2022 Mazda MX-30 EV First Test: Feel Alive, 100 Miles at a Time

mazda mx-30 Full Overview

The 2022 Mazda MX-30 is the automaker’s new electric crossover, showcasing the nimble and fun handling characteristics we’ve come to expect from the company’s products. The interior is wonderful, too, with unique touches including cork trim and relatively good ergonomics. That said, American consumers have high expectations of electric vehicles, and our first test evaluation of the 2022 Mazda MX-30 leaves us wondering if Mazda did enough homework to ensure it’ll resonate in this marketplace.

Why It’s Important

The 2022 Mazda MX-30 is the Japanese carmaker’s first dedicated EV with no gas-fed equivalent. (Don’t count a short run of Demio EVs in Japan, which were electrified versions of what we got as the Mazda 2.) First impressions matter, and the new MX-30 has some compelling features including its sporty roofline, Mazda driving dynamics, and a slick interior. But does it represent a good value and a good driving experience?

What We Like

The 2022 Mazda MX-30’s ride and handling are really spot-on for an EV of this type. Whatever criticism you can level at Mazda for installing such a small battery, the decision seems to provide ride-quality benefits. The car’s balance on the skidpad is good, and the MX-30 posted an excellent 27.2-second lap our MT figure-eight course, a credit to Mazda’s expert suspension calibration.

Away from our test area, other than the futuristic (and pleasing) artificial EV noises and unusual door arrangement, we discovered a very typical Mazda driving experience, and that’s a good thing.

The interior also impressed us, with interesting and premium-feeling materials: The cork feels great where it’s used for touchpoints, and the woven cloth seat covers made from recycled materials look and feel high-end, as well.

What We Don’t Like

You can’t ignore the limited range; even 20 additional miles of rated range would provide a nerve-soothing buffer for longer days behind the wheel. All of the MX-30’s direct competitors mop the floor with it in terms of range. We agree with Mazda when it says it shouldn’t be forced to build a “battery on wheels”—something with massive range that its customers don’t actually need—but a 100-mile range, bluntly, kneecaps the MX-30 for the U.S. market. That said, Mazda will sell only several hundred of these EVs in the U.S., and initially only in California, so broad appeal wasn’t a priority.

When it comes to charging, Mazda claims juicing up the 35.5-kWh battery from 20 to 80 percent should take 36 minutes on a 50-kW Level 3 fast charger. That said, we visited multiple fast chargers and observed a peak charge rate of around 36 kW, which is slower than Mazda’s competition. As a result, our attempt to charge from 10 to 80 percent required slightly more than an hour.

While the 2022 Mazda MX-30 excelled on our figure eight, it proved slow in another regard: The straight-line acceleration provided by its 143-hp motor is relatively underwhelming. We recorded a 0-60-mph time of 8.3 seconds, and 16.5 seconds in the quarter mile. The MX-30 trails the Volkswagen ID4 RWD by a full second to 60 mph, and it’s even farther behind the Chevrolet Bolt EUV and Hyundai Kona EV (6.7 and 6.6 seconds, respectively). Raw oomph is one of the great appeals of the instant torque delivery of electric motors, and the MX-30 doesn’t manage to thrill off the line.

Although the MX-30 has adjustable regenerative braking resistance, the lack of true one-pedal driving is also frustrating. The Mazda doesn’t allow for full regenerative braking until the battery is somewhat depleted, either, meaning anyone hoping to keep their foot off the brake pedal entirely—for many, a major plus of the EV experience—will be disappointed.

Thanks to front doors that open to a full 90 degrees, and half doors behind those, the MX-30 sports a pillarless portal to its interior that offers reasonable ingress to the rear seat. But park on a decline, and there’s a risk the very heavy front doors will swing out to their stops, regardless of what’s in their path, with very little in the way of detents to arrest them. Woe to those who park near an MX-30.

The Bottom Line

Mazda needed its first EV to be a real home run. Instead, it reeks of the sort of “compliance car” mentality that made some automakers’ early electric efforts more about meeting mandates than meeting customers’ desires. The 2022 Mazda MX-30 has some undeniable charm, but it would be more charming with sufficient range (even just a smidge more), quicker charging capability, and/or a price that takes its limitations into account.

Other than its funky body style and its admirable handling characteristics, what unique proposition does this EV offer to justify its existence? We think the 2022 Mazda MX-30 could be more than it is. For our money, we’d at least wait for the plug-in hybrid version with its funky Wankel rotary-engine range extender, which has a shot at solving many of the MX-30 EV’s issues without the added mass of a larger battery.

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