Bright spark
YES, THE IRONY of another electric car in a magazine called ‘Octane’ doesn’t escape me, but while the last one we featured cost upwards of £100,000 (the rather excellent Porsche Taycan), this one kicks off at barely more than a quarter of that. Even the rangetopper here is just over 30 grand.
So, the Mazda is very much a real-world option, priced close to a nicely spec’d Golf – second car territory for many, or perfect for commuting while keeping green guilt at bay. Then you can enjoy something juicy at the weekends.
I mention all of that because, with a claimed range of 124 miles, this isn’t really a ‘do everything’ car. It doesn’t aim to compete with the aforementioned Taycan; nor is it remotely a Tesla 3 alternative. But few electric cars come cheaper than this, and it’s actually quite a lot of fun.
Apart from a series of prototypes in the early ’70s, Mazda is new to EVs. It hasn’t gone down the Prius-style generic fastback route, and nor has it come up with a conventional e-SUV. Sure, you sit high, and the lines are chunky, but the MX-30 features RX-8-style rear passenger doors (remember the RX-8? Belting rotary coupé from the 2000s), which open suicide-style only when the fronts are agape, to aid rear access. It’s still a bit tight, frankly, but my kids loved them.
Great interior, too. The shapes are pretty conventional, but pale ‘vegan leather’ (er, vinyl?), tweedy cloth, some panels made from recycled plastics, and a couple of surfaces covered in cork (reflecting the origins of Mazda’s business) render it cosy, modern and inviting.
Back to that range. Mazda has deliberately avoided fitting bigger batteries, working on the basis that smaller ones are more environmentally friendly to produce, and that the target market won’t need to drive further between charging opportunities. A fast charge will take you from 20% to 80% in three hours – but a full charge from a three-pin plug is still a 15-hour job. As usual, owners would be wise to invest in the proper wall-box tech.
When it comes to dynamics, we’re working with a car that weighs 1645kg, of which 310kg is battery, sandwiched in the floor. There’s 143bhp of motive power, and a direct (single-speed) transmission. It’ll sprint from rest to 62mph in 9.7sec, so it’s swift rather than ultra-quick, though the initial step-off feels more impressive than that. It’s all out at 87mph, which sounds slow, but come on, how often do you go much faster in public? In reality, a 140mph top speed translates to relaxed cruising at half that.
And the MX-30 can certainly be relaxing. There are some thrummy amplified sound effects when accelerating but overall noise levels are low: hardly any from the road or wind, and precious little from the body, which is impressive. Genuinely, this is a refined car.
Brake regeneration and torque vectoring add to its feeling of nimbleness on twisting roads, where fun is to be had, though the low-speed ride can be a bit clunky. Mazda fans will miss the interactivity of a sweet gearshift and the steering isn’t overendowed with feel, but the MX-30 feels well-engineered, and even confirmed petrolheads will find something to enjoy in the driving experience.
What’s most encouraging is that, while the MX-30 has been built down to a price, it feels like something far more covetable.