Mazda MX-30 Electric capped at 100 cars for now

The 2021 Mazda MX-30 Electric has launched into the local market, but the first year’s allocation for Australia will be capped at 100 cars.

That may be enough, however, until Mazda Australia can get the message out to consumers that its first EV – priced at $65,490 plus on-road costs and offering a range of no more than 224km on one battery charge – arguably offers more safety and style than its direct rivals.

“We’ve only brought in a hundred,” explained Mazda Australia marketing chief Alastair Doak.

“The good news is that if it’s a hundred, it’s a hundred. If there’s demand for a thousand then VB [Vinesh Bhindi, Mazda Australia managing director] will be on the phone to MC [Mazda Corporation], saying: ‘Give us a thousand!’”

Asked how Mazda Australia intends to succeed with the MX-30 Electric given it’s at a significant disadvantage against the more affordable Hyundai Kona Electric, Nissan LEAF e+ and Kia Niro EV – all of which deliver a substantially longer range – Bhindi said that Mazda’s first local EV doesn’t set out to be a car for everyone.

“This is a niche offering that will appeal to a certain demographic, a certain type of person,” he said.

“It’s not a car that our designers and our R&D people have said, ‘It’s a car that’s going to be everything to everyone.’ That was never the starting point.”

Doak added that the MX-30 Electric will capitalise on design and dynamic traits that will set it apart from the rest of the pack in this $60,000 to $70,000 EV sector. That starts with the coupe-like roofline and the car’s ‘freestyle’ doors.

“Absolutely. Yes, definitely. More of a coupe-SUV if you like,” he said.

“It wears an ‘MX’ badge as well, so to me it has the same level of charm from a ... driving point of view as the MX-5 does.

“And I don’t think any EV sold at even close to this kind of price point would be able to claim those things.

“It is deliberately different styling with the freestyle doors, with the coupe-shape roof and things, because we didn’t need another four-door wagon small SUV. We’ve already got two of those.

“It really has to tick those boxes; it has to be a Mazda for us, and it has to be an even more sophisticated one, because this is our latest product, so you would hope that it continues to move up the ladder the whole time. And this one certainly does.”

The Mazda has its work cut out for it, with not only the two Korean SUVs and the Japanese LEAF e+ undercutting it on price and gazumping it for battery capacity, but Hyundai planning to bring in a significantly cheaper Kona Electric that will still outgun the Mazda for battery capacity – and probably range too.

That’s in addition to the MG ZS EV, which has been selling in lucrative numbers for the Chinese importer and is more than $20,000 cheaper than the Mazda, but with a battery that’s 9kWh larger in capacity.

Where the MX-30 Electric will peg back the rivals is in the context of fit and finish, design and equipment – including driver assist technology and passive safety features.

Mazda is bringing in the MX-30 Electric in just one (‘E35 Astina’) trim level, which will echo the specification of the flagship model of the Mazda MX-30 M Hybrid.

Safety features include 10 airbags, e-GVC Plus (G-Vectoring Control), 360-degree camera monitoring, adaptive LED headlights, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), active cruise control with stop-and-go function, front cross traffic alert and tyre pressure monitoring.

There’s also 18-inch alloy wheels, a powered glass sunroof, auto fold-in exterior mirrors with heating and position memory, keyless starting, an 8.8-inch infotainment display, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, 10-way electric adjustment for the driver’s seat, leather upholstery for the drive selector and steering wheel, and a 60/40-split folding rear seat.

A 12-speaker Bose audio system incorporates digital radio, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The electric motor produces 107kW and 271Nm, driving the front wheels through a single-speed reduction gear.

The 35.5kWh lithium-ion battery can be recharged from 20 to 80 per cent capacity in as little as 36 minutes using a DC charger.

This blows out to three hours at a rate of 6.6kW from an AC wallbox or 22kW destination charger in a public space, or to nine hours using a standard 10-Amp (2.4kW AC) household power outlet.

Click here for our launch review of the 2021 Mazda MX-30 Electric.