Like the relationship of Jim and Pam on The Office , an automaker evolving from a mainstream to a luxury brand is compelling to watch. Theres a will-they-wont-they tension as the product and marketing teams fight customer perception as they attempt to get from A to B.Some brands have been successful. Hyundai, which went from selling Excels to Equuses (eventually spinning that off as the Genesis luxury brand )springs to mind. Others, such as Chryslers mid-00s pivot, fell flat . The latest automaker to attempt the transition is Mazda, and well be spending the next 12 months with the 2020 Mazda CX-30 Premium AWD to see how this brand in transition is faring. --> Why the CX-30 instead of something like a Mazda 6 or CX-5 Signature, you ask ? Simple: Its Mazdas latest vehicle, and it competes in a heavily contested subcompact SUV segment. This is a segment thats seen down-market entries from the luxury heavy-hitters Audi , BMW, and Mercedes-Benz as well as upscale attempts from mainstream automakers like Buick and Kia . To paraphrase Frank Sinatra, if Mazda can make it here, it can make it anywhere. Our new Polymetal Gray Metallic (god, I hate modern car paint names) CX-30 seems well suited for the challenge. For starters, our top-spec Premium model looks the part of a pint-sized luxury ute with crisp, elegant lines and understated brightwork. Inside, the CX-30 has an unmistakably upscale cabin with a lovely mix of colors, textures, and materials, with the soft and supple white and brown leather found on the seats and dash being our favorite feature. As expected in a modern luxury SUV, our CX-30 Premium comes with the obligatory set of technology. On the entertainment front it has a crisp 8.8-inch infotainment display (dont touch, though; its controlled via a scroll wheel on the center console), Android Auto and Apple Car Play compatibility, and a 12-speaker Bose audio system. On the safety front, the CX-30 has a color head-up display, radar cruise control with stop and go, lane keep assist, and automatic emergency braking. If theres a potential weak spot in the CX-30s armor, for now its its engine. Whereas most competitors have torquey turbocharged engines, the CX-30 makes do for now with a 2.5-liter I-4 making 186 hp and 186 lb-ft of torque, paired with a standard six-speed automaticand on our car, optional all-wheel drive. ( Mazda has already committed to adding a 250-hp turbocharged engine to the CX-30 for the 2021 model year .) The EPA rates our new CX-30 at 25/32/27 mpg city/highway/combined. Pricing for the base front-drive CX-30 2.5 S starts at $23,000, with AWD adding $1,440 and the premium package tacking on another $6,260. Our loaded Premium AWD tester stickered for $31,625, with a cargo cover, cargo tray, floormats, auto-dimming rearview mirror, and wireless phone charging pad making up the $925 difference. Will the CX-30 succeed in convincing us that the famed Japanese brand is on its way to becoming a premium automaker? This little Mazda has a year to convince us.   The post 2020 Mazda CX-30 Premium AWD Arrival: One Year With Mazda's Newest SUV appeared first on MotorTrend .