Daily use has shown that, despite its aws, there’s still much to like about our quirky electric car
SO, THERE YOU have it. Six months with my Mazda MX-30 have gone by in a flash, meaning I’ve come to the end of one of the most interesting periods I’ve ever had with a car – one that continually challenged what I thought I wanted and needed from an electric vehicle (EV).
I must confess, from the moment the MX-30 was revealed, I was keen to run one, due to the appeal of those concept car looks, the eco space-age interior and – having driven the petrol-powered Mazda CX-30 – the promise of a fun driving experience.
But perhaps the biggest attraction was the chance to understand this car better. It doesn’t merely look different to anything else on the road; the package itself is like nothing I’ve seen before. The combination of a small battery, comparatively large family SUV body and Mazda Rx-8-style rear-hinged rear doors immediately stood out. And yet there are inherent contradictions.
The MX-30 is supposed to be an ‘urban runaround’ (as exemplified by its modest 124-mile official range). However, it’s too large to feel fully at home in such environments, despite having a great rear-view camera, responsive blindspot monitors and nimble handling. It’s all the more irksome, then, that the rear seats are noticeably small and hampered by awkward access, pokey footwells and a sloping roofline.
The longer I spent with my MX-30, though, the more I got into a rhythm with it and found I could work with these practicality shortcomings. I’d hear myself saying: “I know it can be a faff to get someone in and out of the back, but I just love those doors.”
Anyone needing to fit a baby seat might still want to look elsewhere, but in my world (that’s myself, my girlfriend and the occasional friend who needed a lift) it was just about spacious enough.
My willingness to make allowances was also aided by the fact that the interior is not only stunning to look at but is also fitted with an infotainment system that proved to be a revelation. Fast, easy to operate on the move (thanks in part to its rotary controller) and refreshingly unfussy, it’s second only to BMW’S fabulous idrive set-up, in my opinion.
Considered cubbies and spot-on ergonomics, including a perfectly positioned armrest, added further to the interior’s appeal. And I found the MX-30’S boot was capable of swallowing everything from suitcases to folding bikes and wooden flooring.
Now to the biggest elephant in the room, though: range. The official figure doesn’t instantly inspire confidence, and there’s no doubt about it: you do have to plug in quite frequently. And yet with a light right foot and access to lamp-post chargers on my street, I never felt the sweats of range anxiety on my relatively short commute to work.
Where the small battery did cause issues was when I wanted to use the car for the 120-mile round trip to my girlfriend’s parents’ house in Hove. This was simply unachievable without charging at the other end – something I didn’t have to worry about in the Renault Zoe that I ran previously. And while my in-laws are lovely people, there’s something that feels wrong about being a guest at someone’s house and immediately asking to tap into their electricity.
The MX-30 definitely won’t suit everyone, then, but if you have a second car, can charge at home or spend most of your life between the high-rises, it might just be the EV for you.
In a world where so many car manufacturers offer variations on a familiar theme, Mazda has created something that stands out as a completely novel offering. To my mind, it’s a future classic in the making.
LOGBOOK Mazda MX-30 145 Sport Lux
Mileage 2162
List price £31,150 Target Price £30,339 Price as tested £32,045
Test range 118 miles
Of cial range 124 miles
Dealer price now £27,787
Private price now £24,699
Running costs (excluding depreciation) Electricity £284