The Wankel rotary engine was first used in a car in 1964 and it seemed like a revolutionary concept that many carmakers licensed it to use for their models. However, virtually all found it to have issues which they didn’t want to waste time and money trying to address and gave up. Only Mazda worked hard to commercialize the rotary engine and succeeded in doing so from 1967.
Unfortunately, some of the characteristics of the rotary engine – high emissions and consumption – were unacceptable as the world grew more environment conscious. By 2012, Mazda had no choice but to stop using the rotary engine and it seemed that it was gone forever. From time to time, there would be rumours of its return and Mazda insiders would say ‘we are working on it but still need time…’. The last time the rumour was strong was with the Vision Study Coupe concept.
Today, the rotary engine returns but not in the way enthusiasts would expect it. It is not used as a primary propulsion system but is instead adapted for use more as a power generator in the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain of the new MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV model.
While the major carmakers have been unveiling new battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) one after another in recent months (two models within the same day sometimes), Mazda seems to have been quiet in that area. In fact, it appears that the company is not making a big push into electrification in support of the efforts to address climate change.
But that’s not really the case as Mazda, like other companies in the auto industry, is just as committed to achieving carbon-neutrality in future. However, it does not want to just develop electric vehicles and consider its commitment fulfilled but looks at the ‘bigger picture’. BEVs may be the way to quickly reduce emissions of carbon dioxide that causes global warming but if the electricity used to charge them is not produced sustainably, then the emissions are merely moved to power stations, many of which run on coal… another fossil fuel.
Multi-solution approach
This is why Mazda, like some other carmakers, is looking at a multi-solution approach which has a mix of combustion engines (made more efficient) as well as electrified powertrains. It also takes into account the different stages of development in each country as not every country on the planet will be able to switch to BEVs at a similar pace. There are issues of supporting infrastructure and even more importantly, the cost of BEVs which need to become lower before they can be easily adopted.
Nevertheless, Mazda is still developing BEVs and its first one is the MX-30 which has been developed as part of the company’s Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030 vision of achieving carbon neutrality. Typically Mazda, the MX-30, while being a BEV, has been developed along different lines that are not so much performance-focussed but more towards practicality and urban usage.
Lots of space in the engine bay, enough to add a small rotary engine to use as a range-extender (an idea which Mazda is working on).
Smaller battery capacity
The MX-30 uses e-SKYACTIV electric-drive technology with a single-motor powertrain having an output of 107 kW (143 hp)/271Nm. Powering the motor is a 35.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack which is somewhat smaller in capacity than other BEVs which have been unveiled lately. Because of its smaller capacity, the range claimed is up to 199 kms which sounds a bit on the low side.
Mazda’s explanation for installing a battery with less capacity than others is to reduce the cost, since battery packs account for a large part of the cost of a BEV. So the engineers have tried to balance cost and range and they feel that, for its intended role as urban transport, 199 kms should be adequate. The added advantage of a smaller battery pack is less weight, and keeping weight down is very important for an electric vehicle.
The charging can be done at home using a normal wall socket and can take up to 12 hours if the battery pack is totally empty. If a more powerful charger is installed, then the process will be faster and as short as 31 minutes. But from a practical point of view, the 12-hour time may not actually be the case unless the owner uses up all the energy. In practice, it could be like how you recharge your mobilephone – if you do so when the battery pack is at 50%, then it may take just a few hours. And as you might not have used up all the capacity during the day, there is definitely going to be some remainder at night, which will means less recharging time is necessary.
Different driving character
The character of the MX-30 on the move is also said to be unlike most BEVs. According to Dato’ Sri Ben Yeoh, Executive Chairman of Bermaz Auto, who has driven the car, its acceleration does not have the strong surge when moving off, which can sometimes be unpleasant. It’s a more progressive acceleration and this has been deliberate to give more enjoyable driving. “The other electric vehicles are more high performance-biased with strong torque from the motors but the idea behind the MX-30 is more towards driving pleasure and at the same time, eliminating the necessity of visiting a petrol station to refuel,” he explained.
Although it is not intended to be performance-oriented, the MX-30 has sporty looks with a distinctive appearance. It doesn’t look like other Mazda models and has a new expression for the KODO – Soul of Motion design language that is used for other models.
‘Freestyle’ doors
An interesting (but not unique) feature is the opening of the doors. The rear door is not hinged from the middle pillar (which does not exist) and is instead hinged on the body side towards the rear. When both doors are open, there is a wide entry space to the front and rear seats. This has been done before on the RX-8 and also used for some versions of Mazda pick-up trucks.
While some carmakers call them ‘freestyle doors’, such doors have been referred to as ‘suicide doors’ because, in earlier years when locking mechanisms were not so reliable or doors didn’t close properly, they could sometimes open by themselves. That would be dangerous when the car was moving fast as someone could fall out! However, with today’s stringent safety regulations and crash tests, the doors should remain properly locked and closed. After all, Rolls-Royce also has such doors on its cars.
As the exterior proportions would suggest, the MX-30’s cabin is compact. The dashboard is a clean surface with obvious minimalism as its concept. Like most other Mazda models, there is a vertical tablet-like display in the middle which provides infotainment information and management is either by touch or using the rotary knob on the centre console.
Sustainable, recyclable materials
In pursuing the sustainability approach, many of the materials used for the MX-30 are eco-friendly and can be recycled. The material for the trim panels around the floating centre console is an example. It is from cork, one of man’s oldest construction materials. The environmental footprint of the cork used for the MX-30 is reduced further by using leftovers from the production of cork stoppers for wine bottles. The inherent characteristics of cork are very useful for automotive interior applications where materials will often be in use for many years. It is virtually impermeable to liquids and gases and shows a high friction-resistance. This is due to the special honeycomb cell structure of cork, as well as a substance called suberin, which makes up about 45% of the material. Naturally hydrophobic, it acts as a sealant against water penetration and other liquids.
Besides being environmentally-sourced, cork is also historically special to Mazda because the company was known as Toyo Cork Kogyo Corporation and manufactured cork in its earlier years.
Bermaz Motor intends to offer the MX-30 for sale later in the year (from the fourth quarter) and sees it as an offering for those early adopters who like the idea of electrically-powered cars. The price is not confirmed yet although Dato’ Sri Yeoh said that it will be not more than RM200,000. He added that BEVs are currently expensive to produce and even with the full exemption of import duties and taxes, the retail price will still not be able to be below RM150,000 for a properly built BEV.
Mazda’s SUV range (discounting the Mazda Tribute which was jointly developed with Ford’s first Escape) started off with single-digit numbers – CX-3, CX-5, CX-7 and CX-9 (the CX-30 being an exception) – and last year, the carmaker announced that its new generation of SUVs would have double-digit designations. And these would be more premium, in line with Mazda’s aspirations to move further upmarket.
We were told that from 2021 to 2024, there will be no less than 5 new SUV models and their designations were even revealed: CX-50, CX-60, CX-70 and CX-90. The CX-50, not intended as an immediate replacement for the CX-5, appeared last November and is intended primarily for the North American market where it is now being built as well.
Now comes the CX-60 which is Mazda’s first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) and aimed largely at Europe. It’s not the company’s first hybrid as there has been a Mazda3 with a SKYACTIV HEV engine sold in Japan for many years. That hybrid drew on Toyota’s hybrid technology and with the association deepening in recent times, it is likely that this new PHEV may have been developed with some of Toyota’s long experience.
Most powerful Mazda production model to date
The PHEV powertrain has a SKYACTIV 2.5-litre petrol engine and a 100 kW electric motor powered by a 17.8 kWh high-capacity battery pack. With an output of 327 ps/500 Nm, it is the most powerful powertrain Mazda has offered in a production vehicle for sale to the public. Claimed 0 to 100 km/h performance is 5.8 seconds, with a range of up to 68 kms on just electricity in city driving conditions.
A new 8-speed automatic transmission and Mazda’s i-Activ All-Wheel Drive system delivers power to all four wheels, with Mazda Intelligent Drive Select (Mi-Drive) offering 5 different drive modes. Recharging is said to be within 4 hours using an ordinary power outlet.
Later, the CX-60 will also be available with two new engines for the PHEV powertrain – a new generation straight-six 3-litre e-SKYACTIV X petrol unit and a 3.3-litre SKYACTIV-D diesel. Together with the new engines and 48V technology, Mazda will also introduce a RWD version of the SUV. A bigger 3-row model, the CX-80, will be added to the range within the next two years.
Typically high standard of vehicle dynamics
With its emphasis on jinba-ittai (the unity between a horse and its rider) for all its models. It would be surprising to find the CX-60 also having impressive vehicle dynamics. Compatible with the CX-60’s longitudinal front-engine rear-wheel drive mechanical layout, Mazda’s SKYACTIV Scalable Architecture is matched to high bodyshell rigidity and a double wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension set-up.
Additionally, the CX-60 also has Mazda’s Kinetic Posture Control technology which further stabilises vehicle posture when cornering by braking the inside rear wheel to mitigate roll and the draw the car body downwards, while positioning the high-voltage battery between the front and rear axles and as low as possible, further helps the CX-60’s centre of gravity and stability. This is probably an evolution of the G-Vectoring Control (GVC) chassis technologies developed some years back and used in many models today.
KODO design maintained
The appearance of the CX-60 seems to have a bit of the CX-5, which is not unusual since the KODO design language is still being used. The grille has the familiar shape seen on other Mazdas but differs in detailing, while the body surfacing is masterfully done to exploit the flow of light across the body.
Besides design, Mazdas has always given craftsmanship a top priority in its products and for the CX-60, the very highest standards of craftmanship combined with new technologies and human-centric ergonomics to deliver a premium interior rooted in Japanese heritage.
The elegant, premium quality interior design introduces the ideas of Kaichou – an element of disruption which mixes different materials and textures. With the flagship Takumi version, materials such as maple wood, nappa leather combine with uniquely worked Japanese textiles and chrome details, and Musubu – the art of binding which was the inspiration for a specially detailed instrument panel stitching.
The treatment of the maple wood trim reflects the Japanese aesthetic of Hacho – asymmetrical balance, or intentional unevenness. The woven fabrics’ diverse patterns and yarns respond sensitively to changes in light, and a Japanese stitching technique called Kakenui creates ‘hanging stitching’ seams with spaces between the trim fabrics revealing a glimpse of the material beneath.
An innovative feature for some variants is the Mazda Driver Personalisation System> This can recognise the occupant of the driver’s seat via facial recognition and automatically make adjustments – seat position, steering wheel, mirrors, Head-up Display, even the sound and climate control settings – to fit their physique as well as their personal preferences. Whether this is a practical approach remains to be seen as there are some people who have unusual ways of sitting!
How will Mazda’s CX range evolve?
How the Mazda range will look by the end of the decade can’t be determined yet. The company has often said that it wants to move upmarket and has progressively given its products a noticeably more premium image. Having the new double-digit range of more premium models sold together with the existing single-digit models may be a way to see whether they can move into – and stay – in the upper level of the market.
But for sure, they will eventually rationalise their range one way or another because, as one senior executive explained some years ago, Mazda is not very big and its volumes do not allow it to have too much variety. It has been careful to choose models and segments to compete in, avoiding fragmentation that is inefficient. And it has done that well so far…
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Mazda Motor Corporation will be expanding its SUV line-up from 2022 onwards. While the popular CX-5 will remain one of the core models globally, alongside with models such as the CX-30, the company has finalised development of additional models in the Large Product Group.
These models, including two new ones – the CX-60 and CX-80 – will be aimed at European and American markets, together with the new wide-bodied CX-70 and CX-90. The new models will be introduced throughout Europe during the next two years.
Featuring 2-row and 3-row seating, respectively, the CX-60 and CX-80 will also spearhead the European introduction of plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models that use 4-cylinder petrol engines combined with an electric motor. There will also be the new generation straight-six SKYACTIV-X petrol engine and SKYACTIV-D turbodiesel engine incorporating a 48V mild hybrid system. These engines will have high output while also achieving excellent environmental performance.
Fully electric MX-30.
The new CX-60 and CX-80 are expected to create positive business growth over the medium to long term. They will make full use of Mazda’s Building Block development and production strategy. This strategy enables the carmaker to efficiently develop and deploy superior technologies by building up a set of fundamental technologies as ‘blocks’. Some of the technologies are already familiar – like SKYACTIV technology – with bundled planning and flexible production.
In addition, during the first half of 2022, a new version of Mazda’s first mass-production EV, the MX-30, will be introduced. This model incorporates multiple electrification technologies that use Mazda’s famed rotary engine as a generator.
From around 2025, the company will introduce a number of new products on a new EV-dedicated platform. With the introduction of these models, Mazda is on track to complete the electrification of its complete range by 2030.
CX-30 and CX-5, two of the Mazda SUVs available in Malaysia.
To know more about Mazda models available in Malaysia, visit www.mazda.com.my.
The history of Mazda has some dark periods, times when the company was on the brink of bankruptcy. Of course, nothing can ever compare to that dark period in 1945 when an atomic bomb destroyed its home city of Hiroshima and an estimated 140,000 people lost their lives. At that time, Mazda was already making motorized vehicles although it had started 25 years earlier in the cork business before moving on to machine tools.
Mazda recovered after the war and began to focus on making cars. It had talented engineers but it was a small company. To differentiate itself, Mazda decided to invest in commercializing the Wankel rotary engine. While a few other companies also showed interest in the engine, none took it as far as Mazda which used it in a range of models from 1967. The unique characteristics of the rotary engine enabled it to produce high output without having a large displacement. A 1.2-litre rotary engine in the Mazda RE was powerful enough to challenge the 2-litre Alfa Romeos at the Batu Tiga track in the 1970s.
In the 1960s, Mazda stood out by being the only carmaker to sucessfully commercialise the rotary engine, with its first model being the Cosmo Sport.
By the early 1970s, Mazda achieved its differentiation and stood out, especially in North America where the rotary models sold well. But then came the first oil crisis in 1973 and a second one in 1979, during which time prices of fuel shot up as supply was limited. The major drawback of the rotary engine was its consumption (and later emissions) and sales slowed down as consumers turned to more economical models. Mazda had also relied a lot on sales in North America and it was in big trouble.
Fortunately, it didn’t have to close down and was able to continue its business after restructuring and reorganization with banks. Its engineering talent was still there and it came out with some well engineered models like the first front-wheel drive Mazda 323/Familia in 1980. Thereafter, it continued to grow and while affiliated with Ford until 2015, it also improved its production processes.
That dark period when sales collapsed in North America and took the company to the brink of closing down must be embedded in the Mazda’s corporate memory. It showed that reliance on a single powerplant without taking into account social and industrial changes was risky. Thus far, Mazda has been focused on the internal combustion engine (ICE), pushing development much further than anyone else and still able to keep the powerplant viable. It didn’t go into hybrids because it believed its SKYACTIV engines could do just as well and only develop a Mazda3 Hybrid for the domestic market to meet demands by some customers.
SKYACTIV-X is probably the peak of ICE development for Mazda and it must be realizing that loyalty to the engine can be dangerous. Even Honda, which was an ‘ICE loyalist’, has gone into electrification of its model lines, especially for Europe. If Mazda does not ‘go electric’, it can be the 1970s all over again and they certainly do not want to allow another dark episode to happen.
Which is probably why the unveiling of its first all-electric model – the MX-30 – today at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show is quite a surprise. All these years, the company has never talked much about EV development although it was looking at a range-extender with a rotary engine. Of course, there would have been some R&D in the field but it seemed that everything was about SKYACTIV engines.
An early generation Mazda2 prototype with an electric powertrain.
Why ‘MX’?
Badging it with ‘MX’ has caused puzzlement since it’s a very different type of car from the MX-5. Or are we seeing the start of a new product categorization strategy with ‘MX’ representing sport variants since there is also the new CX-30 that is similarly sized. In fact, the structure is similar to the SKYACTIV-Vehicle Architecture used for the latest Mazda3 and now, the CX-30 as well, but adapted to take a battery pack.
The MX-30 is therefore a relatively small car – 4395 mm long, 1795 mm wide, 1570 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2655 mm. But this is probably advantageous for an EV that needs to keep weight down. Ring structures around the battery pack and in the floorpan are also necessary for extra rigidity which is enhanced by having the battery pack joined to the body.
e-SKYACTIV electric-drive technology
Mazda continues to use the SKYACTIV branding with the MX-30 having e-SKYACTIV electric-drive technology. For now, technical details are limited and the spec sheet shows the lithium-ion battery pack to have total voltage of 355V and a capacity of 35.5kWh. Recharging can be by AC or DC with the former able to go up to 6.6kW. DC charging can be up to 50kW with either the CHAdeMO or CCS standard. The powertrain has a 105 kW (142 ps) output with 264 Nm of torque. The range for the European model is stated as 210 kms.
We’ve found that whatever type of model Mazda makes, it will always ensure that the jinba-ittai and Zoom-Zoom elements are present. So we can expect that the MX-30 will also be tuned (or programmed) to offer the zesty experience that has won many customers for the brand.
The MX-30 also has a more advanced G-Vectoring Control system known as e-GVC Plus which has been programmed to work more effectively with an electric powertrain. It varies engine torque to optimize the weight transfer front and rear for smoother cornering.
KODO design with a difference
We’ve been exposed to the KODO Design language for many years now and 2 years ago, Mazda’s design chief, Ikuo Maeda, said that KODO Design will continue for some time. The MX-30 is said to adopt KODO Design although it is somewhat different from the other current models. There is a hint of the pentagon-shaped grille which flows into the headlights.
It’s a crossover coupe with the sportiness that justifies having a ‘MX’ badge in a small way. For some reason, Mazda designers have a fondness for what are referred to as ‘suicide doors’ – which are hinged at the back rather than at the centre pillar. They put these on the RX-8 and on the MX-30, they’re known as ‘Freestyle Doors’.
For the interior, openness was a strong objective. The interior space with a floating theme gives a sense of unity, and the design team created an open-feeling cabin interior and paid particular attention to the selecting the right materials and showing them in ways that bring out their best. Heritage Cork used in the console tray is designed to emphasize the texture and visual warmth of the material – and cork is historically associated with the company.
The door trim features a fibrous material with a texture that seems to contain air, creating a material-based sense of openness within the cabin. Both of these materials are designed to be low-impact and sustainable. The door trim uses fibres made from recycled plastic bottles and the cork is harvested from the bark of trees without felling.
So far, marketing plans for the MX-30 are sketchy. The first units will roll out early next year and the domestic market will certainly get them. Orders from European importers and distributors are also accepted from today but for other markets, no information is available yet. But the MX-30 is just the start for Mazda’s electrification and a senior executive has said that every model line will have an electrified variant by the 2030. As for the Malaysian market, ot is unlikely that we’ll have the MX-30 or any other EV Mazda introduces for a while unless there is a major shift in government policies which must be accompanied by a recharging infrastructure.
