Mazda’s much touted return of the rotary is getting a little repetitive, but we are all motoring masochists and keep bowing down in submission every time a new concept with spinning doritos pops up. The latest pain fix comes in the form of the Mazda Vision X-Coupe at the Japan Mobility Show 2025.
The concept looks stunning but more importantly, it is powered by a twin-rotary engine that is part of a plug-in hybrid powertrain making a stout 510 hp.
To be fair, you can find a current Mazda model with a rotary engine, the MX-30 R-EV, but it is relegated to range-extender duties in the crossover. In the Vision-X Coupe concept, the twin-rotary mill can be connected directly to the driven wheels.
All in, the PHEV drivetrain is touted to produce a pure electric driving range of 160 km and a total range of 800 km.
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Mazda 3 design influences are immediately noticed, from the stretched nose and cab-rearward positioning, to the muscular rear fenders and raked windscreen.
Headlining the front end is Mazda’s updated Kodo design, with body-coloured front fascia and vertical DRLs flanking a blanked-out grille in a V-shape. Their headlights have been slimming down over the years and here, the pair look to have become even thinner.
There is something new going on at the rear though. The C-shaped taillights curve inwards and sweep up alongside the windscreen, itself possessing a U-shape that likely will not do much for rear visibility.
Mazda has stayed true to its luxuriously minimalistic cabins. The designers have masterfully blended shades of grey and green around the four individual bucket seats. The driver gets a very vintage-inspired dished three-spoke steering and round binnacles housing digital gauges that combine classic and modern instrumentation.
A wide digital infotainment screen spans from the centre of the dashboard all the way to the passenger’s end. The centre console is raised, bringing the ball-shaped shifter closer to the driver for a sportier feel.
Similar to Toyota, Mazda has long stated that the road to reducing carbon emissions in the future is multipronged, and not made from a single route. Therefore, the concept fittingly is capable of running on carbon-neutral fuel that the Mazda Mobile Carbon Capture tech produces from microalgae.
Are we actually taking a step closer to the revival of Mazda’s RX-line of models? Logic indicates that is unlikely, and the concept probably hints towards continued development of rotary powertrains as range extenders.
Nonetheless, pain does arouse us so we shall continue to bend over for Hiroshima’s rotary concepts.
