Rare are instances where one can claim that a car “ticks all the right boxes.” When it comes to the MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV, we think Mazda has a pretty solid case to make that claim.
The Japanese car brand showed off the vehicle at the 2024 Bangkok International Motor Show, giving the ASEAN region a sweet taste of the company’s return to its rotary-powered roots. Frankly, we’re crossing our fingers for a local launch, too.
On paper, the MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV is quite a proposition. It runs on a 17.8kWh lithium-ion battery that can provide up to 85km of EV range per charge or 600km of combined range. That latter figure is a massive step up from the MX-30 EV’s paltry 160km.
It’s a series hybrid, so it utilizes its rotary engine to juice up the battery when it’s running low and uses an electric motor to churn out 168hp and 260Nm to the front wheels. Other figures? This thing can zip from 0-100kph in 9.7sec and has a top speed of 140kph.
And all that’s on top of a practical package, too. Its relatively modest size is a good fit for most city streets, and its cabin space makes no compromises on account of the vehicle’s smaller engine setup.
As with most things Mazda, the MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV (man, that name really doesn’t roll off the tongue, does it) is a handsome thing with strong character lines and sporty design characteristics. The best part? It still gets rear-hinged doors, too—though depending on your parking space, this might not be ideal. Oh, and props for the two-tone color scheme seen here as well.
Granted, this might not be how purists hoped to see the return of the rotary engine. But you’d have to have been living under a rock not to see something like this coming. Here’s hoping Mazda Philippines will bring the MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV into our market sooner rather than later.
