Mazda MX-30 Electric 2021 Review

From $60,000 up to the luxury car tax threshold is the sweet spot for small battery-electric cars suitable for young families or empty nesters. The luxury car tax threshold is $69,152, but EVs don’t incur the LCT until the price exceeds $79,659.

At $65,490 plus on-road costs, the 2021 Mazda MX-30 Electric sits comfortably amid the Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia Niro EV, Nissan LEAF e+ and the entry Tesla Model 3.

It is, however, well above Australia’s most affordable electric car, the MG ZS EV that’s priced from $44,990 drive-away. And it’s almost double the $33,990 plus ORCs starting price of the Mazda MX-30 M Hybrid released in April.

Available in just one trim level, E35 Astina, the MX-30 Electric is well equipped with standard 18-inch alloy wheels, a sunroof, power windows/mirrors, single-zone climate control, 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with two-position memory, a trip computer and leather-bound steering wheel/drive selector.

Both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and the MX-30’s infotainment system also features an 8.8-inch display screen, 12-speaker Bose audio, Bluetooth, digital radio (DAB+), satellite navigation and remote switchgear on the multifunction steering wheel.

Check out our earlier news story for full pricing and specs of the MX-30 Electric.

Mazda covers the EV with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, with the lithium-ion battery pack covered by eight years all up. Service intervals are either 12-monthly or every 15,000km, whichever occurs first, with a capped-price servicing offer at $1273.79 for the first five years.

By any reasonable measure, the 2021 Mazda MX-30 Electric has the works where driver assist technology and active safety are concerned.

Starting with the basics, there’s adaptive auto-on LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers and an auto-dipping rear-view mirror listed among the standard safety features. The LED headlights were very effective during the night-time drive program, casting a strong beam even when dipped.

And the high beam assist responded very smartly at the first sign of an oncoming car.

The Mazda raises the stakes with 360-degree camera monitoring, driver fatigue monitoring, the ‘Activsense’ safety suite and tyre pressure monitoring.

Activsense comprises blind spot monitoring, active cruise control with stop-and-go, lane keep assist, emergency stop signal, forward collision warning, front/rear cross traffic alert, front/rear parking sensors, reversing camera, traffic sign recognition and front/rear autonomous emergency braking (front rear and intersections) with forward-looking pedestrian and cyclist detection.

According to ANCAP, the MX-30 Electric shares a five-star rating for crash safety with the MX-30 M Hybrid, having been tested to the 2020 protocol.

There are 10 airbags inside, including a knee bag for the driver and what Mazda calls a ‘far side’ airbag between the driver and front passenger to protect them from clocking noggins.

Extrapolating from Euro NCAP test data, the MX-30’s adult occupant safety warranted a score of 93 per cent, plus 87 per cent for child safety. For vulnerable road user protection, the Mazda scored 68 per cent, and 74 per cent for ‘safety assist’ technology.

Measured against its competitors, the 2021 Mazda MX-30 doesn’t offer really strong performance from its electric motor that produces 107kW/271Nm and draws energy from a 35.5kWh lithium-ion battery.

Although it feels relaxing to drive around town – with enough torque to show a clean pair of heels to many small-displacement combustion-engined cars – the MX-30 is pretty unlikely to keep up with a Nissan LEAF or a Hyundai Kona Electric with a determined driver behind the wheel – to say nothing of the Tesla Model 3. 

Mazda has endowed the MX-30 Electric with a synthesised soundtrack for the motor. It may be artificial, but it’s also endearing in its own way, sounding like a large-displacement multi-cylinder engine with the volume turned down to ‘2’.

On a gentle 60km run from Melbourne’s CBD out to Heidelberg north-east of the city, the MX-30 Electric consumed energy at the rate of 16.9kWh/100km, which is better than the official combined-cycle figure of 18.5kWh/100km.

For the return journey, the trip computer posted a figure of just 15.9kWh/100km – reflecting the steady downhill run.

The MX-30 was posting figures like these due to the light traffic at night and the speed limits, which were no higher than 70km/h at any point in the drive program. These two figures average out at around 16.4kWh/100km, which would provide a range of 219km from the one battery charge.

That’s just 5km less than the ADR figure, and 19km better than Mazda’s suggested real-world figure.

But a run at freeway speeds would have resulted in higher energy consumption overall. Driven at speeds no higher than 80km/h the MX-30 will consistently beat its official energy consumption figure, but without any open-road motoring thrown in, the Mazda’s efficiency remains unassessed.

The official driving range (ADR) is listed at 224km between recharging for the MX-30, which is well below the Kia Niro EV at 455km and the Hyundai Kona Electric at 557km.

Mazda argues that the smaller battery of the MX-30 reduces the car’s whole-of-life carbon footprint by a considerable margin and the MX-30 will make the transition to carbon-neutral ownership sooner than either of its Korean rivals or the Nissan LEAF.

The company provides three different modes for recharging the MX-30.

There’s an AC port that will accept Type 2 (Mennekes) or CCS 2 (Combined Charging System) plugs to recharge at 6.6kW. That’s around 60 per cent of the speed of some EVs (11kW). For this type of charging, users can plug the car into a destination charger in a public place or charge from a wallbox at home.

The MX-30 can also recharge from a standard 10-Amp (2.4kW) power outlet in the garage at home.

At the other end of the scale, the MX-30 can recharge from fast or ultra-fast chargers, although it won’t recharge at anything like the speed of a Tesla or an Audi e-tron, of course. But then, it’s a much smaller battery to start with, so the slower charging is offset by the smaller capacity.

In the real world the MX-30 may take no longer to charge than other EVs – but it will require recharging more often.

Mazda claims that the downtime for recharging from 20 to 80 per cent of battery capacity will be nine hours for the 10-Amp outlet, three hours for the AC wallbox or destination charger, and 36 minutes with a DC charger.

The 2021 Mazda MX-30 Electric does seem to turn in and handle slightly better than the MX-30 M Hybrid, both of which are front-wheel drive.

According to Mazda, there’s a slight difference in weight distribution between the MX-30 Electric and the MX-30 Hybrid – the EV at 59/41 per cent front/rear, compared to the hybrid at 60/40. It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s enough to be quantifiable behind the wheel.

Right from the off, the EV felt flatter in corners and delivered much the same level of roadholding, but seemed just a little more communicative than the mild-hybrid variant – through the wheel and the seat.

The suspension is not quite as compliant as the Hyundai Kona Electric’s, or even the Kia Niro EV’s. It’s at the polar opposite end of the ride comfort scale from the Nissan LEAF e+, but still better than acceptable for most prospective buyers.

The front seats are very comfortable and fit occupants like a glove. And having seat heating on a chilly winter night was definitely a bonus.

Buyers will fall in love with the MX-30’s interior style, its driving position and ergonomics. They may not be as enamoured, however, with reaching under the floating console to plug into either of the two USB ports.

Nor will their friends and relatives travelling in the back welcome the freestyle doors, which are hinged to open away from each other. This frees up room to enter the rear seat, access to which would be even more constrained with a B-pillar in the way.

Somewhere, a videographer has footage of me attempting to climb into the back of the MX-30 Electric without looking inelegant. No doubt it will feature on the year’s blooper reel for his work Christmas party.

To enter the rear of the MX-30, as I’ve now learned, you unfasten the rear door (the front door has to be opened first and closed last), pivot and back into the aperture, lowering your derriere into the seat without smacking your head on the car’s cant rail.

I’m really not a fan…

But once you’re seated, the legroom and headroom are fairly generous for adults under 180cm tall.

The MX-30 EV is a little more practical when it comes to carrying goods in the 340-litre boot. There’s a tyre repair kit under the floor, which saves space, and the boot itself is boxy and useful.

On a final positive note, the MX-30 is beautifully finished inside. The seat inserts are cloth, with the bolsters trimmed in ‘Maztech’, which isn’t leather, but feels soft and luxurious.

News: Mazda MX-30 Electric capped at 100 cars for now

Mazda makes no secret of its aim to blur the line between SUV, eco machine and sports car with the 2021 Mazda MX-30 Electric.

The freestyle doors that recall the RX-8 sports car from a decade ago have been chosen for a reason. And the MX-30 is pretty spiffy in corners and bends.

The coupe-style roofline is yet another packaging choice from the MX-30 designers, and the whole conception seems to be about offering some of the practicality of an SUV with the style of a sports car.

Given the modest sales projections for this EV version in the first year, you almost have to ask: How would this car have fared as an EV based on the MX-5, rather than a front-drive SUV that shares its underpinnings with CX-30 and Mazda3?

What Mazda has produced is a car that’s the BMW X4 of small electric vehicles – and that may not be sufficiently practical for anyone other than DINKS, young singles and empty nesters.

On the other hand, it’s sporty, but not quite sporty enough – based on the performance available.

As I recall noting also of the MX-30 M Hybrid, Mazda will have little difficulty selling the MX-30 Electric – in its first year’s allocation at least. There will be enough buyers for this niche-market car.

The big test for Mazda and the MX-30 Electric will be the sales numbers in 2022.

How much does the 2021 Mazda MX-30 Electric E35 Astina cost?
Price: $65,490 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Single AC synchronous electric motor
Output: 107kW/271Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 35.5kWh lithium-ion
Range: 224km (ADR)
Energy consumption: 18.5kWh/100km (ADR)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2020)