The 830cc Mazda MX-30 R-EV Is The Brand’s First Rotary Since The RX-8

Mazda has a rotary-engined car back in its line-up for the first time in over a decade, but don’t expect it to go ‘brap’. What you’re looking at here is the catchily-named Mazda MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV, and while it’s certainly no sports car, it is quite interesting.

While the regular MX-30 EV has a reasonably small 35.5kWh battery, the R-EV gets an even more modest 17.8kWh capacity. On its own, this will provide up to 53 miles of range, although away from a lab this is likely to work out more like 40 miles.

That’s not a whole lot, so when that juice is spent, an 830cc, 74bhp single-rotor engine will wake up to top the system up and allow the single front-mounted motor to keep going. It’s also on call to provide assistance during hard acceleration, although the engine never powers the wheels directly.

Speaking of acceleration, you’re looking at a total system power of 168bhp to provide a 0-62mph time of 9.1 seconds, a smidge faster than the pure-electric MX-30 despite the R-EV being a little porkier at nearly 1,800kg. The top speed is 86mph.

Not the most exciting figures, but the more important numbers for the kind of people buying these things will concern efficiency. And while the battery-only MX-30 will struggle to do more than 100 miles on a charge, the R-EV can go for up to 373 miles if the 50-litre fuel tank is brimmed and the battery fully charged.

The official fuel economy and emissions figures are 283mpg and 21g/km of CO2 respectively, although as with all plug-in hybrids, what you’ll actually get out of the car will vary wildly depending on how you’re using it. When you do plug in, the car can take up to 36kW DC, making for a full charge in 25 minutes. Using a 7kW wallbox at home, it’s more like an hour and a half.

Prices match the regular MX-30, meaning it’s £31,250 for the entry-level Prime Line, going up to £37,950 for the Edition R, which is limited to 400 units in the UK. Between the two are the Exclusive Line and Makoto trims.

Whichever you go for, your R-EV will get some new Dorito-shaped badging, just so people know you’re not in an ordinary MX-30. Neat!