Mazda MX-30 2021 Review 2026

This is the Mazda MX-30 – the Japanese car maker’s first attempt at an all electric car. Don’t get too excited because you won’t be driving from London to Edinburgh in it thanks to its limited range, however it’s ideal if you fancy an EV as a second car.

That’s because – according to Mazdamath – producing an electric car with a small battery is much better for the environment and creates less carbon dioxide emissions over its lifetime than an equivalent diesel model.

So how small is small? Well, Mazda reckons a 33.5kWh battery is the sweet spot. Just to put that into context, models like the Kia E-Niro use a 64kWh battery, which gives them an official range of 274 miles while the Mazda’s range is 124 miles.

Given that ‘range anxiety’ (the fear of running out of charge) is one of the biggest issues preventing the take up of EVs, it seems odd that Mazda hasn’t used a bigger battery. But it’s logical, especially when you remember the MX-30 is designed as a second car.

And that means short trips into town, dropping off the kids, popping out for coffee. So while you might spend a few hours going here and there, most of your driving will be at 30-40mph, and your annual mileage is probably 6000. Sound familiar?

Of course, there are advantages to having a smaller battery. For a start, it takes less time to charge. Plug it into your wall box and it’ll take about six hours to replenish the battery, while using a fast charger at a motorway services will take less than 30 mins.

Then there’s the handling benefits. Not lugging around a heavy battery pack means that Mazda was able to design a fairly nimble little mini-crossover. In fact, it’s no accident that the car got the ‘MX’ name, which is normally reserved for Mazda’s sportiest of models.

And the MX-30 is fun to drive in a round about town way rather than on a race track way. It’s steering is quick but it’s ride isn’t too harsh. Its speed won’t blow you away however as it lacks the all out ‘shove’ that most EV powertrains offer.

It’s the rear doors that will prove to be the car’s baggiest party trick (and also perhaps its biggest disappointment). Mazda calls them ‘freestyle’ but you might have heard them called clamshell, suicide or even French. You might have seen them on the current Rolls-Royce line up, but also on horse and cars.

The thinking is that because both front and rear doors opening outward (like patio doors), then the offer better access to the rear. But this only really works when the car is big enough. With the MX-30, taller drivers will end up sliding the front seat forward and everyone will be just wishing it was a two-door.

Looking for a second opinion? Read heycar's review of the Mazda MX-30

The steering is quick, the throttle is responsive and the brakes aren’t too grabby (a common complaint for EVs thanks to their use of regenerative braking). But push too hard and you’ll easily find some dead spots in the steering and as well as the limits of the car’s grip. It’s fine for nipping about town but it’s not quick – the 0-62mph time is 9.7 seconds.

As the MX-30 has that slightly taller mini-crossover vibe, there’s a decent view of the road ahead and it gets up to motorway speed without too much fuss and has a bit left in reserve if you need it. The suspension is also quite soft at speed, although repeated undulations will leave it a bit flustered.

There’s not much ‘go power’ in the 30-70mph bracket, either. Despite the sporty steering wheel paddles, you can’t conjure up a lower gear (instead, these adjust the level of regenerative braking). The bottom line is that most overtaking opportunities will be lost unless you’re safely nipping around a tractor. As far as we’re aware, that’s not really the working definition of ‘fun’.

Packed with active and passive safety kit, the MX-30 won’t give you sleepless nights in the safety department. Big news is the smart brake support, which helps mitigate against vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle collisions but now includes a turn across traffic function. That means when you turn right in a right-hand drive car the sensors will slam the brakes on if they pick up on something the driver hasn’t spotted. Along with lane keep assist and blind spot assist, occupants will feel well looked after. 

The missing B-pillar won’t be a concern, either. As well as bolstering the roof and the sills, the structure has been designed to absorb an impact and diffuse the energy. And if there is a crash, the drive system shuts down, so occupants aren’t at risk of electric shocks.

You won’t struggle to get the shopping in, either. There are 366 litres of usable boot space here – although you won’t be able to use all of it as the charging cables will most likely live under the boot floor. Of course, you don’t have to carry them with you – but remember that not all charge points have their own cables.

Still, you’ll have more than enough space a couple of medium sized suitcases and some backpacks. No front boot though – this is where Mazda has put the electric motor (and quite possibly left some extra space for a small petrol engine in a range extender mode).

It’s the rear seat space that is the biggest disappointment. Designed as a second car, the back seats are only really suitable for nipping the kids to football or dragging them to Tesco’s. The ‘freestyle’ rear doors mean access should be good, but it isn’t – especially if you’re a taller driver when you’ll have to slide your front seat forward too.

It’s also quite claustrophobic in the rear as the door has these huge hinges, a massive armrest and rear windows that don’t open.

Mazda’s decision to offer an EV with a small battery and therefore shorter range was done to reduce the car’s carbon footprint and the environmentally conscious a theme is carried into the car, most noticeably with some sustainable materials used.

Most noticeable throughout the cabin is the use of cork. This can be stripped from the bark of the tree, which means no felling. Mazda has also used recycled plastic bottles to make the arm rests. Both feel plush, but having never encountered them before we can’t say how they will hold up over the life of the car.

Mazda’s infotainment, while not as flash as some of its German rivals, is logical and very easy to use. We particularly like the use of the rotary dial to find your way around the 8.8-inch screen mounted on the centre console. Granted, it does take a bit of getting used to but it’s much safer than taking your eyes off the road to jab wildly at a moving target. And if you don’t like the infotainment system, Apple Car Play and Android Auto come as standard.

Weirdly, it's the opposite for the the air-con and heating controls get a touchscreen as well as physical buttons. This just seems like a waste of space and makes as much sense as the ‘floating’ console. Thankfully, Mazda have played it safe with the rest of the car, even using a traditional auto gearstick rather than a wacky dial to select gears.

However, once the car is in full production, the entry-level model will be the SEL-L Lux, priced at £25, 545 (after the grant).

That means it’s more expensive than smaller rivals like the Volkswagen e-Up, but not as much as say a Nissan Leaf. And it’s definitely a cheaper electric car than a Kia e-Niro.

The number of MX-30s coming to the UK are limited so you won’t find a second-hand or pre-reg bargain. In fact, with just 800 cars allocated you might not even find yourself a decent finance deal.

According to Mazda, the MX-30 has a range of 160 miles but don’t expect you to see more than 120 miles. With such a small battery, that does mean that range anxiety will kick in a bit sooner.

And that’s perfectly normal. If you arrive at a charging station to find it out of order, busy, or the space taken by a diesel Mercedes Sprinter van, it’s not like you can just drive five minutes down the road to the next charging station.

Thankfully, the big upside to having a smaller battery is quicker charging times. While Leaf owners have to wait 40-odd minutes to go from 0-80% charge, the MX-30 takes under 30. If you’re charging from a wall box at home then that’s about six hours.

Compared to a similar-sized petrol or diesel, the MX-30 is still cheaper to run and it has the added benefit of being exempt from things like the ULEZ zone and the congestion charge. As well as that, company car drivers won’t have to pay any BIK tax.

The only thing to watch out for is the insurance cost, which will be a bit more than a petrol-powered rival.

All MX-30s come with a decent level of standard kit which makes the entry level SE-L Lux model a great choice. Here you get 18in alloys, LED headlights, a head-up display with traffic sign assistance, radar cruise control, an 8.8in touchscreen display with sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto mirroring, and a separate 7.0in climate touchscreen.

The First Edition (which is the only model currently available to pre-order) boasts new colour options, adaptive LED headlights, different LED rear lights, an orange-and-stone leatherette interior and eight-way adjustable and heated front seats.

Next up the ladder is the £27,545 Sport Lux with its heated electric seats and yet more colour options (including the chance to create a three-tone combo). If you’re a fan of privacy glass and head-up displays then it’s worth a look.

Finally, the top of the range GT Sport Tech adds a power and tilt sunroof, heated wheel, sweet 12-speaker Bose surround sound system and 360-degree rear-view camera, which is pretty handy considering the car’s poor visibility.