This is the first electric vehicle ever from Mazda and it is called the MX-30. It was revealed at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show alongside the rest of the sexy new Mazda vehicles. Mazda’s Skyactiv-X engine has been championing fuel saving without sacrificing drive dynamics in recent years with success and now Mazda engineers want to deliver a full electric drive vehicle which delivers great drive dynamics.
With a 105kW power output and 260Nm torque, this all new Mazda is designed to keep the Mazda drive dynamics without sacrificing on driver dynamics.
With a 35.5kW battery, a 50kW maximum charging rate on a DC fast-charger using either a CCS2 or CHAdeMO plug type (depending on market) with 6.6kW charging at home, this MX-30’s WLTP-rated 210km electric range might sound a little low against the rivals. The Hyundai Kona Electric with its 28kWh battery and returns a possible 280km electric driving range.
Equipped with unique freestyle doors (better known before as suicide doors), this Crossover reminds us of the last generation Mazda RX-8 rotary powered car which came with similar doors and rather funky styling.
Its possible selling price in Malaysia is estimated to be from RM199,000 which is tad more than the Nissan Leaf at RM188,888.
Car with a battery, not a battery with wheels
Commenting on the premiere of the Mazda MX-30, which will arrive in European dealerships during the second half of 2020 and the UK in 2021, Yasuhiro Aoyama President & CEO of Mazda Motor Europe said: “As with all our products, our designers and engineers had a very clear goal for our first battery-electric vehicle. It had to have stand out design, be great to drive, something that is key part of Mazda’s DNA and makes us unique when compared with competitors, and most importantly, make a positive contribution to reducing emission across the entire life cycle of the product. Alongside the electrification technologies we are introducing across our range, being a smaller manufacturer we focused all our efforts on creating an electric car that we anticipate will be a second car where the range of our vehicle will meet customers’ needs”.
Adding, “Many of the media who have driven our test vehicle have said it is one of the few electric cars they have driven with the positive characteristics of a regular car. Delivering driving pleasure is at the heart of every Mazda we design and that will be no different in our electric car.”
Focus on the driver
Like every other Mazda, the Mazda MX-30 provides a very natural and responsive driving feel by accelerating, turning and braking exactly as you intend in everyday driving situations.
In the Mazda MX-30, this is achieved through the innovative engineering approaches in the e-Skyactiv package. This includes also the battery being rigidly integrated into the vehicle body structure which enhances the overall body stiffness and provides excellent response to the driver’s input.
In addition, given the importance of sound to a drivers’ perception of torque and speed, the Mazda engineers have also created an electronic sound system inside the Mazda MX-30 , which is synchronized to motor torque in sound frequency and sound pressure. This leads to less variation in vehicle speed resulting in very stable driving which is further supported by Mazda’s unique G-Vectoring Control (GVC) has been expanded and uses the advantages of the electric motor (electric G-Vectoring Control Plus).
Distinctive Kodo design
With the Mazda MX-30, we continue the Mazda design focus of “less is more” when it comes to the exterior and interior of our cars.
The cabin has a sense of oneness, flowing from the top of A pillar to the rear end. The colour of the framed top roof makes this feeling even clearer. The freestyle doors give the Mazda MX-30 a distinctive and elegant cabin silhouette, as well as providing customers with easier access to both the front and rear seats. In the interior, we are also introducing eco-friendly materials and are replacing much real leather with a vegan alternative. There is also environmentally sourced cork featured in the floating center console which provides creative storage space.
What’s in a name?
Mazda has used the MX prefix on several products that were designed and engineered to challenge the assumptions in the automotive industry at the time. With the MX-5 we created a sporty two seater when the roadster had been dismissed by other manufacturers.
With the Mazda MX-30, we have created a completely new EV experience with the Mazda DNA of unique interior and exterior design and great driving dynamics, ensuring that our customers are still able to experience the joy of driving for which Mazda is famous.
Product specification
The Mazda MX-30 will arrive in markets during the second half of 2020.
| Body type | SUV | |
| Seating capacity | 5 persons | |
| Overall length × overall width × overall height | 4,395mm × 1,795mm × 1,570mm | |
| Wheelbase | 2,655mm | |
| Powertrain | e-SKYACTIV | |
| Front suspension | MacPherson strut | |
| Rear suspension | Torsion-beam | |
| Steering | Rack and pinion | |
| Brakes (front/rear/control) | Ventilated discs/Solid discs /Regenerative cooperating brakes |
|
| Tire size | 215/55R18 | |
| Drive battery | Type | Lithium-ion battery |
| Cell | Prismatic | |
| Total voltage | 355V | |
| Total electric power (battery capacity) | 35.5kWh | |
| Motor | Type | AC synchronous motor |
| Cooling system | Water-cooled | |
| Charging | DC charging | COMBO spec |
| AC charging | Maximum input 6.6kW |
*The stated figures are provisional values
