Mazda plug-in hybrid rotary, city car concepts unveiled

Mazda has unveiled two concepts at the Tokyo motor show, including a four-door plug-in hybrid coupe with a rotary engine.

In what appears to be close to production-ready guise, Mazda’s Vision X-Coupe – with the ‘X’ to be pronounced as ‘cross’, the company points out – may very well be the conceptual preview of the long-awaited RX-9, combining the company’s iconic rotary engine with the latest plug-in hybrid technology.

While details remain thin, Mazda says the Vision X-Coupe mates a turbocharged twin-rotor engine with an electric motor and battery pack – good for a total output of 375kW.

Helped with the hybrid system, the Vision X-Coupe would be the most powerful rotary-powered model if it made it to production, overtaking the RX-7, RX-8, and the triple-rotor JC Cosmo on the performance charts.

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Mazda says the plug-in hybrid can travel up to 160 kilometres on battery power alone, with a combined total driving range of 800km.

At 5050mm long and 1995mm wide, the Vision X-Coupe is actually longer and wider than the Mazda CX-80 SUV, though with a slightly shorter wheelbase at 3080mm.

The company claims the Vision X-Coupe is also fitted with proprietary carbon-capture technology, helping to reduce atmospheric CO2 while being driven.

The unveiling of the Vision X-Coupe comes exactly a decade after the RX-Vision concept was shown at the Tokyo motor show – and eight years after the similar four-door Vision Coupe concept made its debut.

However, fans could well be waiting another 10 years, with the company introducing the vehicle as a look ahead to 2035 and beyond.

Mazda also showed off the Vision X-Compact, which is expected to be a preview of the new Mazda 2 – though it’s likely many of the design elements will find themselves incorporated into the closely related CX-3.

Curiously, the city car concept is shorter than the current five-door Mazda 2 – at 3825mm long, versus 4085mm – but is 100mm wider.

The Japanese automaker has provided even fewer details on the Vision X-Compact, but says the concept incorporates “empathetic [artificial intelligence]” technology, capable of engaging in “natural conversation” with the occupants.

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