After several rounds of agonizing teasing that ended with rather disappointing engine output numbers, the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata finally begins its journey down the production line. The new roadster->ke1418 is set to hit its home market in June 2015, and it’ll arrive in Europe in the fall. There is no release date for the U.S. yet, but I believe we’ll see it arrive shortly after Europe gets it.
What’s more, starting on March 20, 2015, buyers in Japan can begin presale discussions for the MX-5->ke1185 here. This should give you a head start on the crowds of buyers that will likely storm Mazda dealers once the roadster hits showroom floors.
Unfortunately, I find it hard to get excited over the release of the new MX-5, as not only are the looks only so-so – I thought they would grow on me, but they never did – but the powertrain is downright upsetting. After all of the teasing Mazda did, it released the 2016 MX-5 with a 2.0-liter Skyactiv- G engine that produces just 155 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque. That’s the same horsepower number as the base Mazda3->ke504 and 2 pound-feet less torque than the 3. Those are not sports car numbers no matter how you slice it, sorry…
Continue reading to learn more about the Mazda MX-5.
Why it matters
Regardless of its power numbers, the MX-5 will continue to sell very well, so its release is huge news after all the waiting. However, I am still curious as to whether or not the MX-5 will see huge sales spikes when it first hits dealers. I have a feeling that we won’t see the big spike that typically accompanies redesigned models, as some enthusiasts – myself included – were annoyed enough by the cat-and-mouse game Mazda played with the new MX-5, and a good portion of that crowd was upset over the fact that that the big secret was that it received a detuned Mazda3 engine.
Mazda can play with words all it wants by claiming a huge weight loss, but the fact of the matter is that the brand’s base grocery-getter is more powerful than its sports car… Yeah, something is definitely wrong with this picture…