No surprise a brand that finds ‘normal’ boring should come up with a different take on the electric car.

SO you imagine the MX-30 is Mazda’s first go at electric motoring?

Not so fast. Certainly, what we’ll see entering the showroom on July 1 in two formats, price-undisclosed mild hybrid and $74,990 full electric, is - in respect to the latter - the first purchasable battery-pure product.

Yet Mazda has dabbled with electrics for ages, beginning with the EX-005 microcar of 1970. It has since made zero-emission showcases of others, including production cars - the Mazda2 supermini, the first-generation MX-5. – though never to the point of public availability. All the same, it’s not exactly green when it comes to … well, going Green. 

So to the MX-30. Utilising a chassis derived from one of Mazda’s most popular sports utilities, the CX-30, this newcomer is a big – and despite that genetic link, very singular – effort. The first of perhaps more than a few, though in volume terms it won’t be a huge hitter. Not to start with. Production of the model that launches Mazda’s second century of motoring involvement is constrained, mainly because the battery supplier can only do so much. Just 120 Electrics are allocated to NZ this year.

You might think they’ve somehow found more. That’s because MX-30 is actually a double act. Chances are we could see a lot more of the ‘other’ sort: The MX Hybrid that has yet to hit New Zealand soil.

Who’s the say it won’t cause a ruckus. Petrol-electrics, after all, are stuck firmly to the Kiwi cool wall. Even though Mazda NZ has yet to impart how much theirs will cost, it seems safe enough to assume a set-up using a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine paired to Mazda's M Hybrid system, producing maximum outputs of 114kW and 200Nm through a six-speed automatic, will be cheaper by some margin than the battery car.

From the kerbside, the dinosaur juice-reliant and eschewing editions are hardly any different. The latter’s specific reference points really runs little beyond some subtle electric badging on the exterior and a combined AC/DC charging point where the fuel cap would normally be, on the rear right-hand side of the vehicle.

It probably doesn’t pay to ponder too deeply why a variant much the same size as the significantly cheaper CX-30 is slightly more expensive than the dearest and largest petrol passenger car Mazda sells here; the CX-9. In its finest Takami form. That’s a sobering reminder of the consequences of electric commitment.

The electric-versus-electric scenario is less confrontational, in that the Electric lands right in the middle of a now decently populated ohm zone. Albeit with a twist.

Mazda’s offer delivers with a powerplant comprising a 107kW/271Nm electric motor on the front axle. Fed by a 35.5kWh underfloor lithium-ion battery pack, it’ll provision a maximum claimed range of 200km, according to the World harmonised Light vehicle Testing Procedure (WLTP).

Yes, you read that right: 200km full to as fully depleted as the car will allow.

If that seems an issue, bear in mind some factors. First, remind yourself this is designed as an urban-centric car, for users requiring something small and nifty in which to undertake short and nippy driving adventures.

Another point. There’s a lot of argument about how much range an electric requires. Mazda’s view is that the production of large lithium-ion batteries increases the CO2 footprint of a vehicle over its entire life-cycle, including charging phases, and so pushes the 'break-even' switch with a comparable internal combustion-engined car for carbon output to a later, higher-mileage point in the EV's life.

A bigger battery pack also makes an EV heavier and less fun in the corners, while there are also packaging and cost constraints to think of.

On top of this, Mazda NZ is confident most Kiwi EV drivers only tend to average 50km a day and most of that is urban mileage. They therefore simply don’t need the 300-400 (or more) kilometres’ capability others offer.

It’s a noble stance, all in all. But does it wash? If you ask any newcomer to electric driving what they want most, it’s a safe bet they’ll tell you it’s range. Followed by value.

Unless so smitten by the MX-30’s styling and presentation – which, yes, are very alluring – that they will be blind to everything else, wanna-buys will likely shop around. In which case? Well, it’s going to be an interesting exercise.  

For starters, don’t bother looking for another NZ-new EV that has less range. There isn’t one. However, there are several with only marginally more, notably the similar-sized BMW i3 and smaller Mini Electric. These run a common drivetrain (135kW/270Nm, 32.6kWh battery, 230km range). The first is almost same-sized as MX-30 and has the same kind of rear-opening doors … and costs close to $90k. The other is physically smaller and comes in at $59,990.

Worthy of comparison? Not when Mazda did its sums. They chose as specific barometers the under-skin Korean twins, Hyundai’s Kona EV and the Kia Niro, both in their optimal formats: So, in each case $86k cars. Spec-wise, they’re even-stevens with the Mazda. Range-wise, not so much: Going special K gives you double the distance, and then some. BTW, the Hyundai also formats in an entry latest Gen II version a smidge under $80k.

Mazda NZ admits it signed off pricing prior to two recent seismic EV events occurring, these being Mercedes Benz announcing intent to release its EQA 250, (aka an electric A-Class and, again, more powerful, more than 400km between zaps, and a properly prestige badge) for $85,500. No-one saw that coming. Almost immediately afterward, Tesla trimmed Model3 prices, most patently on the Standard Range Plus, now $69,990, a $5000 drop. It’s also in the 400km-plus class. Then there’s the Hyundai Ioniq and Nissan Leaf. But you get the picture. None, save maybe the i3, is exactly the same thing as the MX-30, but they all probably pose a challenge should consumers start to think laterally.

The limited range doesn’t make the MX-30 an inefficient form of transport, of course, nor might it even necessarily restrict it from being used on longer-distance trips than Mazda might envisage it undertaking.

Kiwis are being incredibly resourceful when it comes to electric motoring; most versions of the Leaf have lower ranges than the Mazda, yet dialogue on the NZ EV owners’ Facebook page suggests this rarely inhibits having a go. It’s all just a matter of adjusting to the realities and plotting a route that allows right-time replenishment.

The MX-30 might still suit that buyer type. Also, a big plus of a small battery is reduced dwell time when charging. Mazda has partnered with TransNet to provision a 32Amp wallbox, at cost of $2000 (though for early buyers its free), that will deliver a dead to full recharge in five hours. Hook up to a 50kWh DC fast charger and that same boost in achieved in half an hour. That pretty much conforms to the ‘coffee break’ time frame idealised by many EV acolytes. You could recharge off a household three-pin plug, but there’s no encouragement from Mazda to entertain this. It’ll take all night and then some, they say.

So quick-charging is the way, and such a relatively short dwell time has to be an attraction. There are more.

Don’t tell me the pretty and tidy design doesn’t also turn your head? Sure, it’s a bit left of mainstream, and there’s no apology for that, nor should there be. But gosh, the overall shape is brilliant and the detailing, inside as much as out, is utterly sublime.

 The must-have option of a three-colour paint scheme that paints the roof, the main bodywork and then those metallic side panels in different shades and, of course, the pillar-less freestyle doors, which open outwards from the central B-pillar point, hinged at the rear. Inspired by a baby BMW? Of course not. Try the Mazda RX-8 performance coupe.

That, and the sporty, coupe-like roofline make it a clever-looking and chic car. Just different enough to stand out from the rest of Mazda's CX range of vehicles, yet obviously utterly true to the Kodo (taut lines, sharp creases, daring concave surfaces) design credo that defines all current Hiroshima models. On top of that, it surely deserves plus points for not being overtly 'electric' in appearance as some EVs tend to be. 

An elevated focus on driver engagement has long played a huge part in the Hiroshima firm’s corporate identity, and over the years this has been successfully leveraged to set Mazda apart from so many of its competitors.

Take this model onto the road and you immediately understand why it has been meted the ‘MX’ prefix, which Mazda says it reserves only for its extra involving and interesting products. The best-known, of course, being the MX-5 roadster. Clearly, the styling links between the EV and world-beating roadster are not obvious, but in the driving … wow, they’ve really managed to distil the spirit of that wee wonder into this newbie. I’m not prepared to say that it’s better than the CX cars, but it certainly doesn’t feel as if it’s going to be easily shown up by those well-sorted fossil-fuelled models.

It’s not outright frisky, and the body leans a touch when you're powering through the bends, but not so much that it feels heavily encumbered. There’s little understeer. If any one factor stands out, it’s the excellent steering; it’s fingertip-responsive and very communicative. There's also two-stage regenerative braking to play with, the most powerful setting of which allows for easy and fluid one-pedal driving.

Mazda’s e-SkyActiv powertrain is really quite promising. True, it’s a fairly modest power output, so a 0-100kmh time that only just dips beneath 10 seconds is part of the picture. Yet while a cited weight of 1645kg without any occupants is a bit chubby by ICE standards, it’s relatively light for an EV. Step off is strong enough and, once it gets going, the power flow improves  and it becomes nicely linear, too; it’ll keeping pulling all the way to 180kmh though you’d be dumb to try it. A sound augmentation process lending the motor a vaguely combustion-engine-like noise is not so bad to listen to.

Of course, urban EVs aren't bought for their chassis prowess, so chances are what buyers will love more the rolling refinement. The ride quality is fantastic and the suppression of both wind and tyre noise is very good, as well, though in respect to the latter, with almost all the first taste experience being on smooth Auckland motorway, it’d be prudent to I’d leave final judgement until it can be tested on the more nationally prevalent coarse chip. But, fair dues, in this week’s drive, it was extremely hushed at open road speed.

And economical too? Well, we really only concentrated on that aspect for the first segment of a two-part driving experience. It clocked up 54kms, about a third of this on Auckland’s southern motorway and the rest in country conditions out Clevedon way, mainly at 80-100kmh, and in doing so used 26 percent of the available power and average consummation worked out at 15.7kWh per 100km.

Let’s hope a lot of what applies for the Electric will also stands true for the M Hybrid. The petrol-electric system seems set to do its bit for a better tomorrow, as it lowers fuel consumption by recovering energy from vehicle deceleration and cutting in to shut down the engine before the car comes to a stop.

The design flair within the car really is something. The cabin experience is ultimately CX familiar; much of the switchgear and displays from the company's conventional range shifts across. There's a large digital screen in the instrument cluster and a seven-inch touchscreen for the climate controls, but with buttons down the side for temperature adjustment, fan speed, auto control and demisting.

I also like how it feels expensive yet also expresses ecologically, with 100 percent recycled PET polyester material on the door cards, vegan-friendly leatherette for the seats and cork lining the door grab handles, the centre console and that cubby area. The latter’s a nod to Mazda kicking off 100 years ago as a company manufacturing corks. It might sound cheapskate, but really isn’t. Most of the materials could stand up to comparison with those in much pricier models.

It’s a cosy cabin. Others are spot on in say the second row of seats is fairly bijou in size. Four adults should fit okay, but they’ll prefer it to be a relatively short trip. The back is quite dark as there's not much of a glasshouse behind where the B-pillar should be, and getting in and out can be a bit awkward if you’re nearing the 1.6 metre maximum body height limit. Even though the rear hatch has a steep rake to the screen, the boot is reasonably decent.

The MX-30 launched overseas with a 2020 five-star safety rating from Europe's New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP); the EV being recognised for the battery being encased in high-strength steel to protect it in the event of a collision.

 Standard safety kit includes 10 airbags, including a driver’s knee-protecting device. Driver aides beyond the norm of emergency lane keeping with blind-spot assist include road keep assist, which strives to keep a driver on track even in the absence of lane markings, and ‘turn-across traffic functionality’ which can intervene in collisions at intersections by activating the smart-brake support system.

In addition to the usual Mazda new vehicle warranty, MX-30 has specific cover for the battery of eight years or 160,00kms. Plus Mazda NZ will fund five native trees cars sold in conjunction with the Trees That count programme that has already seen 7000 native specimens planted.

How easily this car sells itself to event ardent EV types is a toughie. But let’s remember, it was only a few years ago that Mazda itself seemed to be one of the EV movement’s biggest industry critics.

Of course, it has hardly committed wholly now to this cause. But one thing is for sure; this car is just a pathfinder. Others will come. And while MX-30 might not be for everyone, chances are it’s only a matter of time before it creates as EV that does hold that appeal.

Meantime, there’s at least one more chapter in the MX-30 story. It’s the third powertrain option, utilising Mazda's rotary engine as a range extender, potentially due in 2022.