Yesterday saw the European launch of the new Mazda MX-5 in Barcelona. We’ve heard a lot about this car since it was first revealed nearly a year ago and various pre-production launches have occurred. However, yesterday’s launch is the final product, and we can expect it to land on Irish shores sometime during September.
The truth is that some of you may have spied the MX-5 in Ireland already, it’s been visiting some of Mazda’s dealer network. If you are one of those who have glimpsed the MX-5, you may have noticed that while this car has been completely overhauled, it still holds onto some styling cues of 25 years ago - when the first MX-5 was launched.
With the new MX-5 Mazda are not only paying homage to the first edition - they are learning from it too. They asked owners of the first model what it was that attracted them to the car and what it was that they liked most about it. The answer they got was that the compactness was the main draw. With this information Mazda made the newer model even more compact –but with KODO design they managed to add some flowing lines to the sides, to the front, and to the short rear of the MX-5.
Customers
Since its introduction in 1989, just under 1,000,000 MX-5s have been sold worldwide. When it was first released it reminded many of the MGB. In competition with the likes of the Alfa Romeo Spider, the Porsche Boxster, the Mercedes SLK and the Audi TT, the MX-5 held its own and became the best-selling Roadster.
Sales of the MX-5 have never been what you would call massive in Ireland. During the boom the highest sales would have been 100 units per year, whereas recently that figure had dipped to 2 or 3 per annum. With the market in a bit of an upturn at the moment, Mazda reckons that they may shift 50 over the next 12 months. Worldwide, the manufacturer envisages sales of circa 30,000.
The MX-5 is not the most practical of cars, but anyone who has ever seen one will know that this car isn’t about that. It’s what those with more money than me would call a “weekend car”. Customers will vary between the young driver with money in their pocket and no children - or older people whose children no longer need to be driven around by Mammy and Daddy.
These customers already know that they won’t get much more than two small suitcases into the tiny boot, and they won’t mind. They’ll be too busy praying for good weather so they can put the roof down and enjoy this €27,995 Roadster to the maximum.
Now, that €27,995 is not a bad price point for this car, especially when you think of its not-so-many competitors. It’s more affordable than an Audi TT Roadster, and even though the TT Roadster gives an extra 50hp with their 1.8 TFSI engine, you will pay a premium of over €46,000 for it.
Drive
For the moment the MX-5 will only be available with a 1.5l SKYACTIV-G petrol engine offering 130hp, but it uses those horses very well. It grips the road sturdily and the 6-speed manual gearbox is a treat too.
Another nice touch is the drive position. Occupants are now closer to the centre of the car than the outgoing model, and the seating position has been lowered by 20mm. It makes you feel closer to the road. Visibility of the road from inside the vehicle is surprisingly good too.
In total I managed to drive about 70km in this car, and things look good so far – maybe the steering was a little light. But as this was just a preview, I’ll reserve full judgement in this department until I get a full test drive of the vehicle.
Fuel Economy
Potential buyers of the MX-5 probably won’t be too interested in fuel economy, but it’s important to note that this car, which measures in at just below 4 metres, has an on-paper fuel economy of 6.1l/100km. The reason why it is important to mention fuel economy is because this particular two-seater is the most fuel efficient MX-5 yet. This efficiency is because the car is now lighter and shorter, and designers have worked hard to rid it of any unnecessary fat - for example, where once there would have been five nuts, there is now only four on the newly designed wheels.
The car also burns less CO2 emissions than the outgoing model and it falls into category B2. It burns 139g/CO2 per km and at the current tax rates an owner will be paying €280 per annum. This is a big drop on the outgoing version – which fell under category F (€1,200 per annum to tax).
Trims & Prices
Mazda Ireland has opted to keep it simple with this car, and the Irish market will only see two grades – the 1.5 SKYACTIV-G Roadster and the 1.5 SKYACTIV-G Roadster GT. Seven colour choices will be available with this soft top version. Rumours are floating around that the hard top version (which will hopefully arrive in the next twelve months) will offer a 2.0litre engine – but at the moment that’s just a rumour. All MX-5s will feature alloy wheels and a six-speed manual gearbox.
Usually at this point when I write about Mazda I give out about price. For once, I’m not going to do that. This time I think it’s fair to say that they got it pretty-much spot on. This is a lot of small-car for €27,995 (this price doesn’t include delivery charges). Standard features of the MX-5 Roadster include Bluetooth, MZD Connect, LED lights, cruise control, 7” touch-screen display and USB connectivity. If you opt for the GT, which costs €29,995, you can also expect to find a BOSE sound system, parking sensors, heated seats, Lane departure warning and “Smart Keyless Entry”.
Summation
I don’t think that we’re going to wake up tomorrow morning and all of a sudden find Mazda MX-5s all over Ireland. I do believe there is a small market for this car though. It’s a flash-looking machine and it is great fun to drive. If you’re looking for practicality you should go somewhere else – but if your looking for a fun two-seater, then this might be worth a look.
