Drive a Mazda MX-30 R-EV, and you’ll be driving something unique. It’s the only car on sale today with a rotary engine. But - because this is a Mazda and Mazda does things differently - there’s more to it than that…
The engine - a jewel-like 830cc unit - doesn’t actually directly propel the car. Instead, it’s essentially a generator to top up the car’s batteries, which it uses to power the MX-30′s electric motor. Though you can also plug the car in to a charger and ‘fill up’ the battery that way, in which case you don’t need to worry about the engine. It’s potentially rather confusing. Or brilliant.
Officially a ‘plug-in hybrid’, the MX-30 is more interesting than that. It is an electric car with a petrol engine, which runs on electric all the time. Though there are other examples where manufacturers use a petrol engine as a generator - notably Nissan and Honda - I don’t think any have leaned into it as firmly, with such quirky aplomb, as Mazda. It’s the opposite way round from most plug-ins, which still feel like the electric motor and battery gubbins are an afterthought.
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Still, the net result is the same - a petrol engine to provide reassuring back-up to salve the pangs of range anxiety that remain a barrier, whether real or perceived, to many people going all-in on a pure electric car.
In the MX-30 R-EV’s case, Mazda claims a rotary-enhanced range of 400 miles. That compares to the all-electric version of the MX-30, which has a range of around 110 miles from its 35.5 kWh battery.
To help counteract the weight of the engine and petrol tank, Mazda has basically halved the battery size to 17.8 kWh. This cuts the R-EV’s pure electric range to just 53 miles - still far more than you’ll get from most plug-ins - with the engine-cum-generator set-up said to yield another 350 miles or so.
The compact size and smoothness of the rotary engine is ideal for this application. Instead of pistons punching up and down, as in every other petrol or diesel engine, the MX-30′s engine uses spinning rotors. Mazda has persevered with this arrangement for longer than anyone else, a typically idiosyncratic endeavour by the company and its engineers. Unreliable rotary engines fitted by the German NSU marque to its advanced Ro 80 model led to its demise in the late 1970s. Mazda was determined to prove the rotary engine’s worth, most notably in its RX line of sports cars and even winning the Le Mans 24 Hours race with the banshee-yowling 787 racer (search on YouTube to get a flavour of its otherworldly sound).
It’s all much more calm and sedate in the MX-30 R-EV. The engine issues only a mild vibration on the occasions it fires up, and hums away unobtrusively. As an EV, it’s as quiet and refined as any rival.
The R-EV is more powerful than the all-electric MX-30 (168bhp v 143bhp) and is therefore a little quicker. It’s no rocket ship - we’re still in nine-second 0-60mph territory - but that suits Mazda’s vibe, which has always been more about the sensation of driving the car than the blunt, transient experience of ‘speed’.
The MX-30 duly delivers, being really good fun to drive on twisty, undulating roads. There’s a composed chassis, smooth and progressive power delivery, sharp brakes and well weighted steering. Intuitive regeneration settings, adjusting by steering wheel paddle, add another layer of interaction.
Inside, the MX-30 is lovely - from its quality fit and finish and easy-to-use infotainment to its mix of materials (why don’t more companies use cork in their interiors?) and superior driving position. Mazda, rather curiously, bills the MX-30 as an SUV. That suggests some element of practicality… and whatever else it is, this is not an especially practical car.
For example, the so-called ‘freestyle’ doors - with the rear pair opening in the opposite direction to the front - will infuriate more than they delight, while the back seats are cramped and don’t have a great view out.
That won’t bother some potential customers, though. If you already ‘get’ Mazda, then you’ll be on board with the MX-30 R-EV (priced from £31,495). But everyone else should take a look too. This is a good looking, sweet driving and imaginative electric car - one that you can also put petrol in.
