The MX-30 uses an electric e-SKYACTIV motor with an output of 143 hp (107 kW) and 271 Nm of torque to drive the front wheel. However, rather than following the typical EV route of head-snapping acceleration, Mazda had engineered the MX-30 to provide a very natural and responsive driving sense when accelerating, turning and braking, just as you would in a conventional internal combustion vehicle. The motor gets energy from a 35.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack which gives it a driving range of about 199 km. The actual range, like a conventional ICE vehicle, is dependent on factors like traffic conditions, terrain as well as how heavy your right foot is.
In relative EV terms, the Mazda MX-30 has a rather small battery and short range, but this was done on purpose to make the MX-30 lightweight (it weighs just 1,645 kg) to provide that familiar Zoom-Zoom feel, while maintaining practicality as typical daily commutes rarely exceed 50 km for some. The smaller battery pack also shortens charging time via a conventional home 3-pin plug charger for enhanced practicality. With the regular Type 2 AC charger, it needs just 5 hours to be fully charged (6.6 kW). On the other hand, a 40 kW DC charger can bring it to an 80% SoC (state of charge) in 36 minutes.
The MX-30 battery has a refrigerant cooling system for cooling when the temperature rises. By maintaining the best possible battery temperature even on hot days, the system helps protect the battery pack from heat. Thin cooling tubes attached to the bottom plane of the battery module make contact with a heat exchanger. This structure contributes to a compact battery pack design. Cooperative control between the air-conditioning and battery cooling systems also helps with effective cooling performance for both systems.
For the Mazda MX-30, the design team sought to retain a beautiful, handcrafted form like previous Mazda vehicles for the base design while also exploring a new look that is more in touch with emerging values and lifestyles. This process resulted in a new take of the KODO – Soul of Motion design, with the Human Modern concept, of the MX-30. Some of the new design elements include an exterior that is meticulously sculpted into a simple shape that emphasizes the beauty of the car as a single, solid unit. Furthermore, the freestyle doors give the cabin a sense of lightness and freedom.
In addition, the approachable feel of the exterior combines perfectly with the way the sculpted body and captures light and creates an interior ambience that makes occupants feel like they are “enveloped in a sense of airiness and openness.” Finally, there is also the use of unique materials all centered around the theme of sustainability.
Mazda prides itself on its craftsmanship. With the MX-30, it blends complex, quality materials to develop an elegant interior. In the MX-30, a new floating center console and the door grips make use of cork, one of the most highly renewable and eco-friendly resources available. It also pays homage to Mazda’s origin as a cork manufacturing company over 100 years ago (Toyo Kogyo Co). The cork is harvested from tree bark, thus there is no felling of trees, while the door trim uses fibers made from recycled plastic bottles. Thus, both these materials are designed to be low-impact and sustainable.
In-line with the human-centric philosophy, Mazda engineers have dialed in the same Jinba Ittai driving joy into this winner of the 2020 Red Dot Design award, and included newly developed technologies such as the SKYACTIV-Vehicle Architecture to help improve driving dynamics.
One of the key driving features is Mazda’s G-Vectoring Control (GVC) which uses the powertrain to improve chassis performance. In the MX-30’s case, the e-GVC Plus, leverages the torque characteristics of the electric motor to optimise front-rear load shift under an even wider range of usage scenarios. For every speed range and in every driving situation, whether the driver is cornering or making steering corrections on straight roads, the system achieves smooth and seamless transitions between longitudinal, latitudinal and vertical G-forces to deliver a whole new dimension of smooth vehicular behavior.
In terms of safety, Mazda Proactive Safety is the philosophy that guides all of Mazda’s safety performance research and development. With safety fundamentals such as driving position at its core, this philosophy drives ongoing efforts to continue evolving Mazda’s advanced i-Activsense active safety technologies and passive safety features. The i-Activsense suite features Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), Driver Attention Alert (DAA) with Driver Monitoring, Lane-keep Assist System (LAS). In the Mazda MX-30 High variant, there is also Adaptive LED Headlights (ALH), Front Cross Traffic Alert (FCTA), as well as Cruising and Traffic Support (CTS) feature.
Exterior colours available include Polymetal Gray and Machine Gray for the Single color choice. For the 2-Tone colour choices, there are Jet Black Mica (with silver roof pillar), Zircon Sand (with black roof) and Soul Red Crystal (with black roof).
The 2022 Mazda MX-30 comes fully imported from Japan. The retail price starts from RM198,780 (on-the-road without insurance for private registration in Peninsular Malaysia; inclusive of 1-year road tax exemption). The Mazda MX-30 comes with a 5-Year Manufacturer’s Warranty (or 100,000 km), whichever comes first. In addition, the MX-30 has an EV battery warranty coverage of up to 8 years or 160,000 km, whichever comes first.
Distributor, Bermaz Motor, has listed 2 variants i.e. Mid and High specs but will mainly focus on the High spec. The Mazda MX-30 is now officially open for booking at the Mazda Glenmarie flagship showroom.
Keyword: The MX-30 Is Mazda’s Take On Electric Mobility And Sustainability