Mazda has launched a mildly updated version of the MX-5 for 2022, which is designed to keep the small sports car competitive with fresher alternatives such as the new Toyota GR86.
It’s available to order now, with prices starting from £24,755 for the soft-top convertible variant and £26,665 for the Mazda MX-5 RF, which is equipped with a retractable hardtop.
Mazda’s biggest update for the MX-5 is the addition of its Kinetic Posture Control (KPC) chassis control system. Basically, it’s a stability control system that applies a bit of braking pressure to the inside or unloaded rear wheel when cornering hard.
The company says this helps to settle the car’s chassis and pull the body into the tarmac, shrugging off a bit of body roll in the process. Mazda also says the system can do all of that “so subtly that the MX-5’s engaging handling remains unpolluted”.
Buyers are also offered a new Platinum Quartz Metallic paint finish. Other than these minor tweaks, though, the updated MX-5 is near-enough identical to the previous model.
The same four-cylinder petrol engines have also been carried forward in the same state of tune. The cheapest option is a 1.5-litre unit with 130bhp and 152Nm of torque, while the range-topping variant gets a 2.0-litre unit which develops 181bhp and 205Nm of torque.
Both engines send drive to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox, although the more powerful unit can be optionally equipped with an automatic transmission when fitted to the targa-topped Mazda MX-5 RF.
The most powerful engine, when bolted to the standard soft-top convertible body style, can cover the 0–62mph sprint in 6.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 136mph. The entry-level variant is a little slower, with a 0–62mph time of 8.3 seconds and a top speed of 127mph.