Bermaz Launches Stylish 2022 Mazda MX-30 EV Crossover - RM199k

After a long wait, Bermaz Motor has launched the MX-30 in Malaysia, Mazda’s first fully electric (BEV) vehicle. It comes for now in a single, well-equipped ‘High’ variant starting from RM198,780 (on-the-road without insurance).

This pricing slots it into close contention with other sub-RM200k EVs such as the Hyundai Kona Electric and possibly the incoming Ora Good Cat. There’s more on the way too, believe me, such as the smart #1, which might be sold through Proton.

Mazda had always pitched the MX-30 in an unconventional manner, insisting that it is a secondary car for shorter journeys that also just happens to be fully electric, is decently practical, and quite stylish. I mean, it even has frameless doors.

Since its initial debut back in 2020, Mazda has offered just one powertrain configuration for the electric MX-30, that being a single electric motor powering the front axle with 145PS and 271Nm of torque.

Supplying this is a 35.5kWh lithium-ion battery that’s securely integrated into the car’s floor for a low centre of gravity. Admittedly, that’s far from the most energy-dense battery to be offered in an EV, yielding a claimed range of 200km on the WLTP test cycle.

But as mentioned earlier, the MX-30 is meant to be a daily runabout, not a long-distance road trip cruiser. You’re meant to be charging and recharging the battery regularly, thus having a smaller battery does also mean less time waiting while it’s plugged-in.

It’s equipped with an onboard 6.6kW AC charger that should yield a full charge in 5 hours via a Type 2 connector. However, this can be shaved to around 36 minutes when hooked up to a DC charger (via CCS2 connector) to which its maximum charge rate is 40kW.

Sure, it’s technically a crossover but those rear-hinged ‘suicide doors’ and coupe-like roofline tells you all you need to know about who this car is aimed at and what it’s trying to reference (the RX-8, for one).

On the outside, the MX-30 adheres to the tenets of Mazda’s KODO Soul of Motion design philosophy with subtle curves and taut but graceful surfacing that’s become synonymous with the brand’s cars of the past decade.

Without going into exhaustive detail, we’ll just conclude that it’s a good-looking car (err…crossover). However, there are some elements here that point to their future aesthetic, so if you like the MX-30 visually, you’ve got plenty to look forward to with regard to other cars coming up from Mazda.

Inside, the MX-30’s build quality and high grade materials do elevate the experience very close to something we expect from a German marque. Here, again, we see echoes of Mazda’s other cars, especially those of comparable footprint on the road such as the 3 and the CX-30.

While most of the touch points are comparable, the most obvious difference here is the secondary touchscreen on the centre stack that toggles the climate control settings.

Ahead of the driver is a 7-inch digital instrument cluster joined by an 8.8-inch infotainment screen with Mazda Connect that supports all the usual features including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though the MX-30 is one of the new local-spec cars from the Japanese automaker to feature a premium Bose audio system with 12-speakers.

In terms of safety kit, Mazda’s debutant EV for the Malaysian market comes with 7 airbags and the usual spread of anti-lock brakes, EBD, Traction Control, Brake Assist, Hill Hold Assist, but complements this with active safety features from the brand’s i-Activsense driver aid suite.

This adds Adaptive LED headlights, 360-degree view monitor, Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Front Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keep Assist, Driver Attention Warning, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control with Stop & Go, and Smart Brake Support (or Autonomous Emergency Braking, AEB).

Bermaz Motor has also hinted at their intention of introducing a less expensive ‘Mid’ variant at a later date in Q4 that swaps some luxury and equipment for sharper value while retaining the same electric powertrain and battery configuration. 

Available colours for the 2022 Mazda MX-30 include both single and dual-tone finishes. Polymetal and Machine Gray are the only two mono-colour exterior options while Soul Red Crystal comes with a black roof, Jet Black Mica arrives with silver roof pillars, and Zircon Sand gets a black contrast roof.

The Mazda MX-30 comes with a 5 years manufacturer warranty (or the first 100,000km), whichever comes first. In addition, the Mazda MX-30 EV battery warranty coverage is up to 8 years or 160,000km, whichever comes first.