Payne: Mazda MX-30 boasts full-EV and Wankel plug-in models

Performance brand Mazda wants to put its own unique stamp on the electric vehicle market.

The zippy automaker introduced the 2022 MX-30 SUV Wednesday, its first battery-powered offering. Following other Asian automakers' electrification strategies, the ute is part of a portfolio of electrified vehicles that will include a hybrid and plug-in hybrid. But Mazda plans to bring signature attributes to the MX-30 with taut handling and a gas-powered rotary engine in the plug-in model.

The MX-30 will arrive with Mazda’s sleek but conventional styling, eschewing more radical, grille-less front ends seen on EVs like the Chevy Bolt EUV or Hyundai Kona EV.

By all outward appearances, MX-30 looks like a gas-powered Mazda. Built on the same platform as the gas-powered CX-30, the MX-30 has an air of familiarity. Though electric engines don’t need big grilles to feed air to engine combustion chambers, the car retains a grille design between the headlights — though it's smaller than the brand's traditional, full-fascia opening.

Body lines are coupe-like, and the wheel wells are more squared-off than the hoop-style design of cousin CX-30.

The MX-30 will go head-to-head against other subcompact EVs like the Kona and Nissan Leaf. Unlike these brands, however, Mazda will only offer a short-range, 35.5 kWh lithium ion battery. Mazda will announce range closer to the vehicle’s California launch this fall (other markets to follow), but expect 150-180 miles like its peers. 

Unlike the Leaf and Kona, the MX-30 will not feature a larger, 220-mile-plus range battery. Instead, it will come equipped with a rotary-power plug-in unique to Mazda. Mazda and rotary have been synonymous for decades, with rotary-powered (so-called Wankel engine) race cars achieving international glory from France’s Le Mans track to the high bankings of the the Daytona 24 Hour.

The RX-8 sports car was the last Mazda to carry a Wankel engine in its belly, in 2012. The lightweight engine is being resurrected in the plug-in model — due as a 2023 model — as Mazda uses electrification to bolster the brand’s performance tech. With it notoriously smooth operation, the Wankel engine will complement the MX-30’s low-place batteries to lower the SUV’s center of gravity for better cornering.

“Mazda is preparing for the fast-changing US market demands by taking a multi-solution approach to electrification,” said Jeff Guyton, president of Mazda North America. “The battery-powered MX-30 will begin the introduction of additional electrified models, including a series plug-in hybrid with a rotary generator for MX-30, a plug-in hybrid for our new large platform, and a traditional hybrid for our new American-made crossover. Mazda fans can expect great driving dynamics and beautiful design across all models.”

First to arrive is the battery-only MX-30 that will send 144 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque to the front wheels. Mazda claims the 35.5 kWh battery can be charged to 80% in 36 minutes using DC fast-charging stations like those operated by Electrify America.

Besides sharing a platform with the gas-powered CX-30, the EV shares its elegant design. A floating console offers a new shifter for the electric drivetrain and a familiar rotary dial controlling the infotainment screen high on the dash.

For the first time, Mazda adds a second, lower, seven-inch touchscreen (think the interior of an Audi) that will display climate controls. Following other EVs, the MX-30 can be accessed remotely via a smartphone app to monitor interior temperature and charging. The SUV will also sport trendy green details like eco-friendly cork door grips. Cork pays homage to Mazda’s origin more than a century ago as a cork maker.

Safety and electronic details will be disclosed closer to launch, as will information about the highly anticipated rotary engine.

“The rotary generator will mark the return of our unique rotary powertrain,” said Guyton. “This technology is being engineered for nearly silent operation and will replenish the battery rather than drive the wheels."

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.