Mazda Australia Showrooms are set to have a rotary toting car in them as early as later this year – but it’s not a reborn RX-7 or Cosmo.
Instead, it would be on again, off again (accused) MX-30 range-extending EV series, fitted with a small, gasoline-powered rotary alternator to charge the battery and extend driving range.
Mazda US marketing materials mention imminent MX-30 The rotary range extender is specifically a ‘series plug-in hybrid’, suggesting it will operate like the BMW i3 REx – meaning the rotary engine charges the battery instead of driving the wheels.
Mazda has talked about its plans for the MX-30 with a rotary alternator for some time, something for those who can’t live with the full EV’s modest 200 km (WLTP) driving range.
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We recently spoke with Mazda Australia marketing director Alastair Doak about local plans for the MX-30 range-extending camcorder and the response was positive for local buyers looking to there is an even more unique Mazda product.
“It will be announced this year. The plan is to have it here this year,” he said, although warnings about current supply problems mean this could be pushed to 2023.
“It is certainly getting very close to production, with most of the development being done on the car. We are very happy.
“… That would be a unique proposition, having a new rotary engine is always exciting. Hopefully it won’t be too many months before it’s talked about publicly, and we can start from there. “
Of course, it won’t be cheap, as the MX-30 EV itself costs $65,490 before on-road transportation costs (about $71,000 to drive). If the PHEV series version keeps the battery and adds a new rotary alternator, it will add to the cost, although it’s possible Mazda could use a smaller package.
That means the MX-30 will have three powertrain options: base petrol (labelled as mild hybrid), EV and PHEV line.
Once Mazda has a rotary generator-powered, range extender, the PHEV MX-30 series, it will also have an even more outlandish lineup as it currently has.
It already sells a unique SkyActiv-X petrol engine with spark-guided compression ignition and will be available with a rear-wheel drive six transmission and a conventional PHEV. coming soon in CX-60.
