- mazda confirmed that the mx-30 is coming to the u.s. market, as first reported by the detroit bureau.
- it will be available either as a battery-powered ev or as a plug-in hybrid with a rotary gasoline engine.
- mazda has not yet announced timing for its arrival in the u.s. market.
mazda's quirky foray into the electric-vehicle market, the mx-30, will eventually come to the u.s. a mazda spokesperson confirmed to c/d that the company will offer the mx-30 in america with two drivetrains: either solely with an electric motor and a battery pack or with a plug-in-hybrid setup using a rotary gasoline engine.
the mx-30, revealed in 2019, is a small crossover with five seats and rear half-doors that are reminiscent of the company's most recent rotary-powered sports car, the rx-8. in global markets, the ev version has a 144-horsepower electric motor powering the front wheels and is offered with a small 35.5-kwh battery pack that provides a short 124-mile driving range on the wltp cycle. while mazda has an emissions justification for such a small battery pack and short range, we wouldn't be surprised if the company decides to fit a larger battery pack for the u.s. version of the car.
we don't know the specs for the plug-in hybrid, but we expect it to be powered primarily by the electric motor. similar to models such as the bmw i3 and chevy volt, the gasoline engine will serve mostly as a range-extender that kicks in to charge the battery pack—only in the mx-30's case, that engine will use an unconventional rotary design.
mazda has yet to say anything about timing for the mx-30's arrival on our shores, but we'd expect to hear more by the end of the year, with it possibly reaching dealerships for the 2022 or 2023 model year.