Mazda MX-30 M Hybrid 2022 Review

There’s nothing quite like the 2022 Mazda MX-30 M Hybrid. Though it’s described as an SUV, it’s clearly not. It’s not a regular small hatch either. Nor is it an effective hybrid.

So, does it suffer an identity crisis? Not really.

Bringing to the fore Mazda’s on-again off-again reputation for innovation, the MX-30 was launched in M Hybrid (mild-hybrid) form in early 2021 and was followed by a full-electric version later in the year.

Strangely relegated to the small SUV category, the Mazda MX-30 is more of a five-door hatchback that reprises the ‘freestyle’ doors last seen in the rotary-engined Mazda RX-8 sports coupe.

It also introduces some extremely-mild hybrid technology that makes Subaru’s very-basic petrol-electric systems seem positively high-tech.

Further delving into Mazda’s innovative design roots, a rotary engine appears to be on the brink of a comeback too, destined to act as a range-extender in the MX-30 EV.

The front-drive Mazda MX-30 is an intriguing small car that springs from the relatively new Mazda CX-30 SUV and rebirths some styling elements last seen in the 1990s Mazda 323 Astina.

Eco-friendly aspects include fibres made from recycled plastic bottles for the door trim, cork harvested from live trees on the centre console and seat upholstery that is made from 20 per cent recycled thread.

Add to that some interesting multi-colour combinations (that vary from model to model) and you have a compact Mazda that flaunts itself in a manner characteristic of some European small cars.

So what are we to make of this small, quite distinctive and in some ways beguiling five-door hatchback, err, coupe-style small SUV?

In a range that extends from the base G20e Evolve version reviewed here to the full-electric, short-range and pricey E35 Astina, the Mazda MX-30 has something of a niche vibe that should help it find a place among those who don’t like to be categorised.

At $33,990 plus on-road costs, the 2022 Mazda MX-30 M Hybrid G20e Evolve is priced more than 30 grand below than the pure-electric version (starting at $65,490) and is cheaper than Touring and Astina variants priced at $36,490 and $40,990 plus ORCs respectively.

But Mazda’s most affordable electrified model hardly rates as a poverty pack.

The price point of the MX-30 G20e Evolve puts it into direct competition with rivals such as the Subaru XV Hybrid (from $35,490) and Toyota C-HR Hybrid (from $37,665).

There’s also a G20e Evolve version of its Mazda CX-30 sibling that’s priced from $35,840.

Coming with a swag of airbags, 10 in all, covering the usual front, side, driver’s knee and window bags as well as side bags for the back-seat passengers and, up front, a centre airbag to help prevent contact between passengers in a collision, the MX-30 is at the top of the game.

The safety tech rollout factors in all the usual technology including autonomous emergency braking (AEB) at front and rear, lane keeping, blind spot monitoring with steering assist, driver attention detection, radar cruise control that works across the speed range, rear cross traffic alert with turn-across traffic monitoring, traffic sign recognition and self-dipping LED headlights.

If the 2022 Mazda MX-30 is not an SUV, how does it qualify as a hybrid?

Not all that convincingly, actually.

Basically, the engine is the widely-used, naturally-aspirated Mazda 2.0-litre SKYACTIV G20 long-stroke four-cylinder that produces 114kW/200Nm.

In this case it’s described as a hybrid because regenerative braking charges a lithium-ion battery to power an integrated starter-generator that fires up the engine and can contribute, according to Mazda, a little extra torque to occasionally help it along.

Tellingly, it does little for performance, fuel economy or exhaust emissions.

In this context it’s similar to Subaru’s all-wheel drive but similarly-minimalist XV Hybrid, which does actually employ a small electric motor to enhance the engine’s power and torque, but to little effect.

Not that the Mazda MX-30 M Hybrid is torpid. The engine sounds willing, though it’s far from thrilling and only begins to feel responsive when the accelerator is floored, or judicious use is made of the six-speed automatic’s standard shift paddles.

Hybrid economy isn’t part of the picture and, given the specifications, that’s no surprise.

An average consumption of around 8.0L/100km – well below the official 6.4L/100km claim – would seem a normal expectation.

Where the MX-30 does make up ground is in its comfy driving position, quick-witted steering and predictable, sharp handling that are all helped by a taut-feeling body – even though the freestyle doors preclude the use of a proper B-pillar.

If you like automotive chic, you are on the way to being a fan of the 2022 Mazda MX-30.

Within the package there are plenty of things to surprise and delight.

These include the fact that its 2655mm wheelbase – which is shared with the Mazda CX-30 – ensures it’s not quite as small inside as you might expect.

For example, if you’re 180cm tall and worried about sitting behind an equally-lofty front passenger, the MX-30 does actually provide adequate legroom, foot space and headroom, on nicely comfortable seats.

The main downsides are that the multi-paned side glass and solid C-pillar blot out both your side view and the driver’s rearward vision as style triumphs over practicality.

And despite its premium leanings the MX-30 doesn’t offer air vents for the rear seat passengers.

The freestyle rear doors are a nice distraction. They help give the MX-30 its character, but are no substitute for the practicality of conventional doors.

Getting in and out of the back seat can be a task for those who are not particularly agile.

Despite this, the interior is inviting. Soft-touch and cloth surfaces abound and, although the seats are adjusted manually and unheated, there’s compensation to be found in an eight-speaker audio system, sat-nav, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, dual-zone climate-control air-conditioning and an electro-chromatic auto-dimming rear-view mirror.

The ergonomics are Mazda-simple. The main screen located atop the dash is controlled by tactile knobs in the centre console while touch-screen functions are limited to the climate-control pad located forward of the shift lever.

A small glitch is that the some of the satin-finish control switches on the steering wheel spokes are unreadable in most lighting conditions.

Seat coverings at Evolve level are not leather, but are an attractive, partly-recycled cloth while the hopefully-durable cork trim around the ‘floating’ centre console is an individualised touch some will like, and some won’t.

The 311-litre boot, similar in capacity to the donor CX-30 (317 litres) but smaller than the hybrid Subaru XV’s 345 litres, is close to the Toyota C-HR Hybrid’s 318 litres. Like the C-HR and CX-30, the MX-30 gets a space-saver spare tyre where the Subaru makes do with a repair kit.

If the 2022 Mazda MX-30 M Hybrid G20e Evolve doesn’t seem to quite add up on paper, in real-time it actually does.

Dynamically, there’s a nice cohesiveness in the combination of adequate engine power and a capable chassis that brings the Mazda MX-5 to mind.

And the stylists who created the MX-30’s interior have done a thoughtful, bordering on adventurous and tasteful, job.

Dynamically and aesthetically, it picks up Mazda’s ‘jinba-ittai’ (rider and horse as one) persona and runs with it.

It’s not really an SUV and it’s certainly not a conventional small hatch, and Mazda is not going to sell MX-30s by the bucket loads.

But it does have the potential to secure a niche in a market segment where there’s nothing else quite like it.

How much does the 2022 Mazda MX-30 M Hybrid G20e Evolve cost?
Price: $33,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 114kW/200Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 150g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2020)