The rotary returns! Mazda MX 30 R-EV review

Mazda revives the rotary engine to serve as an energy generator in the MX-30 plug-in hybrid. The original Mazda MX-30 utilised a smaller battery than many of its peers to keep weight down and provide buyers with a 'right-sized' approach to electric vehicles according to its maker. Now, the Japanese company is adding a plug-in hybrid version of the quirky crossover and reviving the rotary engine - something Mazda is famed for using in the past - to act as a range extender.

#mazda #mazdamx30 #mx30rotary #mazdarotary

[rosemariebredahl]

Sounds good for people who don't drive > 50 miles/d weekdays, but want to go on weekend outings (& know an emergency evacuation is possible) without worrying about range. 👍

[colI]

Its great that Mazda fly motoring journalists to far off places to review their vehicles but when you go into a Mazda dealer, the salesman won't get off their chairs to assist customers.

[andygreyriderGRN]

I have the Exclusive-line 2023 CX-5 Mild Hybrid and would love a MX-30 R-EV but they are so damn expensive. They are out of my budget.
The Mazda sales people are arseholes too.
They didn't even supply floor mats and weren't interested in selling me any.
They made is very difficult so there's no floor mats, the floors can just get soiled, marked, scrawped and stained from new until I exchange it in 30 months' time.
I thought Renault were bad but they are almost saintly compared to this rabble in the UK!
Video crashed at 6 minutes after you were rambling about range.
I am a disabled driver and it is all about the ergonomics and access. I cannot steer, propel and carry a charging lead in a manual wheelchair, there is never enough space in a charging bay and the charging point may as well be on top of a skyscraper building!
We are barred by access due to ramps and obstacles able-bodied folks take for granted.

[eDENTECHNOCYBERHUB]

YOUR BIGGEST KENYAN FAN, SUBSCRIBER, LIKER, COMMENTER RIGHT HERE, AS USUAL, 01/11/2023

[likesrush]

I wish he mentioned how expensive they are and when they'll be available in the US.

[aj_art]

So if its turned off cold, will the engine flood? Even as a range extender I wonder how Mazda has handled the previous issues the rx8 and 7 faced. From what I read it will idle at a constant rpm, will this cause carbon build up? I love rotaries but I'm just curious if this is something the average person needs to worry about, along with regular oil top ups.

[alecmally]

As its now mid 2024, any news or hints about 2025 model upgrades/facelifts? The original car is 2020....

[christiang-berg]

Thanks so much for this, really interesting review of this car 😊
Do you have a feeling for how long this car would go on electric only before you _have_ to charge or start the rotary engine? 🙂

[zdzislawmeglicki]

Will it still work when the temperature drops to –30°C (–22°F) in the morning after it has been exposed to the elements all night as you've had nowhere else to park it?

[mikeh]

I didn't know this existed until last month, and the Internet says it is being discontinued in the US😅 looks like a great car. Too bad they weren't more widely available

[mikeh]

7 liters per 100km isn't good? That's about 40mpg! That's twice as good as all the vehicles I've owned. I'd say that's great fuel economy

[myothurazaw]

I just expect this car to offer the same level of fuel economy as Nissan Qashqai epower offers as both cars work pretty much the same way except for the fact the mazada has a larger battery. Surprisingly, its fuel economy is lower? Why? Is rotary engine less efficient than the engien in the Nissan?

[keithireland]

Great review thankyou. Lexus ux has done4.9 l/km over 130000 km with range of 750 km. I can't find anything better as of now.

[sigma_six]

Mazda is on the right track... gas powered electric generators reduce engine size, use fuel more efficiently, i.e. smaller motor tuned to run at narrower RPM range... eliminating transmission (300lbs) and/or 80KWh+ of battery weight (1000lbs) is cheaper, more cost effective manufacture, using proven technology, drivers can access existing gas/service infrastructure, less disruptive to economy extend gas mileage by 50-100% = less dependency on imported fuel... but hey, what do I know...

[golfy]

Your comment about the "daily" range is exactly what mazda in invisaged for the original mx30... 100mile range then charge overnight

[ashb]

Does the engine only run when the battery runs low? So if kept charged up daily would the engine remain off permanently

[redjohn]

Day to day it has all the electric range I need for local motoring and for the big trips it burns petrol. This would suit me fine but the size of car is of no use to me. They should have put this drive train in a Mazda 3 or medium size crossover vehicle. I have the standard range MG 4, and I need the 200 summer miles range it has as a pure EV, to do the local and trips out I do and to cover the lower winter range. But 40 miles electric and longer range petrol may just be the answer.

[fabulousoffroaddesigns]

So you alluded to the fact that the motor only produces electricity, which I take to mean that it doesn't produce usable heat for the cabin. If that is the case, like the i3 REX it too will fail.

[carstenhansen]

Too bad the charger engine is so thirsty. Too thirsty.
Max speed is too low.
Can't open back doors, without opening front doors.

It's strange as I've been so close to considering a Mazda at several points, but there is always a deal breaker.
They make some crazy decisions, sometimes.

[alansmith]

Range 680 km What happens if you re-fill the petrol tank then what range?