Mazda MX-30 gets mild-hybrid power for Japan

Mazda’s first pure-electric SUV has switched to mild-hybrid power for the Japanese market, and the more conventional version of the Mazda MX-30 could head Down Under.

Currently, it’s uncertain if Mazda Australia will import the battery-powered MX-30, with the high price of the Hyundai Kona Electric rival thought to be the biggest obstacle.

But with a considerably cheaper conventional version available in Japan from the third quarter of this year, the Mazda MX-30 might be back on the menu for Australia.

Mazda has yet to confirm the full details of its new MX-30 e-SKYACTIV G, but it’s expected to combine the car-maker’s SKYACTIV-G 2.0-litre petrol engine with its M Hybrid technology.

Like the same powertrain used in the Mazda3, the mild-hybrid set-up combines an integrated starter generator and small lithium-ion battery that can feed up to 6kW into the powertrain when accelerating.

The same system recovers energy usually lost under braking and assists the idle-stop and engine cylinder shutdown systems.

In total, the Mazda MX-30 e-SKYACTIV G should produce around 110kW and rear badging is the only visual clue to what lies under its bonnet.

In Europe, the Mazda MX-30 EV comes with a small 35.5kWh battery that enables a WLTP-verified driving range of up to 200km.

Driven by a single front-mounted electric motor that produces a modest 105kW/265Nm, the small zero-emission Mazda crossover should be capable of a nine-second 0-100km/h sprint time and a limited top speed of 160km/h.

As well as the new mild-hybrid version of the Mazda MX-30, a rotary range-extender version of the SUV is believed to already be under development and should be revealed by mid-2021.

Both the new mild-hybrid and the range-extender version are likely to be a better fit for Australian buyers who drive longer distances and lack the same level of charging infrastructure as those in Europe.