Mazda MX-30 to arrive in Malaysia Oct 2020; CX-30 Kulim CKD assembly to commence in 2021 – report


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The Mazda MX-30 is due to arrive in Malaysia in the fourth quarter of this year, according to a report by AmInvestment bank on Bermaz, the importer and distributor of Mazda vehicles in Malaysia.

This will arrive on our shores as a fully imported (CBU) model, though being a fully electric model, the MX-30 could also be one of the four models to come from CKD assembly between now and 2021 as any locally-assembled hybrid or fully electric vehicle is fully exempt from excise duties, the report said; this also enables Berjaya Auto to set the MX-30 at a reasonable price point while covering its margins, according to the report.

The MX-30’s entry into the Malaysian market is projected with an eye on the expansion of Mazda’s CKD model line-up in the country, as Berjaya Auto’s manufacturing associate Inokom is set to invest a total capital expenditure of RM200 million towards increasing the total production capacity of its Kulim manufacturing plant from 30,000 units to 80,000 units annually, according to the AmInvestment Bank report.

The other model likely for local production is the CX-30, with AmInvestment Bank stating that channel checks indicate that the crossover – recently launched in Malaysia in CBU guise – could commence CKD assembly at the Kulim plant in 2021.

Unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show last year, the Mazda MX-30 is the Japanese marque’s first fully electric vehicle that is nearly the same size as the internal combustion-engined CX-30, measuring 4,395 mm long with a 2,655 mm wheelbase, 1,795 mm wide and 1,570 mm tall. The MX-30 is built on the same SkyActiv-Vehicle Architecture which underpins the Mazda 3 and CX-30, though with reinforcements around the battery and floor to increase stiffness.

Dubbed e-Skyactiv, the MX-30’s EV powertrain is comprised of a single electric motor driving the front wheels with 141 hp and 264 Nm of torque. This is fed by a 35.5 kWh battery that supports both AC and DC charging, the former accepting a maximum input of 6.6 kW via a Type 2 connection. This offers a range of 209 km, while a range-extender version with a rotary engine is set to debut later on, the company said.

The rotary engine was selected for the range extender role due to its compactness, lack of weight and quiet operation, said Mazda, and this will run of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). This offering of powertrain options mirrors that of the BMW i3, which was introduced with both options, though the range extender has reportedly been sent to the retirement queue.

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