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The new MX-30 M Hybrid is finally in Australian showrooms, but given it’s closely related to another of Mazda’s small SUVs, the volume-selling CX-30, why will buyers pick it over its sibling?
That’s the question CarsGuide posed to Mazda Australia’s marketing and product director, Alastair Doak, who said the decision to opt for the coupe-style MX-30 M Hybrid will likely be “design-driven”, although “there is the sustainability story around it that will resonate with some people”.
“The target customers [young professional couples living in metropolitan areas] are more aware of those sorts of things and looking for those kinds of answers,” he added.
Mr Doak noted “for years we’ve said that the SUV market would evolve, and change and start to become more niche in some ways … (as) people want to stand out a little bit differently”.
“MX-30, that would be the cream of the crop if you wanted something that looks different to everything else.”
Asked what else will help separate the MX-30 M Hybrid from the platform-sharing CX-30 in the minds of buyers, Mr Doak said the former goes its own way in many regards.
“With the powertrain in this car, it’s quite different,” he explained. “There’s more stories in (MX-30). The interior is different with the ‘floating’ console, and the touchscreen and all that, … so it’s a deeper story with MX-30 and the difference between the models.”
For reference, the MX-30 M Hybrid adds a mild-hybrid system (a 24V battery and a belt-driven integrated starter generator) to the CX-30’s 114kW/200Nm 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine option.
Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi was also optimistic about the role the MX-30 M Hybrid will play moving forward, with it even set to work in tandem with the CX-30 to boost sales.
“If a customer comes in to talk about CX-30 and sees an MX-30, or vice-versa, it’s giving them choice. And this model [MX-30] has got a lot more, I suppose, uniqueness about it over CX-30,” he said.
Mr Bhindi stressed that the MX-30 M Hybrid’s appeal goes beyond its distinctive ‘freestyle’ doors, with it also having a lower environmental impact, partly thanks to its 0.1L/100km advantage over the equivalent CX-30 on the combined-cycle fuel consumption test (ADR 81/02), at 6.4L/100km.
“It’s becoming more and more important for consumers to understand how does a car become a little bit more environmentally friendly, whether it’s the materials or the drivetrain. And having a mild-hybrid option available probably meets some of that demand,” he said.
As reported, Mazda Australia is forecasting it will about 200 examples of the MX-30 M Hybrid per month, while the CX-30 averaged 894 monthly sales in first two months of 2021.
Mr Doak cautioned “there may not even be any crossover between those two models at all … (as) they’re not part of the same line-up”.
“They’re two distinct models telling two distinct stories,” he added. “(The MX-30 M Hybrid is) an additional model in our line-up, and it’s there to do a very specific thing.”
For reference, the MX-30 M Hybrid is available in three variants, with the entry-level G20e Evolve priced from $33,990 plus on-road costs, while the mid-range G20e Touring and flagship G20e Astina check in at $36,490 and $40,990 respectively.
Those variants are therefore $1400, $1300 and $1800 more expensive than the CX-30’s G20 Evolve, G20 Touring and G20 Astina equivalents.
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