that pragmatic approach continues.

The re-designed seats proved comfortable over the significant amount of time we spend behind the wheel traversing central Germany, and while it feels a little smaller inside due to the much busier design of the dash, there’s plenty of room for even tall adults given the cabin's height and width.

As usual with Tiguan, it’s easy to find a comfortable and sporty seating position, and the touchpoints are all excellent with much less hard plastic in the doors and centre console.

Each door offers an enormous pocket and bottle holder, and the new car gets a two-tiered shelf design in the centre console, housing a wireless charger below.

A single multi-function dial can control either audio volume or drive mode with a quick press, and without additional switchgear. There is a versatile set of bottle holders and a centre console armrest box behind.

The huge screen is oriented towards the driver. In the pictures it looks like too much, but it’s somehow low enough and the software largely has clever shortcuts to minimise distraction.

The most unfortunate feature of the screen, though, is the requirement to control the climate via touch sliders or a screen-based menu.

If only the brand had committed to giving us two more dials to control the climate zones or fan speed as appear in its Skoda relations. Still, it’s a significant step-up from the outgoing car.

The back seat offers heaps of room for myself, at 182cm tall, behind my own driving position. The generous seat claddings continue (as usual for a VW), with adjustable air vents, a rear climate zone and USB-C ports offered on the back of the console for rear passengers.

Lovely soft trims continue in the doors, and there are a set of three pockets on the back of each front seat, good for phones, tablets, or whatever you can think of.

Boot space measures in at an enormous 652 litres, proving VW found a significant amount of space somewhere in this new design.

Need more? The second row is on rails, so if you’re not using it, or you’re using it for kids who don’t need the legroom, you can boost the load space even further.

Australian deliveries of the new-generation Tiguan were still a while away at the time of writing, so we don’t have precise pricing and specifications to share just yet. However, the brand’s Australian division tells us to expect a similar grade walk to the outgoing car.

This will likely mean three key variants tied to three drivetrain options. We know for now the incoming base version will retain the same 110TSI engine, but will take a significant hike in standard equipment, while the next two variants up will use upgraded engines, a mid-spec 150TSI and a top-spec 195TSI.

The bad news is Volkswagen says it will be fair to expect a price-hike on base versions, what we understand is “closer to the $50K mark”, while the outgoing car starts from $43,990, before on-road costs.

The good news is the standard equipment is “more in-line with what the VW customer expects” according to the brand, with the main problem not being price, but apparently buyers wanting things like standard leather seats and upgraded cabin tech with the more basic engine.

Next up, the 150TSI 2.0-litre all-wheel drive will replace the outgoing 132TSI, and at the top of the range, the most important R-Line grade (which VW sells the highest proportion of) will also get a significant boost, not only with the 195TSI engine (up from the current 162TSI), but also new equipment.

Across its grades, the new Tiguan will have access to new-generation matrix LED headlights, large alloy wheel choices, and a 15-inch multimedia screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

There is also a completely overhauled software suite, with a new version of the VW's renowned digital dash cluster, and you can expect impressive spec highlights from the current vehicle, like tri-zone climate control, to continue over.

And this third-generation car also scores completely re-designed seats, revised ambient lighting, a new head-up display and extended soft-touch materials throughout the cabin to solidify its semi-premium market positioning.

Stay tuned closer to the new Tiguan’s arrival in Australia in the second quarter of 2025 for full local pricing and specs. That said, the cars we drove for this review were largely representative of what we might see land on our shores.

The CX-30 GT SP is powered by a 2.5-litre, naturally aspirated, four-cylinder petrol engine producing maximum power of 139kW at 6000rpm and peak torque of 252Nm at 4000rpm.

It’s a proven all-alloy unit featuring direct-injection as well as variable intake and exhaust valve timing with drive going to the front wheels via a six-speed auto transmission. 

The AWD version of the GT SP adds an electromagnetic multi-plate clutch pack (managed by a multitude of sensors) to selectively engage the rear wheels, as well. But its engine and transmission combination is identical to this FWD model’s.

In some ways, I don’t envy our European friends, who can choose from a whopping eight different drivetrain permutations in the new Tiguan range.

However, again there’s good and bad news for the Australian market.

The bad news is we won’t see the new and more efficient 1.5-litre mild-hybrid engine option which is the base version (and one of the cars we drove) in Germany.

We also won’t see the surprisingly finely-tuned diesel versions, and we also won’t see the great new plug-in hybrid version, at least not at launch.

With this out of the way, what we can expect is a familiar line-up. The 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine (110TSI) will carry over from the outgoing vehicle, producing 110kW/250Nm, a new mid-spec engine, producing 150kW/320Nm, and a new top-spec engine (dropped out of the Golf GTI, no less) producing 195kW/400Nm.

As usual, expect all three options to be mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

It's a shame the local division isn’t ambitious enough to launch with the next-gen plug-in hybrid version, which pairs the new 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine with a big 25kWh battery for an estimated 100km electric driving range.

It also brings with it robust charging specs, like an 11kW AC inverter (for a slow charge time of two hours on a compatible charger) and even the ability to charge on DC at 50kW (for a fast-charge time in half an hour).

Our experience in a German-market example proves one of the other benefits of this powertrain, which is a fuel-efficient hybrid mode even when the battery is drained.

Perhaps it’s a story of petitioning your dealer for one if you want it. No doubt the brand will be listening to on-the-ground feedback post-launch.

The CX-30 GT SP FWD’s official fuel consumption figure on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle is 6.6L/100km, the 2.5-litre atmo four-cylinder engine emitting 154g/km of C02 in the process.

It features fuel-saving stop-start and cylinder deactivation functions as standard and over a combination of city, suburban and some freeway running we saw an average of 8.4L/100km, which is average for an SUV in this class. A comparable hybrid package would easily better this result.

Based on the car’s 51-litre fuel tank theoretical range between refills is 772km, which drops to just over 600km using our real-world test consumption number. But the good news is this CX-30 runs happily on cheaper 91 RON ‘standard’ fuel.

Given the engines will be familiar don't expect any radical changes when it comes to fuel consumption.

We don’t have official WLTP-certified figures yet because the 1.4-litre 110TSI and 2.0-litre 150TSI engines aren’t even in production in the new body yet, but it's fair to assume they won't stray far from the 7.7L/100km of the current 110TSI, up to 8.5L/100km for the current 162TSI R-Line.

For those wondering, the difference between the carryover 110 and the new one in Europe, it’s about 0.9L/100km according to overseas figures (with the new 1.5-litre MHEV engine consuming 6.8L/100km).

Even better news is the power boosted 195kW engine has the same fuel consumption as the outgoing 162TSI.

Meanwhile, the 1.5-litre eHybrid (PHEV) version we’ll miss out on has claimed fuel consumption of just 0.5L/100km.

As usual, these turbocharged Volkswagen engines will require a minimum of 95RON premium unleaded fuel.

It’s rare in 2024 to find a small SUV that doesn’t have at least one turbocharger attached to its engine, the CX-30’s 2.5-litre ‘atmo’ four being one of those increasingly scarce examples.

But Mazda’s been laser-focused on extracting maximum power and efficiency from its non-turbo petrol engines for yonks and this one stands up well.

It doesn’t have the low-down punch a turbo typically delivers but maximum pulling power arrives at a useable 4000rpm and it’s eager enough for easy city and suburban running as well as confident freeway cruising.

Although Mazda doesn’t quote an official number you can expect a sprint from 0-100km/h in around 8.5 seconds, which is quick for the class.

Worth noting engine noise and a raspy exhaust note make their presence felt under acceleration and the throttle isn’t as refined as it could be. Not a huge deal, but a slight jerkiness is evident on initial, especially moderate, acceleration.

The six-speed auto is smooth and fuss-free, the steering wheel paddle shifters on hand if you need to intervene and select a specific ratio. ‘Sport’ mode peps things up, causing the transmission to shift down earlier and up later. But it’s aggressive in that it often holds onto a gear for too long and you find yourself diving back to the default normal setting.

Tipping the scales at just under 1.5 tonnes, the CX-30 is underpinned by a MacPherson strut front, torsion beam rear suspension and ride comfort on typically pock-marked urban surfaces is average for the category. That is, a bit jittery over bumps and corrugations but there’s no bone-jarring going on here.

Steering feel and response is good and the grippy steering wheel helps with a connection to the front tyres. Speaking of which, the standard rubber is high-performance (215/55) Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 which is  grippy and commendably quiet. 

Push on into a corner and the CX-30 remains balanced and predictable with body roll well under control. Torque vectoring, by engine and physical braking, is also onboard to reel things in if you overstep the mark.

Braking is by discs all around, vented at the front and solid at the rear, and they wash off speed effectively with a satisfyingly progressive pedal action.

Vision is good, which combined with the CX-30’s compact dimensions and 10.6m turning circle, means parking is easy. Especially when you factor in the hi-res reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors. 

The Tiguan has always been a stand-out drive in the segment (which VW says underpins the high-spec R-Line version's popularity in Australia) and the improvements for this new-generation car lean even further into its on-road prowess.

Significant revisions as part of the new Tiguan’s upgraded MQB Evo platform include improved chassis rigidity and all-new suspension, which has an immediate and obvious effect as soon as you hop behind the wheel.

We were able to sample a 1.5-litre MHEV (an engine we won’t get, but in a trim level indicative of 'our' base car) as well as a 2.0-litre 150TDI diesel all-wheel drive (as a stand-in for the not-yet-in production 195TSI model) and both stand well above the segment in terms of handling and straight-up fun (at least for a mid-size SUV).

Don’t expect the kind of doughy ride and compliant steering of rivals, instead prepare yourself for what feels like a scaled-up Golf.

The third-generation Tiguan is defined by accurate, engaging steering, punchy and reactive engines, a sandpapered-smooth response from the dual-clutch transmissions, even at low speed, and (particularly for the front-wheel drive) an SUV which feels light on its feet.

This all makes for a mid-size SUV which, if anything, encourages you to push harder on a bit of curvy tarmac. Sure it doesn’t have the nearly EV-like smoothness of its hybrid rivals, but this is supplanted by serious fun to be had, which is extremely rare for this segment.

In our experience, the new ride is springy and reactive, although it was hard to gauge how the new Tiguan might feel in Australia due the high quality of German roads which don’t have the imperfections which riddle the surface of Australian tarmac.

It does feel a bit more locked down, but the previous Tiguan had an outstanding ride considering its more sporty intent, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see this continue.

Both turbo engine options roar to life when pushed with a pleasing tone, and as usual the dual-clutch autos are lightning fast at shifting and provide a lot more feedback and engagement compared to the usual dull CVT popular on rival mid-sizers.

The one thing which takes away from the experience is the need to interact with the climate controls via touch interface, a bit annoying and potentially distracting on the go.

On the flip side, the active safety equipment (particularly lane keep assist) is thankfully not anywhere near as overbearing as it is in some of this car’s rivals, solidifying the Tiguan’s position as a robust option for a keen driver.

The new-generation Tiguan was recently awarded a maximum five-star Euro NCAP safety rating and has significantly increased its array of equipment.

Even the base Tiguan in Europe gets auto emergency braking with vulnerable user protection, lane keep assist, and blind spot monitoring with rear cross traffic alert.

There is also now front cross-traffic alert, a more thorough driver attention monitoring system, traffic sign recognition, and a safe exit warning system, alongside the usual array of stability, traction, and brake aids.

Airbag coverage has also been expanded to include a centre airbag up front, and full side airbags to join the usual curtain set.

Tune back in when the Tiguan launches in Australia to see if its maximum European rating carries across to ANCAP.

Mazda covers the CX-30 with a five-year/unlimited km warranty which is the norm in the mainstream market, and it’s worth noting a growing number of competitors are now at six, seven or even 10 years, although the latter are typically conditional on authorised dealer servicing. Roadside assistance is provided for the duration of the warranty.

Service is recommended every 12 months or 15,000km and Mazda’s ‘Service Select’ program sets maintenance pricing out to seven years, the lowest over that period being $352 and the highest $626, for an annual average of $459, which is reasonable but not exceptional for the category.

For comparison, a similarly specified Toyota C-HR averages $330 per workshop visit over the same period.

As of right now, Volkswagen offers a five year, unlimited kilometre warranty with a year of roadside assist, and it would be a shock not to see the usual three- or five-year pre-paid service packages when it launches in Australia.

On the current car, these amount to about $580 annually (for a 2.0-litre 162TSI R-Line) which is on the premium end for the mainstream SUV segment.

Expect the same service interval as the current car, too, set at 12 months or 15,000km. Check back at local launch time for full details.