Mazda CX-30
Changing Perspective
Mazda CX-30
Changing Perspective
Can Melbourne resident and Mazda ambassador Lauren Phillips convince a sceptical Sydneysider of the merits of her city and its environs? We join them on a tour of the city in a Mazda CX-30 to find out
Story Stephen Corby / Photography Thomas Wielecki
On one of the darkest days of my life I was offered a cruel choice – move to the “World’s Most Liveable City”, or lose my job. At the time, Melbourne was the holder of that title, as it has been repeatedly, and yet I’ve been self-employed and stayed in Sydney ever since, partly because I’d rather live on a hog farm than shift to Bleak City.
Melburnians are not fond of that piercingly accurate tag for their grey and weather-beaten town. However, those of us blessed with the fortune to live in Sydney are somewhat riled and mystified by the whole “liveable” title.
What does “liveable” mean, exactly? Well, it comes as no surprise that it doesn’t mean “beautiful”, “exciting” or “warm”. No, the Global Liveability Ranking is based on a city’s “stability, healthcare, culture, environment, education and infrastructure”.
It does seem remarkable that a city’s climate is not considered in assessing its liveability, but then if it was, Melbourne would be disqualified. More often than not our southern city is described as being “more European”, which is a nice way of saying that the weather is cold, miserable and mizzling. A lot.
“Melbourne’s food-focused CBD makes it more of a 'living city' than Sydney”
The one thing any Melburnian must have, clearly, is a car that can keep them cocooned and warm away from the weather. It must also get them out of town as easily and often as possible – perhaps even to an actual beach, rather than just some sand silting up a bay. And this is where the new Mazda CX-30 comes in.
With so many niches within segments these days, it often seems like some cars have been designed specifically for you or your family, and there’s no doubt many people will feel that way about this new, just-rightsized Mazda, which sits between the CX-3 and CX-5.
Perfectly sized to cope with tram-afflicted Melbourne streets, it also has the space, power and panache to transport you away from all that alleged liveability.
Before I made my break for it, however, I was persuaded to give Melbourne another chance, and to attempt to see it through the eyes of someone who loves Australia’s second city with a passion, despite often being paid to leave it.
Lauren Phillips is a Mazda ambassador and presenter for Channel Nine who has worked on travel shows such as Getaway and Postcards, meaning she has been to some of the world’s best cities. Yet she still rates Melbourne highly.
CULTURE
First, she whisks us off to an admittedly lovely café next to the Botanic Gardens, where she sets out to prove that (her) love truly can conquer (my) loathing. Mentally, I play a bit of Melburnian Bingo as she predictably uses the phrases “lockout laws”, “coffee”, “culture” and “better than Sydney”. But then she lands a few punches; pointing out that Melbourne’s food-focused CBD makes it more of a “living city” than Sydney, with its all-business district downtown.
Then she leans into the fact that her city’s residents get out and go to things, such as sporting events. “Even on a wet, cold day, the city’s still pumping and the Melbourne Cricket Ground is full,” she says. Lauren makes much of the variety of her city’s “more indoor lifestyle”, calling it a “mini version of New York; a city that doesn’t sleep, but without the crowds and traffic, it’s more… liveable”.
At which point I fear she may be delusional and in need of air, so we head for Flinders Lane, where she drags me off to coo over the city’s famous public artwork/graffiti.
I’d always considered these lurid laneways to be something of a tourist trap. Today, having taken the time to actually have a closer look – parking the CX-30 proves almost annoyingly easy, even in town – I am won over and even slightly caught up in the tourists’ excitement.
There’s plenty more graffiti grunge to experience at our next stop, Fitzroy, a destination that concerns me because I’ve previously noticed that the bars, eateries, pubs and cool ambience of this hip suburb appeal in a way that makes me deeply uncomfortable.
Melbourne’s street art is renowned and the Mazda CX-30s size makes the car easy to park in the city
The sights, smells, delis and diners that Lauren sweeps us past on our way to the uber-cool Naked for Satan are dizzying. There’s just so much temptation and interest, and the people look as happy as they are trendy and tattooed.
Perched on the rooftop in the unusually unrelenting sun, I attempt to point out that Melbourne is far too flat to be interesting. Lauren points out that topographical uniformity simply makes a place more suitable for cycling.
I’m sure our next stop in St Kilda, next to what Melbourne folk mistakenly call a “beach”, will get my argument back on track. Sadly, Lauren agrees, admits she’d never swim in Port Phillip Bay herself, then proposes that driving an hour out of the city is no imposition if you want a proper beach.
My final roll of the dice is to ask her whether she’s ever known of a human being who’s moved to Melbourne from Sydney and wanted to stay. “Oh yes; people who don’t like beaches, who don’t like sunshine, they love it here,” she claims.
Partial victory thus assured, we say our farewells and point the sharply sexy nose of the CX-30 south and west for what is, admittedly, one of the most spectacular roads in Australia. Unfortunately, to get to the Great Ocean Road, you have to run the gauntlet of the Princes Freeway towards Geelong, a road made rigid by rumours that it is policed by around 10,000 hidden speed cameras.
“The great ocean road is a feast of vast views and a true carnival of corners”
“The great ocean road is a feast of vast views and a true carnival of corners”
As we discovered on our trip, the new Mazda CX-30 truly has something for all. Its compact dimensions made it easy when scouting photo opportunities in the city, and its chic cabin and fun driving manners made it a great companion on the Great Ocean Road. It was roomy enough for our photographer’s kit, and its fuel economy and performance impressed, too.
Crawling along, and appreciating the head-up display of our speed, we get the chance to enjoy just how classy, cosy and flowing the interior design of the CX-30 is.
The goal here was to create a cabin that feels inclusive of both driver and occupants and one that is harmonious rather than cluttered. There’s a sense of minimalism combined with luxury touches that really enhances the experience. The elegant stitching of the plush leather seats and dash is just one example of the attention to detail.
The Great Ocean Road, when it finally arrives, is a feast of vast views and a carnival of corners, with everything from smooth to sharp. It is blessed with coastal idylls like Anglesea and Lorne, and hidden at its edges are other, potentially even better roads up into the towering hills that shove their way into the Southern Ocean.
Another huge lure here is the surf, which we first encounter at the legendary Bells Beach. The endless curling purity of the waves reflects the lines of the CX-30 as it sits above the shoreline – this really is one of the best works yet from Mazda’s design department.
We wind our way along the coastline, enjoying the sprightly handling of this sure-footed little SUV, and its energetic yet economical 2.0-litre four-cylinder Skyactiv-G engine, until we find the little-known Skenes Creek Road.
This driver’s delight heads inland and upland into the Great Otway National Park, and is a climbing ribbon of road that peaks in an almost rainforest environment, surrounded by ferns that stand as tall as houses.
Unlike the Great Ocean Road, it is almost always empty, and what it lacks in sea views it makes up for in enjoyment. Once again, even up the steepest section, the CX-30 excels with its 114kW and 200Nm offering (the expectation is that 75 per cent of Australian buyers will go for this engine, while more than 90 per cent will choose a front-wheel-drive layout, but there is a larger, 2.5-litre powerplant, and AWD, available as well).
After a trip to Bells Beach, we took the CX-30 to Skenes Creek Road and its array of huge ferns
We take an even more offbeat route back to the highway, down Wild Dog Road, which quickly turns to gravel and proves no problem. In the midst of deep bush, we feel a million miles, rather than a few hours, from Melbourne, and I jest about how happy this makes me.
The fact is, though, that the time we’ve just spent with Lauren, being shown, and sold on, the very best facets of this city has somewhat won me over.
The next day, however, as our journey comes to an end, what feels like a small cyclone almost bowls us over. As we race for the airport, cruel, cold rain starts to pelt, and the temperature drops from 31°C to just 13. In summer.
And it strikes me, once again, that I don’t care how cool Melbourne is, it’s still just too cold to be the best city in Australia, and has too much of a cussed climate to be the most liveable in the world.
Funnily enough, Melbourne no longer holds that title, because in 2019 it went to Vienna, Austria. Yes, Melbourne finished second, but guess which city made it to third? The winner is… Sydney.