Late, but not last to the party, Mazda has made a dramatic entrance into the world of brand electrification.
Not taking any halfway measures, the ‘flying Robin’ brand has not gone down the hybrid/range extending route, but has put all its R&D muscle (and there’s quite a bit of that at Mazda these days) into a purely electric offering, in the form of the MX-30.
Mazda’s approach to climate change is more innovative than most other automotive companies, so for the brand to make a direct jump from an ICE to an electric vehicle should not come as a major surprise. What did come as a surprise is how quickly the MX-30 entered our market.
The MX-30 fits remarkably well into the Mazda line up despite being unique in its design. Size-wise, it appears to be somewhere between the CX-3 and the CX-30.
First glimpse will suggest a sportier style to the Mazda which has adopted a fastback look to its electric SUV, in keeping with the look and appearance of the ‘less is more’ design philosophy seen in the Mazda 3 and to a similar degree in the CX-30.
This is amplified by the MX-30’s ‘solid mass’ appearance which is characterised by the freestyle doors with no centre pillar – something of a hallmark of radical-design Mazda’s such as the RX-8.
And the MX-30 is radical, destined to take its place in Mazda’s long line of avant garde vehicles, but we suspect this one is probably going to be the most successful as well as one of the most innovative.
The MX-30 does have a significant advantage over its inventive stablemates: skyactiv technology, or more accurately, e-Skyactiv technology; a new term in Mazda’s lexicon.
The e-Skyactiv electric drive technology incorporates a 107kW alternating current electric motor, tied to a 35.5 kilowatt hour (kWH) lithium-ion battery.
This gives the front wheel drive SUV a range of over 200 km and the battery can be charged to 80 percent in about 40 minutes using direct current rapid charging.
As to the rest of the vehicle, it’s pretty much Mazda standard, which is to say, exquisite. The MX-30 is only available in top spec’ Takami grade, but its Takami grade with some intriguing twists.
A feature element of the cabin is cork, along with vegan leatherette which uses no organic solvents. Roughly 20 percent of the fabrics used are recycled and the unusual fabric on the door trim is not only breathable, it is made from recycled plastic bottles.
When Mazda does renewable, like I said, it doesn’t do it halfway!
Interestingly, Mazda is predicting the MX-30 is going to appeal to the private sector. We’re not convinced.
We reckon Mazda is going to find its MX-30 touches a soft spot with the commercial/corporate sector too, especially since the MX-30 RRP is lower than that of the (for now) number one electric SUV player and every MX-30 comes with a free home Wallbox charging station for early adopters.
In addition, each sale of a MX-30 funds five native trees from Mazda via Trees That Count and the MX-30 qualifies for the five-year/100,00km Genuine Mazda Scheduled Servicing at no cost warranty as part of the Mazdacare five-year warranty programme which includes five years’ worth of Mazda on call roadside assistance. The battery itself carries a separate eight-year/160,000km warranty.
Recommended retail is $74,990 from selected Mazda dealerships.
