Mazda MX-30 looking good
Both EV and mild-hybrid version of Mazda’s electric crossover headed our way from 2021Mazda has commenced the certification process to bring the electrified Mazda MX-30 crossover to Australia.
Paperwork has been filed with the federal department of transport and it is expected both the pure-electric and mild-hybrid combustion-engine versions will head Down Under starting 2021.
A range-extender electric MX-30 with a rotary engine is also a potential local arrival after it launches in 2022.
As recently as late July Mazda Australia was declaring itself still undecided about the MX-30, saying the COVID-19 pandemic had upset planning schedules.
Contacted by carsales, Mazda Australia would only confirm a decision on MX-30 will be made by the end of 2020.
Behind the scenes though, work is definitely progressing.
The battery-electric version of the MX-30 was revealed at the Tokyo motor show in 2019, showing off a more squared-off look than Mazda has recently adopted. It also has freestyle (rear suicide) doors, as per the RX-8 sports car.
The performance claims for the Mazda MX-30 EV are not class-leading. A single e-motor produces 107kW and 271Nm and is fuelled by a small 35.5kWh lithium-ion battery.
The driving range is about 200km, about half the similarly-sized Hyundai Kona EV.
The MX-30 EV is capable of charging at up to 6.6kW using an onboard AC charger in five hours, or via a 50kW DC fast-charger in about 36 minutes.
The mild-hybrid version revealed in August is powered by the 2.0-litre petrol engine seen in many Mazda models.
The M Hybrid 24-volt system combines an integrated starter-generator and small 24-volt lithium-ion battery that can feed up to 5.1kW into the powertrain when accelerating.
The same system recovers energy usually lost under braking and assists the idle-stop and engine cylinder shutdown systems aiding fuel economy.
In Japan, where it has just gone on sale, the MX-30’s M Hybrid powertrain output is rated at 115kW and 199Nm.
While it doesn’t offer the same clean, green environmental headlines as the EV, the M Hybrid should be substantially cheaper and therefore help the whole MX-30 business case pull together in the cut-throat Australian market.
The M Hybrid system has just been launched in Australia in the Mazda3 X20 Astina and will soon feature in the CX-30 as well.
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