Mazda has unveiled the highly anticipated 2024 MX-5 Miata, also known as Roadster/Roadster RF in Japan. Referred to as the “ND3,” this latest iteration follows the successful 2019 update (ND2) and brings a plethora of enhancements and modernisations to this beloved convertible sports car.
Design and Exterior Upgrades
The 2024 Miata showcases brand-new LED headlights that seamlessly integrate the daytime running lights, a departure from the previous design where these lights were housed in the bumper. The taillights have also undergone subtle updates, and LEDs are now employed throughout, including for the turn signals. Notably, a radar sensor for adaptive cruise control with Smart Brake Support is now discreetly placed on the front grille’s left side.
The addition of the Aero Gray Metallic paint and new wheel designs available in 16- and 17-inch sizes further elevates the aesthetic appeal. These upgrades, coupled with improved safety features, are expected to be rolled out globally in the near future.
The Mazda CX-30 was introduced in 2019 as a model that sits in between the CX-3 and the CX-5. This made good sense for those who found the CX-3 to be too small and the CX-5 to be too big.
And before you ask why Mazda didn’t simply call it the CX-4, well the company already has a CX-4 model in its line-up but that is a China specific model. So to avoid confusion, it chose the easier route of calling the new model the CX-30 instead.
But why does the CX-30 need to exist at all when there is already a small SUV in Mazda’s line-up? The CX-3 is a small SUV while the CX-5 is better suited for family’s, so Mazda thought there may be room in between the models. And they may have been right.
But there’s the small issue of price. There are four variants of the CX-30 on offer, with prices starting from RM131,409 for the entry level model, up to RM161,409 for the flagship model. The model we tested here is the second best and is called the High+ (pronounced as high plus). It is priced at RM159,409, which may be a little difficult to stomach for such a small car.
However, Mazdas have never been known to be cheap, in the past two decades at least. They have however been known to be well-built, well-specified and well-engineered. And that is what the CX-30 has to offer.
But why would you want to spend so much on a small car when there are others that offer so much more for less? Cars like the Mazda CX-5, Honda HRV, Toyota Corolla Cross and even the Proton X70 are probably better buys in terms of spaciousness and overall features.
But that would be missing the point of the Mazda CX-30.
The Mazda may be small, but it packs a mighty punch. Newer generation Mazdas are some of the nicest cars to drive thanks to a technology called G-Vector Control (GVC).
But before delving deeper into the tech, it is worth noting that Mazda is a car company for enthusiasts, and builds cars that focus as much on driving pleasure as it does on passenger comfort and safety. Let’s not forget that this is the same car company that has built some of the greatest cars in the history of the automobile, cars like the MX-5 and RX-7.
At the very core of every Mazda built is the principle of ‘Jinba Ittai’ – the unison of horse and rider coming together as one. This is to give the rider complete control of the horse through the reins. And in a Mazda, the control comes through the steering wheel and tech like GVC.
The engineering behind the system is mind blowing, complex and will need an entire article by itself to explain. But for simplicity’s sake, the system works by maximizing steering input, making the car feel sharper and more eager to turn in. This also means that you only need minimal steering input to achieve the same result as you would in a car without GVC. The result is a car that feels more agile and responds to every input from the driver instantaneously.
The CX-30 High+ model also comes with steering mounted shifter pedals. This further adds to the sporty character of the CX-30 – giving you absolute control over the powertrain of the car and letting you decide which gear you want to be in when you go into full attack mode.
Having said that though, the power figures are not exactly that impressive. The 2.0-litre engine makes 162hp at 6000 rpm and 213Nm of torque at 4000rpm. Power is sent to the front wheels through a six-speed automatic gearbox.
Power delivery takes time as is typical of a naturally-aspirated engine. Since most of the power is made at the upper end of the rpm bandwidth, you have to wring out the engine and wait for it to come alive.
But when it does come alive, that is where the CX-30 is at its finest. The combination of power and control makes it quite fun in corners. However, that joy is quickly let down by the torsion beam rear suspension that makes the rear feel unsettled.
On that point though, the CX-30 is not exactly a sports car, though it def feels great to drive, it does a better job as a daily commuter that keeps its occupants comfortable.
If you’re not familiar with Mazda cars, the interior might feel a little understated and minimalist. The interior of the CX-30 is the same. It is devoid of anything that will take your breath away.
Instead, what you get is a purposeful interior that prioritises the important things. The quality though is top notch. There’s plush leather and soft touch plastics everywhere around the interior, and this makes the interior feel more expensive than what it actually is.
The seats are comfortable and supportive, and space is especially impressive for the front passengers. While the CX-3 can feel cramped, the CX-30 feels generous in terms of spaciousness.
The rear seats though still feel cramped. Taller passengers will be hard done to be comfortable and even toddlers in their Isofix mounted child seats may find their legs sandwiched in between the front seats.
To top it off, there is no USB port for rear passengers, not even an auxiliary power outlet.
And there in lays the problem with the CX-30. It may be a good-looking car that is fun to drive with a decent powertrain. But it is an expensive small SUV and does not quite prioritise the utility part of an SUV with its small-ish interior.
In fact, its sibling the Mazda CX-5 2.0G High may be the better buy than the CX-30 High+ from within Mazda Malaysia’s own stable of cars. The CX-5 2.0G High costs a little under RM157,000 and it has most of what the CX-30 High+ has to offer, including spaciousness.
Just like the CX-30, the CX-5 too is a fun car to drive and because of the taller ride height, it might just be better to drive for those who need to prioritise spaciousness, i.e. families.
However, in defense of the CX-30 High+, it does come with quite an impressive list of features such as an adaptive front-light system and adaptive LED headlamps that turns the light according to the angle of the steering wheel, there’s also a complete Advanced Safety Technologies that include adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring and a lot more. All designed to keep the driver and passenger safe in all situations.
So if the CX-30 High+ picks your curiosity but you find it expensive, perhaps the price of the entry level Standard model may be easier to digest. It does not have all that the High+ variant has to offer, but it is RM20,000 cheaper. Perhaps that might be the model to consider if the CX-30 is what whets your appetite. Otherwise, the CX-5 is the better buy.
Specifications
Engine: 2.0-litre, DOHC, 16-Valve, 4-Cylinder with VVT
A hybrid powertrain system for a potential future sports car has been patented by Mazda with the United States Patent Office (USPTO). A rotary engine, three electric motors, and a bank of interchangeable batteries are all described in the patent as part of the system. This innovative technique promises to increase the car’s range while preserving its lightweight construction.
In 1967, Mazda became the first carmaker to mass-produce rotary engines. These lightweight yet powerful engines aided the firm, which was producing 300,000 automobiles per year at the time, in gaining admirers all over the world.
The Mazda RX-8 was the last model that featured a 13B rotary engine, and manufacturing ended in 2012. However, for the first time in 11 years, the legendary rotary engine has found fresh life as a generator for a new plug-in hybrid car.
The MX-30, Mazda’s first electric car in the American market, will no longer be offered in the United States after 2023 but will still be available in Japan and Europe and is also available in Malaysia with two variants.
Although the MX-30 offers a chic exterior and eco-friendly interior components, its low 160km EPA-estimated range meant that the quirky EV was essentially doomed from the start. The MX-30’s modest 32.0 kWh battery and 143hp single front-mounted motor resulted in an 8.7-second crawl to 100km/h from a stop.
According to Mazda, the 2026 MX-5 Miata will ditch internal combustion in favour of electric power. However, the carmaker chose not to specify whether electrification will be entirely electric, hybrid, or plug-in hybrid. The next-generation Miata must take this step in order for it to survive through 2030 when Mazda’s entire lineup is expected to be mostly electric.
The Mazda Miata has a long-standing, well-deserved reputation as a fun, inexpensive roadster with excellent driving dynamics, and an electric version would ensure its continued viability in the years to come. The Japanese automaker will probably release a hybrid or plug-in hybrid Miata before creating an all-electric model because Mazda is taking its time to develop EVs.
The destiny of the beloved CX-9 has been sealed since we first saw the 2024 Mazda CX-90. Mazda has already stated that the CX-9 and CX-90 would not be able to coexist like the CX-5 and CX-50. According to Mazda, the CX-9 will be phased out at the end of the 2023 model year.
This is due to a more significant transition occurring within Mazda’s lineup of crossover models. While the CX-90 is built on Mazda’s new longitudinal-engine platform and comes with either a turbocharged inline-six engine or a plug-in hybrid powertrain, the CX-9 is based on the company’s transverse-engine architecture and employs a turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
Before Mazda officially confirmed the return of the rotary engine in January, there had been years of Internet rumours about the rotary engine’s comeback since the production of the RX-8 came to an end 11 years ago.
When we hear the mention of the rotary engine, we immediately think of the RX-7 or RX-8. Sadly, that was not the case here. Mazda officially confirmed the return of the rotary engine in January, but to our disappointment, it presented the MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV, a tiny crossover with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
On June 22, the company’s Ujina Plant No. 1 in Hiroshima, Japan, began mass manufacturing of the unconventional petrol engine acting as a range extender.
During the 1970s, as vehicle safety became a more important topic, the US Department of Transport initiated the Experimental Safety Vehicle (ESV) Program. The objective of the program was to encourage carmakers to develop safer vehicles by 1981.
Many carmakers took part in the program which offered an opportunity to share as well as test new safety technologies and ideas. Companies which sold cars in America, in particular, developed prototypes which met the more stringent US safety regulations.
The program saw over 20 ESVs being developed, with many new technologies and features that would eventually find their way into production models in the years that followed. After 1981, the companies continued their work on safety, sharing new developments at conferences. These conferences, generally held every two years, have been entitled the International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (‘Experimental’ was changed to ‘Enhanced‘ in 1991).
Bermaz Motor has launched the Mazda CX-30, its third locally assembled model after the CX-5 and CX-8. The CX-30 is the final model that was in the plan announced four years ago relating to new investments and local assembly by the company as it moved forward. It was the next step for Mazda Malaysia, the joint venture between Mazda and Bermaz formed in 2012 to oversee local production, distribution and exports to other ASEAN countries.
In 2019, Mazda upgraded the ‘plant within a plant’ at Inokom in Kedah with an investment of RM200 million, which raised production capacity from 30,000 to 50,000 units. Mazda production at Inokom shares some of the facilities but also has a dedicated area (including its own paintshop) for assembly of its own products, hence the ‘plant within a plant’ description.
The roll-out of the CX-30 was actually scheduled a bit earlier but the global COVID-19 pandemic impacted all industries and time-frames had to be revised due to extended periods of lockdown. However, the CBU (completely built-up) version was already being sold since 2020.
