“Design rethought” is how Mazda describes the electric vehicle that’s going to be unveiled next week in Tokyo. Previewed by the e-TPV concept – essentially a CX-30 with all-electric drive – the newcomer is a compact-sized crossover in the following 15-second teaser.
“Our all-new, all-electric vehicle embodies an expansion of our renowned Kodo design philosophy,” says Mazda in the video’s description. The yet-unnamed model “adopts a unique door concept, opening your mind.” If you compare the side profiles of the EV and CX-30, the most obvious differences are the optimized windshield rake and flat roofline.
Looking at the bigger picture, the cab-rearward proportions aren’t anything to write home about. The video doesn’t give any clue about the doors either, but five should be featured (including the hatch). There’s also a gloss-black roof spoiler finishing the roofline, a confirmation about the hatchback-style configuration for the rear end of the mysterious electric vehicle.
What’s far from a mystery is the e-TPV we’ve covered at the beginning of September 2019, a CX-30 with 35.5 kWh from a battery made up of prismatic cells. As opposed to the cylindrical cells you’d find in the Tesla Model 3, the prismatic cell is designed to save as much space as possible. Think of this design as a box of chewing gum or a chocolate bar.
e-TPV prototypes are equipped with an e-motor rated at 105 kW (143 PS; 141 horsepower) and 265 Nm (195 pound-feet) of torque, making the Nissan Leaf 40 kWh the more potent EV of the two. 200 kilometers (124 miles) of range are also worthy of highlighting, but this figure applies to inner-city driving. Right off the bat, Mazda developed the e-TPV as an urban dweller as opposed to a long-distance cruiser such as Tesla’s Model S.
The series-production model that will be unveiled at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show will arrive at dealerships in 2020 for the 2021 model year, and soon thereafter, a plug-in with a range-extender rotary engine will follow.
Oh, and as a side , the electrified vehicle architecture of the e-TPV accommodates only front-wheel-drive powertrains for the time being.
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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