The Rotary Engine Propelled the Mazda MX-30

Finally, the rotary engine has made a comeback! After being cancelled over a decade ago, Mazda has announced that a brand new rotary powerplant is going into production. Interestingly, this new engine won’t be featured in an RX-8 successor, RX-7 successor, or any sort of sports car. Rather, it will power a plug-in hybrid compact SUV, set to debut in 2023.

The all-new rotary engine was first revealed in the European-market Mazda MX-30 R-EV. For Americans, the MX-30 is known as the sole battery electric option from Mazda, but with limited availability and demand, it’s not as popular in the US. However, the range-extender version featuring the new rotary engine sounds much more compelling.

To extend the 53-mile all-electric range of the R-EV on the more generous WLTP drive cycle, Mazda has equipped it with an 830-cc rotary gasoline engine. Although the engine provides 75 hp, it’s not used to power the wheels. Instead, the ICE is exclusively used to charge the battery, with all propulsion coming from the electric motor. In the R-EV, the electric motor produces 167 hp and 191 lb-ft of torque.

Mazda’s approach to the MX-30 R-EV focuses more on sensibility rather than spine-snapping acceleration, as seen in the leisurely 9.1 seconds it takes to hit 62 mph. This is in contrast to most EVs that emphasize excessive numbers. The claimed weight figure of the R-EV is also noteworthy, considering that many plug-ins can approach 5000 lbs. The MX-30 R-EV weighs in at a relatively light 3920 lbs.

It’s currently uncertain whether the R-EV will ever be released in the United States. In 2021, an executive confirmed that the rotary version would make it to the US, but a recent statement from a Mazda spokesperson indicates that the company has “no update to share on U.S. availability of MX-30 PHEV.” According to the spokesperson, Mazda usually introduces models on a market-by-market basis, so there’s still a possibility that the MX-30 R-EV could be released in the US at some point. However, considering the slow sales of the MX-30, it’s possible that Mazda may have had a change of heart.

Photo Source: Mazda Newsroom