PETALING JAYA: Bermaz Motor Trading Sdn Bhd, the sole distributor for the Mazda brand in Malaysia, announced that the Japanese automaker's first battery-electric vehicle (BEV) is now officially available locally for booking.
Launched alongside the new 2022 CX-8, the urban-focus 2022 MX-30 runs on Mazda's new e-Skyactiv electric-drive technology.
The front-wheel drive (FWD) powertrain technology which combines an electric motor and a 35.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack delivers an output of 107 kW (143 horsepower), a maximum torque of 271 Nm, and a driving range of approximately 199km.
Bermaz Auto Berhad executive chairman Datuk Sri Ben Yeoh said the MX-30's strength lies in city mobility.
Embodying Kodo - the Soul of Motion design, the 2020 Red Dot Design winner EV offers the best of Mazda's driving sensibilities that is said to appeal to car lovers and the brand's fans alike.
Having a smaller battery compared to its competitors also means it is lighter (making it more maneuverable) than them and fully chargers quicker. The street agile easy in-and-out concept is said to be perfect for urbanites.
The 35.5kWh battery can be charged up to 80 per cent within 36 minutes using the DC fast charging of 40 kW. There is also an indicator built into the charging port that indicates the charging status of the vehicle.
A cap on the charging port protects it from rain and dust intrusion to eliminate any worries on the part of customers about electric shocks or system failures while charging their cars.
It adopts a refrigerant cooling system that cools and protect the battery pack when the temperature rises - thin cooling tubes attached to the bottom plane of the battery module make contact with a heat exchanger.
A sensor constantly monitors the battery's temperature and controls the flow of coolant as needed.
Its evolved e-G-Vectoring Control Plus (e-GVC Plus), which uses the powertrain to improve chassis performance, leverages on the torque characteristics of the electric motor to optimize the front-rear load shift under an even wider range of usage scenarios.
It is said that for every speed range and in every driving situation, whether the driver is cornering or making steering corrections on straight roads, the system achieves smooth and seamless transitions between longitudinal, latitudinal and vertical G-forces to deliver a whole new dimension of smooth vehicular behaviour.
Focus on sustainability also extends to materials used. The cabin's new floating center console and door grips are made of cork which is considered as one of the most highly renewable and eco-friendly resources.
They were designed to be low-impact and sustainable as the door trim uses fibers that are made from recycled plastic bottles and the cork is harvested from the bark of trees without felling.
The choice of material also pays homage to Mazda's origin as a cork manufacturing company more than 100 years ago.
The floating centre console features an electronic shifter with multi-function commander knob and shortcut buttons that allows the driver and passenger to operate the 8.8-inch Mazda Connect Infotainment system.
Interior comfort features fabric and leatherette seating equipped with 8-way power, 2-way lumbar adjustments and 2-position memory function for the owner. Additionally it is equipped with a 12-speaker Bose sound system which adopts Mazda Harmonic Acoustics audio system.
Besides a 360-degree view monitor that provides an all-round view around the vehicle it comes standard with Mazda's i-Activsense Advanced Safety Technology features.
This includes: Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), Driver Attention Alert (DAA) with Driver Monitoring, and Lane-keep Assist System (LAS).
As the High variant it gets additional Adaptive LED Headlights (ALH), Front Cross Traffic Alert (FCTA), as well as Cruising and Traffic Support (CTS) feature.
The Japan import EV has a starting price from RM 198,780. It comes with a 5 years manufacturer warranty (or first 100,000km), whichever comes first. Additionally it has an EV battery warranty coverage of up to 8 years or 160,000km, whichever comes first.
It is available in single colour Polymetal Gray and Machine Gray, and 2-Tone colour that includes Jet Black Mica (with silver roof pillar), Zircon Sand (with black roof) and Soul Red Crystal (with black roof).
2022 Mazda CX-8
Position in-between the CX-5 and CX-9 in terms of its sizing scale, all of Mazda's 2022 CX-8 variants, the brand's first mid-size crossover sports utility vehicle (SUV), come with a host of newly added standard features.
This includes G-Vectoring Control Plus (GVC Plus), additional USB ports for the 3rd row passenger and a 7-inch Instrument Cluster meter, 6-way power seat for front passenger, Handsfree Power tailgate, and auto-folding mirrors.
The 2.5L Mid and High get updated leather seats in black, while the CX-8 2.5L High Plus variants retains the Nappa Leather in deep red finishing.
CX-8 2.5L High variant and above, receive an updated grille design, LED Signature headlamps, LED interior lamps as well as Wireless charger and Wireless Apple Carplay which is accessible through the 8-inch Mazda Connect Infotainment display.
CX-8 2.5L High Plus and above variants gets Gunmetal finishing on its front grille and chrome bumper garnish, front seats with heated and ventilation function as well as updated i-Activsense.
Features includes the newly added Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS), High Beam Control (HBC), front and rear Smart Brake Support (SBS) and Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC) with stop and go.
A new variant has also been added to the CX-8 range. The All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) Skyactiv-G 2.5L Turbo engine delivers 228 hp and 420 Nm torque with a maximum speed of 200 kph.
Powertrain and seating configuration of the remains the same for all, where else as the Skyactiv-D 2.2L engine is now in 2WD.
All variants are paired with Skyactiv-Drive 6-speed Automatic transmission with Manual Shift mode.
GVC is a unique human-centered initiative that controls and stabilise the vehicle behaviour at high speed when cornering. The GVC Plus which is standard to all variants applies brake force lightly to the outer wheels as the steering wheel is returned to the center position.
The CX-8 is locally-assembled (CKD) at the Inokom Assembly plant located at Kulim, Kedah. Similar to the CX-5 it is assembled in a dedicated section of the plant thats managed by Mazda Malaysia to ensure that the quality of vehicles is on par with that of Mazda vehicles manufactured in Japan.
The colour line-up includes Soul Red Crystal, Machine Gray, Snowflake White Pearl, Deep Crystal Blue, Jet Black and two new colours: Platinum Quartz and Polymetal Gray.
Selling price starts from RM 177,674.40. As with all new Mazda vehicles registered it comes with a 5-Years Manufacturer Warranty + 5-Years Free Maintenance (except Mazda BT-50) according to manufacturer's standards inclusive of labour, parts and lubricants - both come with a coverage period of five years and a mileage limit of 100,000km, whichever comes first.