Mazda MX-5 heads upmarket

Mazda Australia has released an upgraded version of the world’s top-selling roadster wielding a more aggressive look and minor technical and interior tweaks. But incremental price hikes and the axing of the soft-top version make it the most expensive MX-5 ever.

The 2012 MX-5 line-up is now available priced from $47,280 plus on-road costs for the Roadster Coupe manual. This is $80 more than before but almost $3000 up on the now-discontinued MX-5 soft-top, which was last sold here at $44,265 and continues to be available in facelifted form in Japan.

Mazda says the MX-5 remains Australia’s only affordable two-seat roadster, but the latest model costs at least $18,000 more than the ground-breaking original launched Down Under 23 years ago in October 1989. It was priced from $29,550.

A similar price disparity now exists between the MX-5 (in the absence of the out-of-production RX-8 Mazda’s only sportscar) and newer, cheaper sporties including Toyota’s rear-drive boxer coupe (from $29,990) and Hyundai’s front-drive Veloster coupe (from $23,990).

So far this year both compact four-seaters have outsold the evergreen MX-5, sales of which are down almost 63 per cent to September this year with just 99 customers. This compares to almost 3000 for Australia’s now-dominant mainstream sportscar, Hyundai's Veloster, and 1150 for the MX-5’s closest rival in terms of its rear-drive layout, the 86 (in just four months on sale).

However, Mazda points out the MX-5, which competes against just two other two-seat convertibles in the sub-$80,000 sportscar segment - the Nissan 370Z Roadster and MINI Roadster - has attracted 52 per cent of all two-seat convertible buyers in Australia since 2000.

As we revealed last week, the soft-top accounted for less than five per cent of MX-5 sales and disappeared from official Mazda price lists last December, with only a handful remaining available in dealer stock.

Mazda Australia National Marketing Manager Alastair Doak said the higher MX-5 entry price was a fact of life due to the discontinuation of the soft-top, “which nobody bought anyway”.

"Basically we stopped importing the soft-top because there was zero demand for it. The funtionality of the hard-top is something people are looking for, as well as extra security and convenience of its power operation."

The top-shelf Roadster Coupe Sports is now priced a whisker under $50,000 and an automatic transmission costs $2125 extra in both grades, bringing the range-topping MX-5 Roadster Coupe Sports automatic to $52,010.

Mazda says it was surprised at the overwhelming skew in sales towards the Roadster Coupe, which it points out retains the silhouette of the old soft-top but adds the convenience, security and refinement of a power-operated folding hard-top that converts the car from roadster to coupe at the push of a button in just 12 seconds.

Also, the Roadster Coupe’s full automatic roof weighs just 37kg and consumes no extra luggage space, maintaining the same 150-litre boot and perfect 50/50 front/rear weight distribution as the soft-top, which comprises 40 per cent of MX-5 sales globally.

Although the original MX-5 was also available with a removable hard-top roof, the first power-retractable hard-top version (based on the bigger, stronger, safer and only 4kg heavier third generation launched a year earlier) was released in Australia in September 2006. A facelifted version of both variants was released here in March 2009.

The second-generation MX-5 was launched in April 1998 and total production reached 921,172 units in May 2012 – including more than 16,000 in Australia – earning it a place in the Guinness World Records as the world’s best selling two-seater sportscar.

The second facelift for the seven-year-old, third-generation MX-5 (effectively the NC Series III) was revealed in August in Japan and made its Australian debut in Sydney last week.

Adding more visual aggression, and bringing the car into line with its CX-5 and Mazda6 stablemates, is a slightly (47mm) longer new front bumper with a larger air intake that now incorporates the number plate, reworked foglight bezels and more pronounced chin spoiler. Inside, a glossy dark grey (instead of matte dark silver) dashboard panel aims to lift cabin quality, along with a redesigned instrument binnacle, dark metallic-faced meters and, for Japan's domestic-market soft-top, a new fabric hood colour.

A new Dolphin Grey Mica paint colour replaces Metropolitan Grey Mica (in addition to white, red, black, blue and silver), while a new gunmetal finish for the headlight bezels and 17-inch alloy wheels rounds out the cosmetic updates.

Mazda says there’s also sharper throttle response for manual transmission models, a recalibrated braking system that’s easier to modulate and minor weight-saving measures in the wiring harness and front bumper, which together save precisely 804 grams.

However, there are no changes to the MX-5’s 118kW/188Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, which remains available with six-speed manual and paddle-shift automatic transmissions – both of which continue to consume 8.1L/100km of fuel on the official combined cycle.

All MX-5s also continue to come standard with electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, twin front and side airbags, seatbelts with load-limiters and pretensioners, remote central locking and, for manual models, a limited-slip differential.

Also standard across the MX-5 range is 17-inch alloy wheels, leather-trimmed seats, leather-clad multi-function steering wheel and handbrake lever, drilled aluminium pedals, air-conditioning, cruise control, power windows/mirrors, a tilt-adjustable steering wheel, height-adjustable driver’s seat, a 200-Watt seven-speaker Bose sound system with six-CD stacker and 3.5mm AUX input.

As with all Mazda models, metallic and mica paint remain a no-cost option, but the MX-5 continues to be unavailable with factory USB or Bluetooth phone/audio connectivity.

In addition, Roadster Coupe Sports models continue to add Recaro sports bucket seats with Alcantara/leather trim and (still 17-inch) BBS alloy wheels.

The upgraded MX-5 will make way for a lighter, more efficient, SKYACTIV-based fourth-generation model in about two years. That car will share its platform with Alfa Romeo's next-generation Spider under a recently-announced collaboration.

2012 MX-5 pricing (plus on-road costs):
MX-5 Roadster Coupe manual - $47,280
MX-5 Roadster Coupe auto - $49,405
MX-5 Roadster Coupe Sports manual - $49,885
MX-5 Roadster Coupe Sports auto - $52,010

Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site…