First came the Mazda3, then the Hiroshima-based automaker jacked up the suspension a little to make the CX-30. A few modifications made to the bodywork and doors, Mazda revealed the MX-30. The question is, can the Japanese electric crossover be taken seriously with a 35.5-kWh battery and approximately 200 kilometers of range?
That’s 124 miles if you were wondering, and 35.5 kWh isn’t a match for the Nissan Leaf with the entry-level battery. The e-motor that drives the front wheels is good for 142 horsepower and 194 pound-feet, ratings that aren’t a match to the ever-popular Leaf either.
What is worthy of highlighting is that the e-SkyActiv vehicle architecture is at its very beginning, and Mazda is certainly to level up the battery capacity going further into the 2020s. Other body styles and new nameplates are also planned on these underpinnings, along with a range-extender option for the MX-30 featuring the SkyActiv-R rotary.
Oh, you like the suicide-style doors at the rear? Mazda can thank the RX-8 for that design, and if you glance at the side profile with the doors wide open, you’ll notice that getting to the rear seats is cumbersome at best. The windshield’s rake is another design change from the CX-30, but the biggest difference is made by the simple yet very neat cockpit.
Stepping inside the MX-30 reveals a touchscreen infotainment display, another one for the air conditioning and heater, as well as a TFT flanked by gauges in the instrument cluster. Even the console integrating the gear lever is beautifully designed, and the same can be said about the upholstery for the seats and three-spoke steering wheel.
On the eve of the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show, Mazda has also confirmed that safety features galore. Some of the strongest points include AEB-style Smart Brake Support with Turn-Across Traffic, Road Keep Assist, and Blind-Spot Assist that prevents the car from merging into a different lane if the driver doesn’t notice the warning light in the mirror.
On an ending note, it should be mentioned this isn’t Mazda’s first-ever electric vehicle, but the first to be built on an e-platform. Remember the Mazda2-based Demio EV from 2012? The name is another curiosity given the existence of the MX-5 as a no-nonsense sports car. Lest we forget, the MX-3 sports coupe was also a thing back in the 1990s.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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