The Mazda MX-30 has been named Best Electric Compact SUV by Diesel and Eco Car Magazine in their annual awards. Commenting on the MX-30’s award, Diesel and Eco Car Magazine Editor, Ian Robertson, said: “we’re big fans of the MX-30’s neat design, which pays tribute to the RX-8 sports car with its freestyle doors. It’s a looker inside too, where the attractive styling melds with eco-conscious materials like cork and door trims featuring material made from recycled bottles”.
Adding, “while the 124-mile range has come under fire, but as an urban run around most owners will put it on charge overnight and it works well and offers rapid charging, too. A smaller battery helps the MX-30 undercut rivals on cost, giving it an extremely attractive £26,045 starting price, plus weight is kept low, helping the MX-30 drive with precision and little body roll.”
Mazda’s first battery electric production car, the Mazda MX-30 is a stylish and versatile crossover EV with an AC synchronous electric motor and a 35.5kWh lithium-ion battery that delivers a range of 124miles. It comes with AC charging up to 6.6kW and DC rapid charging designed to meet 125A Combo Charging standards.
Having clearly made an impression on Eco Car Magazine, the MX-30’s styling reflects a unique expression of Kodo design that emphasises the cars beauty as a solid mass, while the freestyle doors and framed glasshouse hint at the open spaciousness of the cabin. The front doors open forward to an angle of 82 degrees, while the rear doors open backwards to an angle of 80 degrees to reveal the stylish and driver focused interior.
The MX-30’s distinctive, stylish and sustainable cabin features high-quality materials and a driver focused interior. The lower console incorporates a 7-inch colour touch-screen air conditioning control panel, and in a nod to Mazda’s founding as the Toyo Kogyo Cork Company in 1920, the Mazda MX-30 features cork lined centre console trays and inner side door handles. Harvested from the bark of trees without felling, the use of cork and door trim materials that incorporate fibres from recycled plastic bottles, are perfectly suited to Mazda’s first pure electric production car. Benefiting passengers and drivers alike, the sense of space is enhanced with a floating centre console that sits independently from the dashboard, while the use of environmentally-friendly materials has been carefully matched to meticulous quality and finish.
Staying true to the ‘Jinbai Ittai – car and driver as one’ ethos found across Mazda’s combustion engine range, the Mazda MX-30 has been designed to deliver the intuitive responses, natural feedback and involving handling you’d expect of a Mazda. Electric G-Vectoring Control Plus (e-GVC Plus) enhances chassis performance by using motor torque to optimise the front-rear load shift for improved stability and the MX-30’s Skyactiv-Vehicle Architecture is specifically tailored to complement the smooth power delivery of the e-Skyactiv drivetrain. The dynamic focus also extends to a throttle pedal that delivers a seamless transition between linear power delivery and smooth regeneration on lift off, equally, the braking system offers a seamless transfer between energy regeneration and hydraulic brake action.
In UK dealerships now, all Mazda MX-30 models are currently offered with a free home wall box charger with standard installation**. Available across three generously equipped model grades – SE-L Lux, Sport Lux and GT Sport Tech, standard equipment on all UK MX-30s includes LED headlights with daytime running lights, reversing camera, Mazda Radar Cruise Control with Intelligent Speed Assist, navigation and head-up display. Each MX-30 comes as standard with a Type 2 AC charging cable and a socket for DC rapid charging, which can in just 36 minutes** deliver up to 80 per cent battery charge.
The Mazda MX-30 range starts with the £26,045* Mazda MX-30 SE-L Lux. Marked out by 18-inch Silver Metallic alloy wheels, black door mirrors and a black grille, it’s exclusively offered in a single tone paint design with a choice of five colours: standard Arctic White solid, or £550 Polymetal Grey Metallic, Ceramic Metallic and Jet Black Mica, plus £670 Machine Grey Metallic.
The £28,045* MX-30 Sport Lux promises to be a popular model in the range. It features 18-inch Bright Metallic alloy wheels and sees an increase in standard equipment with the addition of power seats, lumber support adjustment and smart keyless entry. Like the First Edition, there’s the option to choose the optional three-tone design on Soul Red Crystal or Ceramic Metallic main body colours. In addition, Polymetal Grey Metallic can be matched to a Brilliant Black roof and Silver Metallic side panels.
The range-topping GT Sport Tech costs £30,345* with a light grey cloth interior trim and £30,545* when equipped with a dark grey interior and brown artificial leather. The range topping GT Sport Tech MX-30’s equipment tally includes a front wiper de-icer and a power and tilt sunroof, while inside a heated steering wheel and 12-speaker Bose surround sound compliment the generous standard specification.
All MX-30s come with a comprehensive standard safety specification, while GT Sport Tech adds to this with a host of extra active safety technology and a 360-degree view monitor. The Mazda MX-30’s safety credentials were recently confirmed by its performance in the latest Euro NCAP tests where it was awarded the maximum five-star rating by Euro NCAP in its latest series of tests with 91% and 87% scores in its respective adult and child occupancy categories. The 91% rating is the best adult occupant protection result yet registered amongst all vehicles tested in the latest 2020 Euro NCAP tests. Achieving maximum points in the lateral impact tests, the MX-30 also scored full marks for crash test performance based on six and ten-year old children for both frontal and lateral impact.
Commenting on the Mazda MX-30’s recognition by Eco Car Magazine, Managing Director, Mazda Motors UK, Jeremy Thomson, said: “our first all-electric Mazda heralds an exciting start to Mazda’s second century in business. And to win an award like shows that the MX-30’s style, design and quality is getting noticed. It’s very encouraging that the MX-30 is resonating with Eco Car Magazine against a talented field of rival EVs”.
Full price and specification guide for the Mazda MX-30 can be found here: https://mazdamediapacks.com/en/mazda-mx-30/model-release.html
*inclusive of OLEV plug-in vehicle grant.
^terms and conditions apply
**36 minutes charging time is based on an ambient temperature of 20°C. The exact charging time depends on various conditions at the time of charging, e.g. the type of charger, battery condition, charging patterns, as well as the battery temperature and ambient temperature. In cold conditions, both battery and ambient temperature will impact the charging time required and, in certain situations, this may lead to a significant increase in the charging time.
