Mazda MX-30 review: Short range, but not short-changed

MAZDA’S first electric vehicle (EV) is here, and believe it or not, the MX-30 is only the third battery-powered car from Japan to go on sale in Singapore, after the Nissan Leaf and Lexus UX 300e. In comparison, Mercedes by itself sells six different EVs here.

Clearly, the Japanese have some catching up to do, but as first efforts go, the MX-30 is appealingly quirky. It blends a crossover’s stance with a coupe-like profile, and the rear-hinged “freestyle” doors, as Mazda calls them, are a surefire talking point when you show off your new electric car.

Yet, its very quirkiness means this isn’t an EV for everyone. It’s not spacious enough for family use, with legroom scarce in the back. In a single charge, you’d be lucky to crack 200 kilometres in real-world traffic. That’s more than most people need, says Mazda, but the market says it’s less than what most people want.

Still, you can see where Mazda is coming from. More range means more batteries, which would have added cost and weight, which in turn would have required beefier brakes and springs and a more powerful motor. And that would have meant a Category B Certificate Of Entitlement for the MX-30. Add it all up and who knows, you might have ended up with a price tag S$50,000 higher.

Anyway, the small battery means a 50 kW charger can top up the MX-30 in just half an hour. Surely you can fit two coffee stops a week at a charger-equipped mall into your lifestyle?

While being a caffeine lover would be a plus, the MX-30 is really an EV for drivers who value agility. It drives like a Mazda, meaning it’s responsive and faithful to your steering inputs, and there’s a nice fluidity to the way it dances through corners.

Like other EVs, it responds to the accelerator instantly, and while the pickup won’t churn your insides, the motor is at least punchy enough to chirp a front tyre when you exit a corner with vim.

But the Mazda’s appeal lies in its cabin’s zen minimalism. The main screen is tiny by today’s standards, but it feels like part of a toned-down aesthetic designed to calm instead of arouse. Inside, it’s very tidy and easy on the eye.

Fittingly, the MX-30 has cabin inserts made of cork, a tactile, sustainable material. Perhaps it’s a reminder of how Mazda morphed from the Toyo Cork Kogyo Company into a car firm that enthusiasts love and respect. Or it might well be there to suggest that, with the EV revolution in full swing, it’s confident it can evolve again.

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Mazda MX-30 e-Skyactiv EV

Electric motor / layout Single / front

Motor power/torque 143 hp / 271 Nm

Battery type /net capacity Lithium-ion / 35.5 kWh

Normal Charge Type / Time 6.6 kW AC / 5.5 hours (estimated)

Max Fast Charge Type / Time 50 kW DC / 25 mins 10 to 80 per cent

Range 224 km (claimed)

0-100 km/h 9.7 seconds

Top Speed 140 km/h

Efficiency 18.5 kWh/100 km

Agent Trans Eurokars

Price SS184,888 with COE

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