At the Automobile Council 2020–one of the rare auto shows that pushed through despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Mazda Motor Corporation threw in a surprise by unveiling a mild-hybrid (MHEV) version of the Mazda MX-30. Launched at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show as the company’s first electric vehicle (EV), the mild-hybrid Mazda MX-30 will go on sale in Japan by the end of 2020, ahead of the electric version.
As mentioned during last year’s Tokyo Motor Show, the Mazda MX-30 EV is now available in Europe. It’s the first market to receive Mazda’s first EV as a way for the Japanese automaker to comply with the European Union’s (EU) upcoming CO2 emission regulations. By 2021, with the phase-in period happening this year, the EU fleet-wide average emission target for car manufacturers shall be at 95 grams of CO2/km.
The Mazda MX-30 MHEV is part of the Japanese automaker’s “Well-to-Wheel” approach in meeting its Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030 promise. With this mild-hybrid powertrain, the Mazda MX-30 is able to address the needs of consumers who live in places with no available public charging whilst still being friendly to the environment with its lower CO2 emissions.
Under the hood of the Mazda MX-30 MHEV is a 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G petrol engine mated to a 24-volt integrated starter generator. Mazda calls this powertrain “e-Skyactiv-G.” Sounds familiar? This mild-hybrid powertrain layout is similar to Mazda’s also new M Hybrid mild-hybrid system, which is already in the all-new Mazda 3 and CX-30 in other markets. As expected, being an MHEV, this model of the MX-30 can’t run on pure electricity.
Mazda did not release any other information regarding the MX-30 MHEV, such as horsepower and torque. In the Mazda 3 and CX-30 MHEVs, the MHEV powertrain produces 122 hp and 213 Nm of torque when paired with the 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G engine. With the revolutionary Skyactiv-X compression ignition gasoline engine, the MHEV system produces 180 hp and 224 Nm. For perspective, the EV version of the MX-30 produces 141 hp and 264 Nm of torque. This electric powertrain lets the Mazda MX-30 have a range of up to 209 kilometers in a single charge.
With the release of the mild-hybrid Mazda MX-30 e-Skyactiv-G, does this funky crossover SUV seem more appealing than ever?
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