Mazda MX-30 R-EV 2023: The Hybrid SUV with Rotary Engine Unveiled

By decreasing the battery but adding a rotary engine serving as a generator, the Mazda MX-30 R-EV becomes a plug-in hybrid offering more than 600 km of range.

Specializing in rotary engines, Mazda was eager to bring back this architecture. It first appeared in 1967 on the Cosmo Sport coupe, then the famous RX-7, and even in racing with the 787B that won at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. But too polluting, it was overshadowed in 2012 with the last car, the four-door coupe RX-8. Here it is back in 2023 on the occasion at the Brussels Motor Show, on a car initially electric. This was not surprising, as the Japanese brand had already previewed this version at the same Belgian show in 2020.

How does the Mazda rotary engine hybrid work?

The Mazda MX-30 inherits this technology, but not to directly drive the wheels. The rotary engine acts here as a generator for the batteries, whose capacity has been reduced from an original 35.5 kWh to 17.8 kWh. With a limited electric range of 85 kilometers, it is therefore the hybrid system that prevails to travel longer distances. This makes it different from the Nissan Qashqai and X-Trail e-Power, which rely only on a 2 kWh battery and therefore depend on the thermal engine to operate.

In detail, the Mazda rotary engine has a displacement of 830 cm3 and a power of 74 hp (and 116 Nm), which supplies the batteries, then a motor which drives the front wheels. This electric unit has a maximum power of 125 kW (170 hp) and a torque of 260 Nm. Weighing 1,778 kg, the hybrid MX-30 doesn’t boast astonishing performance. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.1 seconds and has a top speed limited to 140 km/h.

However, Mazda does not specify the total range with the 50-liter fuel tank accompanying the thermal block. It’s only known that the hybrid fuel consumption is 1 l/100 km in WLTP mixed cycle. Logically, removing the 85 km electric range, the engine consumes 6.7 l/100 km. After calculations, the total range is 746 km in hybrid mode and 85 km in electric, totaling roughly 831 km in theory, but Mazda states it would be around 600 km.

The Mazda MX-30 R-EV can charge quickly

Rechargeable, the Mazda MX-30 does not necessarily need the petrol rotary engine. It can recharge on a wallbox-type outlet at 7.2 kW in 1.5 hours, a reinforced 3.7 kW socket in 3 hours, or a standard 220V socket in 6 hours. Rapid charging is also available for Europe with an 11 kW three-phase charger, reducing the full charge time to 50 minutes. Good news, fast charging is also available! With its Combo port, the Japanese SUV can reach up to 36 kW, allowing 50 km of range to be recovered in about 25 minutes (from 20% to 80%). Another innovation is bidirectional charging, or V2L, which supports up to 1.5 kW of power.

Regarding the Mazda MX-30 R-EV, its dimensions are identical to the electric model. It maintains a length of 4.40 meters, with 5 doors and an unchanged 5-seat interior. The key difference is that this hybrid version arrives with an Edition R trim, meaning “Return”. It adds badges “e-Skyactiv R-EV” and a rotary logo on the outside and on the front headrests, as well as specific wheels and a unique two-tone color scheme “Maroon Red” in black/red.