2021 Mazda CX-30 vs 2021 Volvo XC40

The 2021 Volvo XC40 had a traditional SUV styling with a tall, flat roof and upright rear hatch, fitting nicely with the rest of the Volvo lineup. It featured “Thor’s Hammer” LED headlights and a simple oval grille, with gasoline models offering a white contrasting roof for a retro look. The XC40 Recharge was distinguished by a blanked-off grille, subtle “Recharge” badging, and model-specific alloy wheels. It also had a gloss black roof and mirror caps, a different rear bumper, and a model-exclusive color—Sage Green Metallic. The interior was minimalist with high-quality materials, including real metal trim and a combination of Nappa leather and Nubuck textile upholstery. The design was coherent, with elements like the portrait-oriented touchscreen and air vents melding together seamlessly.

The 2021 Mazda CX-30 2.5 Turbo had a distinctive look with shiny black 18-inch wheels, grille, side mirror housings, and thick matte black body cladding. Mazda claimed the lower body cladding gave the CX-30 Turbo a light and agile appearance, making it look like it was floating over the wheels. The CX-30 was higher off the ground than the Mazda3 hatchback it was based on, making it easier to slide into the driver’s seat. The cabin featured quality materials, complementary tones and textures, and stitched chocolate brown surfaces, giving it an upscale vibe. Changes to the cabin included a chrome accent around the engine start button and a standard frameless rearview mirror. The SUV offered a choice between black and Griege leatherette upholstery, with black or white leather available in Premium and Premium Plus trims.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 had a three-tiered powertrain lineup, with the electric Recharge on top. The two gasoline options included a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine and eight-speed automatic transmission. The base FWD T4 had 187 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, while the AWD T5 had 248 hp and 258 lb-ft. The Recharge shared its powertrain with the Polestar 2, featuring one electric motor for each axle, enabling AWD and a combined 402 hp and 486 lb-ft. The 78-kilowatt-hour battery pack provided electricity, with 75 kWh of usable capacity. Volvo quoted zero to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds for the Recharge, 6.1 seconds for the T5, and 8.1 seconds for the T4. All versions were electronically limited to 112 mph. The Recharge emphasized quiet and comfort, with excellent ride quality even on winter-ravaged roads. It was capable of one-pedal driving and had a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds when properly equipped.

The 2021 Mazda CX-30 2.5 Turbo featured a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, making between 227 and 250 horsepower depending on the octane rating of the fuel. Torque measured 310 pound-feet at 2,000 rpm or 320 lb-ft at 2,500 rpm. The CX-30 Turbo had an official EPA rating of 25 mpg in combined driving, with an average of 24.1 mpg. The SUV had a six-speed automatic transmission, standard i-Activ AWD system, front suspension tuning, and G-Vectoring Control Plus technology. Mazda tuned the CX-30 Turbo for greater driving satisfaction, providing effortless acceleration and managing torque steer with revised GVC-Plus technology. The i-Activ AWD system actively distributed power to the rear wheels, with a more robust rear differential mount handling 300% more torque than a standard CX-30. The CX-30 Turbo had an Off-Road mode for maximum power transfer to the rear wheels when necessary, and it handled well on dirt paths and muddy trails.

Volvo claimed there was no difference in passenger or cargo space between the Recharge and gasoline XC40 models. However, the XC40 Recharge had less legroom in both the front and rear seats compared to the Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E, and a substantially smaller cargo area. The gasoline XC40 was more competitive on interior space compared to rivals like the Audi Q3 and BMW X1. Volvo made up for the lack of space with clever storage solutions, including a removable trash bin in the center console, a bag hook in the glovebox door, and extra-large door bins. The storage cubby ahead of the shifter was properly shaped to hold a phone, with a wireless charging pad optional and a single USB-C port standard. However, second-row occupants didn’t get any phone-charging options.

The 2021 Mazda CX-30 Turbo was exceptionally comfortable for the driver, with eight-way power adjustment and impressive long-distance support. Both front seats were heated, and a heated steering wheel was standard with Premium and Premium Plus trim. The cabin’s organic shapes and overall minimalism contributed to a sense of spaciousness, with high-quality materials and switchgear. However, the back seat was cramped for adults, though the front seatbacks were padded for comfort. Storage space was generous, but the optional wireless smartphone charger was located at the bottom of the center console storage bin, forcing a choice between storage and charging. The CX-30 Turbo had 20.2 cubic feet of cargo space, expanding to 45.2 cubic feet with the seats folded down.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge featured the Android Automotive OS infotainment system, with Google apps like Google Assistant and Google Maps. The system included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity, with a 9-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The Recharge also had OTA update capability for any vehicle function controlled by software. Recharge models lacked a start button, with the car starting automatically when the driver shifted out of park.

The 2021 Mazda CX-30 Turbo had an 8.8-inch infotainment-system display operated using physical controls on the center console and steering wheel, or specific voice commands. The system included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring, with three free years of Mazda Connected Services and a trial period for the 4G LTE WiFi hotspot service. Premium and Premium Plus trim included SiriusXM satellite radio, a navigation system, and a 12-speaker Bose premium audio system. The CX-30 Turbo also had an Active Driving Display (head-up display) with useful data projected onto the windshield.

The gasoline 2021 Volvo XC40 received the highest “Top Safety Pick+” rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall crash-test rating from the NHTSA. The XC40 came with a long list of standard safety features, including lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, and more. The Recharge model had Volvo’s latest sensor suite, scalable for future advanced driver aids.

The 2021 Mazda CX-30 Turbo earned a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS and five-star ratings in every NHTSA assessment except for rollover resistance, where it received four stars. The CX-30 Turbo came with a full collection of i-ActiveSense advanced driving assistance systems, with Premium trim adding an adaptive front lighting system and Premium Plus trim adding front and rear parking sensors, a rear automatic braking system, a surround-view camera system, and Traffic Jam Assist. The CX-30 Turbo also had a mobile 9-1-1 automatic emergency notification system.