TOKYO – Mazda's first mass-production electric vehicle will be a compact crossover called the MX-30 that gets suicide doors and a toned-down slit for a grille.
The tapered rear of the MX-30 exudes a sportiness that pays tribute to the MX nomenclature also reserved for the MX-5 sporty coupe.
Deliveries of the EV will begin in Europe next year. Media reports said the car may launch in the U.S. in 2021, though Mazda did not mention U.S. sales.
Mazda CEO Akira Marumoto unveiled the car on Wednesday at the Tokyo auto show.
The vehicle lacks a center pillar between the front and rear doors, which swing opposite each of other. The rear doors are only half-doors, similar to those in the discontinued RX-8 sports car.
Mazda rebrands the layout as "freestyle doors."
It said: "Adoption of the freestyle doors not only enhances functionality but opens up a wide range of new and creative uses for the MX-30."
The MX-30 body styling reflects the lines of the CX-30 compact crossover, but the roofline takes a more sloping silhouette for an active feel and aerodynamic performance.
Under the hood, the MX-30 gets a new Skyactiv powertrain Mazda is calling e-Skyactiv. It runs on a 35.5-kWh lithium ion prismatic battery.
Mazda had previously said the motor delivers 105 kilowatts of power with a maximum torque of 265 Newton-meters (195 pound-feet.)
Inside the cabin, Mazda turns to cork inlays for trim detailing. It's an interesting throwback to Mazda’s roots as a cork-maker when the company was founded in 1920 as Toyo Cork Kogyo.
Mazda engineered the vehicle itself, and the project is separate from the joint development Mazda is doing as part of a Toyota-led electric vehicle consortium. Formed in 2017, that group now also includes Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota supplier Denso.
