Mazda MX-30 2021: mid-hybrid arriving soon, price starts from $33,990

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Mazda has announced the MX-30 M Hybrid small SUV version will go on sale in Australia in the second quarter of this year with a starting price of $33,990, before on-road costs.

The MX-30 M Hybrid functions as an electric version of the petrol-powered CX-30 small SUV with both a mild-hybrid and a fully-electric version coming to Australia, with the latter set to arrive later in 2021.

Powering the MX-30 M Hybrid 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine making 114kW of power and 200Nm of torque which is matched to a 24-volt mild-hybrid system 

The mild-hybrid system helps provide a claimed fuel economy rating of 6.4L/100km, recharging itself through regenerative braking to provide extra power when needed.

It saves fuel but not much, for context the CX-30 fitted with the same engine uses 6.5L/100km. Cars fitted with a traditional hybrid system seen in the likes of the Toyota Yaris Cross small SUV usually return far more prominent results.

The combined power is then sent to the front wheels through a six-speed torque converter automatic, with no manual option available.

Kicking off the range is the MX-30 G20e Evolve ($33,990 before on-road costs) which features touches such as 18-inch alloy wheels and a rear spoiler that, along with its rear-hinged doors, help it stand out as one of the more stylish offerings in the Mazda range.

Moving to the inside, an 8.8-inch widescreen sits in the centre with in-built navigation along with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto that can be used to stream music straight from your phone to the eight-speaker audio system.

Directly in front of the driver sits an additional seven-inch display that acts as the digital gauge cluster while the rest of the interior is completed with luxury touches such as a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear stick. The seats themselves are trimmed in black and grey cloth.

As with most Mazda models, safety features are largely standard across the range which has helped it achieve an official five-star ANCAP safety rating.

In addition to the 10-airbags to soften a collision, driver assistance functions such as blind-spot monitoring, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, rear cross-traffic alert and a reversing camera are fitted to avoid crashes in the first place.

Stepping up to the mid-tier MX-30 G20e Touring will set you a bit more at $36,490 (before on-roads) and adds niceties such as keyless entry, and 10-way power-adjustability for the driver while the upholstery is trimmed in white Maztex leather and grey cloth.

Available in the top-spec MX-30 G20e Astina at $40,990 (before on-roads) is a set of nicer 18-inch alloys wheels along with interior niceties such as a brown Maztex and black cloth upholstery with a heated steering wheel and front seats.

Other features such as a sunroof, 360-degree camera, adaptive LED headlights should make the MX-30 nicer to live with every day, while front parking sensors and front cross-traffic alert will make it safer.

The Mazda MX-30 M Hybrid will go on sale in the second quarter of 2021, with the fully electric version set to go on sale later this year.

Mazda MX-30 2021: prices in Australia

All prices listed are before on-road costs.

• MX-30 G20e Evolve: $33,990
• MX-30 G20e Touring: $36,490
• MX-30 G20e Astina: $40,990