Mazda MX-30 R-EV: the return of the rotary engine

The engine has a displacement of just 830 cm³, and is powered by a 17.4 kWh battery with a maximum torque of 260 Nm. In theory, the battery will give you up to 85 kilometres of all-electric driving. To recharge it from 20% to 80%, it takes 25 minutes on a rapid charger, 1? hours on alternating current and around 7 hours on a domestic socket. The on-board charger is three-phase at 11 kW. This plug-in hybrid engine is mated to an automatic gearbox with three driving modes: EV, Normal and Charge. By choosing Charge, the petrol engine will, logically, recharge the battery. Apart from the fact that this is too energy-consuming, it is above all noisy. Over a total distance of 351.6 kilometres, 98% of which was motorway, with a few slow-downs in Paris, fuel consumption was 10.3 litres/100 km and 14.7 kWh/100 km.

In addition to the 360-degree camera system, the various driving aids include forward obstacle recognition, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian recognition and rear cross-traffic alert.

A second special feature of the MX-30, after its engine, is undoubtedly its system of opposing doors, which Mazda calls ‘Freestyle’. This gives it a touch of Ferrari Purosangue. Rest assured, the comparison ends there.

The cabin is also unconventional, with a centre console featuring a touchscreen for the air conditioning controls, the gear selector and a wheel for navigating the central screen. The centre console is lined with real cork inserts, which are also found on the inside of the two door handles.Once inside, the steering wheel is easy to grip, with few controls. On the back of the steering wheel are paddles that allow you to manage engine braking on several levels (five in total).

Access to the rear is easy, and getting out of the car on the driver’s side is also facilitated by clever controls on the back of the seat. I invite you to watch the video of this test to get a real idea.

The boot volume varies between 332 and 1,137 litres on this version equipped with the BOSE audio system (which takes 18 litres out of the boot).

What we like: the attention to detail in the finish, easy access and exit to the rear seats, ultra-efficient regenerative braking, especially in traffic.
Dislikes: fuel consumption on the motorway, limited connectivity and access to USB sockets.

Technical data:

• Power: 170 bhp – 260 Nm at 4,481 rpm
• Emissions: 21 g CO2/km
• Charging: AC in 6h40 – DC 80% in 25 min
• Range: 600 kms WLTP with a full tank and a recharge – 85 kms in 100% electric mode
• Acceleration: 0-100 km/h in 9.1 sec
• Price: from €35,538 for the Prime-Line trim to €40,763 for the Edition R