On the eve of the Tokyo Motor Show in late October, Mazda presented the MX-30 to the world. The crew over at the Autogefühl recently had the opportunity to test out the electric crossover and explore all of its features.
There is a lot riding on the MX-30, as it is Mazda’s first mass-production electric vehicle. The Japanese car manufacturer could have decided to make its first electric crossover look and feel vastly different than its range of traditionally-powered vehicles. It didn’t; instead, the vehicle isn’t really like an EV in the traditional sense.
First, there’s the styling. The MX-30 is immediately identifiable as a Mazda and has a similar overall shape to the sleek CX-30 crossover. That being said, there are some unique touches, notably the sharp new headlights and taillights, squared arches, and the RX-8-inspired suicide rear doors. The MX-30 is an intriguing mix of straight lines and seductive curves.
Related: See More Of Mazda’s 2020 MX-30 Electric Crossover In New Gallery
Inside, the MX-30 is also quite traditional. There is a simple three-spoke steering wheel, a digital instrument cluster, and a large infotainment screen stretching up from the dashboard. The most intriguing aspect of the cabin is the floating center console which houses the gear lever, a handful of rotary controls and a secondary touchscreen to handle the operation of the air conditioning and heating systems.
Beneath the skin is a small 35.5 kWh battery pack that’s good for a range of 124 miles (200 km) on the WLTP cycle. Electric motor specs remain under wraps so far, although the prototypes featured a single electric motor delivering 141 hp and 195 lb-ft (265 Nm) of torque.