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Mazda's on-again, off-again plan to revive its iconic rotary engine is now definitely happening, with reports that the plan had been scrapped almost immediately countered by news the tech would debut in 2022.
The USA's Automotive News first published reports that plans to reimagine the engine once associated with the brand's most iconic performance cars as a range-extender technology for Mazda's plug-in hybrid models had been scrapped.
The plan - which Mazda has been talking about for some time - was to fit a tiny rotary engine to the brand's MX-30 PHEV as a range extender.
But this week - and more specifically, this morning - reports emerged that the plan had been scrapped, apparently owing to a combination of cost and complexity.
Yet as the digital ink was drying on those stories, Mazda itself came out to pour water on them, confirming that yes, the rotary comeback is happening, and yes, we will see it in 2022.
"I can confirm next year's launch timing for the Mazda MX-30 plug-in hybrid EV is not delayed. The MX-30 plug-in hybrid will operate as a series plug-in hybrid with a rotary generator," a Mazda USA spokesperson told Roadshow.
And in even better news, the mysterious new tech (we don't actually know yet how much range the rotary will add, what size it will be, and how much weight and cost it will add to the MX-30) will almost certainly come to Australia, with the brand's local executives telling media that they had their hand in the air for the technology.
"Mazda Corporation has announced a 2022 start, and we’ve expressed our interest. It’s available for our market and we’d love to have a third addition," said Mazda MD, Vinesh Bhindi, told media at an MX-30 event in Melbourne.
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