Mazda's North American division is looking for a means to entice buyers to purchase their very first all-electric car, the MX-30 crossover. It also contains an unusual proposition for potential customers. The MX-30, which goes on sale in California in October, is far pricier than you'd imagine, considering the range and rather modest size of this EV Crossover’s battery pack.

Mazda's first attempt at an EV is a weird little Crossover with RX-8–style doors. For the record, Mazda, as usual, has joined the electric vehicle race, in its trademark fashion.

Well, those numbers clearly suggest that the new Mazda MX-30 has a mostly urban purpose, thanks to its tiny 35.5 kWh lithium-ion battery and front-wheel-drive setup. Mazda says that a plug-in hybrid variant of the MX30 with a rotary gas engine will be available soon. The mention of the word Rotary itself should get Mazda fans excited.

In addition, Mazda USA will provide any internal combustion engine car to the MX-30 owners for free for 10 days annually, for the first three years following their purchase. This is in case someone has to travel further than the car's range allows. Buyers will also receive a $500 ChargePoint credit, which may be used for chargers or to establish a home charging station. This is a really bold concept by Mazda, for a number of reasons. Because, it’s audacious to offer customers who purchased a cramped, slow vehicle with a limited range a larger, quicker vehicle with a range limited by a network of gas stations.

Styling-wise, I think the MX-30 is rather unusual. I mean when was the last time you saw a crossover with rear-hinged back doors. The SUV is available in a variety of shades, including ceramic and Mazda's signature crystal red. The GS trim meanwhile is offered in Arctic White, Machine Grey, Polymetal Grey, or Jet Black. The 18-inch alloy wheels are finished in a gleaming silver finish. Other design elements include an all-LED lighting cluster and a gloss black grille.

Inside, there’s a seven-inch digital instrument panel, a head-up display, a navigation system with traffic sign recognition, a heated steering wheel, and front seats, and an eight-way adjustable driver's seat. A standard 8.8-inch center screen that supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is paired to an eight-speaker Mazda Harmonic Acoustics audio system. The MX30 also gets numerous i-Activsense safety features like adaptive cruise control and automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection.

The Mazda MX-30 will be available in two trim levels, with the base variant priced at $34,645 and the higher Premium Plus model starting at $37,655. Despite the $7500 government grant, the MX30 still costs considerably more than the competition and even worse, offers less range than those vehicles. For instance, the 2022 Chevy Bolt EV, starts at $31,995 and has a range that is more than double that of the MX30’s at 259 miles while the 2022 Nissan Leaf, which recently received a price drop, starts well below $30,000 and has an estimated range of 149 miles in the base version.

2022 Mazda MX-30 prices

So as a rational purchase then, the Mazda MX30 is insignificant in comparison to the newest generation of electric vehicles on the market. However, true to the Japanese automaker's reputation, in true Mazda tradition, the MX-30 ought to outperform its competitors in terms of the drive.

Reservations for the MX-30, which will be available in California dealerships in October. It is set to hit California dealerships in October and the rest of the country will follow suit by early 2022.