I've had two RX-2s and loved the rotary engine. Been watching this model because it's got a lot of what I'm looking for. I had my first battery electric in 1997 which was a Rabbit conversion. I've had two Chevy Sparks and now a Bolt. The last bit of detail that might put me over the edge would be on how the HVAC is put together. You see the gas engine is a great source of heat. So it would be nice if the plumbing took advantage of that. Anybody know how it's laid out? Thanks if you don't. The dealership doesn't either.
there is no water circulation in the battery rack, as it is a "small" pack, they keep it cool just with normal air ventilation. In the future we will see more complex system, but for now they had to keep the cost low considerign this is a unique power unit they use on just one model that does not sell so much
Those doors are a pain, as have to open front door to open back and even worse try and get out of the back in a car park when someone’s parked next to you
Actually quite like this - wish it had another 10l+ of fuel tank! The main thing that puts me off though is the HVAC touch screen. Yes, there are some buttons. _Some_ buttons. Why not all buttons though? Or rotary knobs? You know, things that actually work and are possible to change on the move? That reason alone rules it out completely.
What's the range with the rotary added? Bc the range they say is on battery added and the mpg for the rotary but how far can you actually go on a full tank and battery?
According to the verification on the Japanese RUclips channel, it had traveled 810KM. I think the maximum speed and climate differ depending on the country, so I don't think the results will be the same in all countries.
It starts at £35k, so I don't really see the benefit of this over an alternative full EV for most people. If you don't drive far, then other EVs meet your needs, whereas if you do, the rex is too thirsty anyway. You have to really love Mazda as a brand to go for this car, otherwise it doesn't make sense
The back seats are SMALLER ? than a CX30..??.........I got rid of My CX30 because You could not put Adults in the back seat......So then....this is just a two seater..!!!!!!!.................Paul
technically yes, it is the most perfect way to transform fuel energy in electricity energy. Many industrial generators use wankel engine. There are also other technical reason:to rebuild a rotary engine from a generator or from an airplane, you need few hrs of work, as the engine is extremely simple. From the car the extraction of the engine made it a lots more difficult, if they would have found a way to made it simpler, we would have seen meny more wankel on the street nowadays
nothing planned. Sales are not so great to justify an investment infacelift. Probably we will see something in the 2026 wtith some technical change based on lesson learned, or they will cut off the model at all.
Let’s hope what you say is true and it’s better than the previous Mazda rotary engines, they were uneconomical, use almost as much oil as petrol and never lasted past 70k
To be fair the inefficient fuel consumption is expected in a sports/sporty car and it was somewhat competitive with its competition. As for the oil consumption it really isn't that bad. I own a rx8 and I never have to add oil to it in between my oil changes 3-5k miles. As for reliability it comes down to build quality and maintenance. Stay on top of it and don't do stupid stuff to the car and it lasts fine. My first engine lasted 166k miles before it started to lose compression and I bought another brand new from Mazda. Currently at 222k miles on everything but the engine with no issues and the engine has 56k miles with not problems. Don't buy into every stereotype u hear. Yes they have their problems but they aren't terrible engines.
I had an rx8, I was doing 12km per liter in 85.000km of use in 3 years. i was using daily. My actual typer R does 10km per liter with same usage, previous golf R and gt86 were doing the same 10km per liter. so the wankel was the most economical. You should compare apple with apple.
Sorry, I love Mazdas and came close to buying the full EV version of this last year (went for a Citroěn e-C4 instead with better space, longer range and a smoother ride), but I think this is a very badly-conceived product and a rare big miss for Mazda. Expensive, uneconomical, short battery-only range, short fuel range, poor tax breaks (in the UK), the list goes on. Its lovely design and beautiful engineering simply can't make up for so many shortcomings. And, I will not buy any car that does not have proper knobs and buttons for HVAC and audio - motor manufacturers' pursuit of economy/profit at the expense of user experience, convenience and safety is madness and if buyers want that ultra-modern and potentially lethal experience, they can go buy a Tesla instead.
unfortunately you are right. They cannot put on the market a car with half size battery respect competitors, when the first element of evaluation of an electric car is the range.
I have a rx8 and love it ya it’s more work but I put the Sohn adapter on it and premix and I am a moto x vet and it’s got the race gas smell I put klotz in it and so far so good but she will wear out but I will have a new motor ready and never get rid of it want a manual rx8 mine it automatic so it’s slower but still a blast to drive so smooth like butter love the new Mazda generator it’s genius 😊
this car is totally based on the use you do. It is not the most economical EV neither the most economical petrol car, if you do weekly commuting with the chane to rechanrge without problem, and then you do longer journey over the weekend, this is the perfect car. But if you can rechanrge once per week, or you do long journey quite often, it is not the best option. This car is literally an "excel calculation" car.
It is not powered by the rotary engine. It is an EV with electric drive only. The rotary is a battery charger only. It is best described as and EV with a gas-powered range extender. Most days, the rotary will never be used.
I came up with the term in the video OGLEV. the reason I used hybrid at the start is that’s still technically what it’s called even if it’s factually incorrect
I disagree. This vehicle stands in a unique class of its own. You’re supposed to judiciously rely on electricity home / work charging to run the MX-30 R-EV. No daily home charge capability? Forget it. That’s its modus operandi. If you cannot adapt to that specific mode of operation or need a vehicle for long distances every single day, this is NOT for you. It’s not really a PHEV and shouldn’t be described as one. This car has a very unique operational skill set - and if you cannot adapt to using the preferred modus operandi - you don’t buy one. This is a thinking person’s EV with Rotary Range Extender (Battery Recharge Generator) capability. Any true NERD would also recognise what this is - and make a beeline for it. For regular commuting, that Rotary Range Extender will be barely used - especially if you don’t have a heavy foot all the time. It’s handy for the odd long distance journey - but not for long distances every single day. This would suit my lifestyle perfectly. And yes, I want one - and guess what? I’ve been driving a Prius for the last 10+ years. This is the perfect introduction to EV’s with a backup APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) to avoid the dreaded RANGE ANXIETY. You’ll never be stranded if you run out of charge. Thank you for a great unpretentious video - I think you’ve sold it to anyone intelligent enough to appreciate what this amazing and unique vehicle really is. p.s. This is a COUPE - hence the slightly reduced rear passenger space - which NO coupe lover would ever complain about.
@@datathunderstorm correct me if im wrong. So the rotary engine makes it accelerate faster than normal EV? The gas + rotary engine size stores and convert more energy than of a same size battery?
@@azul1964 The battery pack on this version is exactly half of the EV, so it does not store more energy, but the presence of the engine guarantee that you never be short with electricity available They have used the same engine of the EV version but with more power. The key point is that thanks to the rotary engine, they are able to have always enough current to be used to keep the power higher. With the EV, the battery pack is not so big, so to avoid quicker consumption, they have setup in a way to limit the maximupm use of energy.
Glad to see the dorito back!
Hell yeah
I've had two RX-2s and loved the rotary engine. Been watching this model because it's got a lot of what I'm looking for. I had my first battery electric in 1997 which was a Rabbit conversion. I've had two Chevy Sparks and now a Bolt. The last bit of detail that might put me over the edge would be on how the HVAC is put together. You see the gas engine is a great source of heat. So it would be nice if the plumbing took advantage of that. Anybody know how it's laid out? Thanks if you don't. The dealership doesn't either.
there is no water circulation in the battery rack, as it is a "small" pack, they keep it cool just with normal air ventilation.
In the future we will see more complex system, but for now they had to keep the cost low considerign this is a unique power unit they use on just one model that does not sell so much
Absolutely love the design of this car. Looks amazing. Can’t wait to test drive one
How many KWH can the rotory engine / generator get from 1 US gallon of gasoline?
Great review,..👏🏾
Can’t believe your video only got 300 plus turns up. 😢 damn. I thought it was better than that. 🤙 cool video
Those doors are a pain, as have to open front door to open back and even worse try and get out of the back in a car park when someone’s parked next to you
really amazing concept to use fuel engine as generator
What Toyota did with the prius in the 90's and BMW in 2012 with the i3.
@@robertsaca3512 Prius run directly on fuel not like this car which is always run on battery
Chevrolet Volt in 2011
@@TariqSajidBMW i3 Range Extender (REx) since 2012. I believe they pioneered the concept.
Actually quite like this - wish it had another 10l+ of fuel tank!
The main thing that puts me off though is the HVAC touch screen. Yes, there are some buttons. _Some_ buttons. Why not all buttons though? Or rotary knobs? You know, things that actually work and are possible to change on the move?
That reason alone rules it out completely.
Another great review just wish it was a bit cheaper 👍
What's the range with the rotary added? Bc the range they say is on battery added and the mpg for the rotary but how far can you actually go on a full tank and battery?
According to the verification on the Japanese RUclips channel, it had traveled 810KM. I think the maximum speed and climate differ depending on the country, so I don't think the results will be the same in all countries.
@@dauny08 damn that's pretty good.
It starts at £35k, so I don't really see the benefit of this over an alternative full EV for most people. If you don't drive far, then other EVs meet your needs, whereas if you do, the rex is too thirsty anyway. You have to really love Mazda as a brand to go for this car, otherwise it doesn't make sense
whats up with losers like you spamming comment sections with EV bullshit.
some people do not want to support lithium slavery at the start of the supply chain
The back seats are SMALLER ? than a CX30..??.........I got rid of My CX30 because You could not put Adults in the back seat......So then....this is just a two seater..!!!!!!!.................Paul
typical mazda rear seat tbh, rear seat only for babies
It is just a compact SUV, what can you expect?
If you have two six footers in front, the rear seats are great for three persons with no legs!
So the rotary is a glorified charger for the battery?
technically yes, it is the most perfect way to transform fuel energy in electricity energy. Many industrial generators use wankel engine.
There are also other technical reason:to rebuild a rotary engine from a generator or from an airplane, you need few hrs of work, as the engine is extremely simple. From the car the extraction of the engine made it a lots more difficult, if they would have found a way to made it simpler, we would have seen meny more wankel on the street nowadays
It is now Sept 2024.....any news re updates or a facelift for 2025? Dealers never tell you this stuff....
nothing planned. Sales are not so great to justify an investment infacelift. Probably we will see something in the 2026 wtith some technical change based on lesson learned, or they will cut off the model at all.
Its fine as an ev....but thirsty when that engine kick in.
Let’s hope what you say is true and it’s better than the previous Mazda rotary engines, they were uneconomical, use almost as much oil as petrol and never lasted past 70k
To be fair the inefficient fuel consumption is expected in a sports/sporty car and it was somewhat competitive with its competition. As for the oil consumption it really isn't that bad. I own a rx8 and I never have to add oil to it in between my oil changes 3-5k miles. As for reliability it comes down to build quality and maintenance. Stay on top of it and don't do stupid stuff to the car and it lasts fine. My first engine lasted 166k miles before it started to lose compression and I bought another brand new from Mazda. Currently at 222k miles on everything but the engine with no issues and the engine has 56k miles with not problems. Don't buy into every stereotype u hear. Yes they have their problems but they aren't terrible engines.
I had an rx8, I was doing 12km per liter in 85.000km of use in 3 years.
i was using daily.
My actual typer R does 10km per liter with same usage, previous golf R and gt86 were doing the same 10km per liter.
so the wankel was the most economical.
You should compare apple with apple.
Sorry, I love Mazdas and came close to buying the full EV version of this last year (went for a Citroěn e-C4 instead with better space, longer range and a smoother ride), but I think this is a very badly-conceived product and a rare big miss for Mazda. Expensive, uneconomical, short battery-only range, short fuel range, poor tax breaks (in the UK), the list goes on. Its lovely design and beautiful engineering simply can't make up for so many shortcomings. And, I will not buy any car that does not have proper knobs and buttons for HVAC and audio - motor manufacturers' pursuit of economy/profit at the expense of user experience, convenience and safety is madness and if buyers want that ultra-modern and potentially lethal experience, they can go buy a Tesla instead.
unfortunately you are right.
They cannot put on the market a car with half size battery respect competitors, when the first element of evaluation of an electric car is the range.
Hammerhead Eagle I-Thrust
I have a rx8 and love it ya it’s more work but I put the Sohn adapter on it and premix and I am a moto x vet and it’s got the race gas smell I put klotz in it and so far so good but she will wear out but I will have a new motor ready and never get rid of it want a manual rx8 mine it automatic so it’s slower but still a blast to drive so smooth like butter love the new Mazda generator it’s genius 😊
Mazda needs to go back to the drawing board and given this SUV a luxury redesign. This is exterior design is something you’d see in VW not Mazda.
Not really enough info about fuel economy.
this car is totally based on the use you do. It is not the most economical EV neither the most economical petrol car,
if you do weekly commuting with the chane to rechanrge without problem,
and then you do longer journey over the weekend, this is the perfect car.
But if you can rechanrge once per week, or you do long journey quite often, it is not the best option.
This car is literally an "excel calculation" car.
It is not powered by the rotary engine. It is an EV with electric drive only. The rotary is a battery charger only. It is best described as and EV with a gas-powered range extender. Most days, the rotary will never be used.
that is what I say in the video ;-)
@@EdenMotorGroup At first you call it a 'hybrid' which most people consider to be dual power instead of an EV with a range extender.
I came up with the term in the video OGLEV. the reason I used hybrid at the start is that’s still technically what it’s called even if it’s factually incorrect
Looks like eclipse Crosstrek
Fantastic car, copy this Mercedes, BMW, Chevy and others.
Its a BMW i3 but worse.
Watch this sell poorly and depreciate even worse.
I disagree. This vehicle stands in a unique class of its own. You’re supposed to judiciously rely on electricity home / work charging to run the MX-30 R-EV. No daily home charge capability? Forget it.
That’s its modus operandi. If you cannot adapt to that specific mode of operation or need a vehicle for long distances every single day, this is NOT for you. It’s not really a PHEV and shouldn’t be described as one.
This car has a very unique operational skill set - and if you cannot adapt to using the preferred modus operandi - you don’t buy one.
This is a thinking person’s EV with Rotary Range Extender (Battery Recharge Generator) capability. Any true NERD would also recognise what this is - and make a beeline for it.
For regular commuting, that Rotary Range Extender will be barely used - especially if you don’t have a heavy foot all the time. It’s handy for the odd long distance journey - but not for long distances every single day.
This would suit my lifestyle perfectly. And yes, I want one - and guess what? I’ve been driving a Prius for the last 10+ years.
This is the perfect introduction to EV’s with a backup APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) to avoid the dreaded RANGE ANXIETY. You’ll never be stranded if you run out of charge.
Thank you for a great unpretentious video - I think you’ve sold it to anyone intelligent enough to appreciate what this amazing and unique vehicle really is.
p.s. This is a COUPE - hence the slightly reduced rear passenger space - which NO coupe lover would ever complain about.
Its a BMW i3 but actually good looking.
@@datathunderstorm correct me if im wrong. So the rotary engine makes it accelerate faster than normal EV? The gas + rotary engine size stores and convert more energy than of a same size battery?
Too bad fuel economy is so bad, if you need the back up engine.
@@azul1964 The battery pack on this version is exactly half of the EV, so it does not store more energy,
but the presence of the engine guarantee that you never be short with electricity available
They have used the same engine of the EV version but with more power.
The key point is that thanks to the rotary engine, they are able to have always enough current to be used to keep the power higher. With the EV, the battery pack is not so big, so to avoid quicker consumption, they have setup in a way to limit the maximupm use of energy.