Mazda MX-5 Gets More Power For 2019, Starts At £18,995

Mazda’s MX-5 convertible sports car is getting more power and extra cabin comfort as part of its 2019 update.

Unusually, the two-seat roadster’s external appearance will not change, but the cabin will be modified slightly with the addition of telescopic steering wheel adjustment and improved seat adjustment.

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The majority of changes will be found under the skin, where the headline upgrade is a power increase. The entry-level 1.5-litre engine gets a modest increase of 1 bhp (up to 130 bhp) and 2 Nm of torque, but the top-of-the-range 2-litre unit has seen more comprehensive updates.

Thanks to a substantial redesign, the new 2-litre engine will now produce 182 bhp – 24 more than its predecessor.

As a result, the most powerful MX-5 has cut its 0-62 mph time by almost a second, now managing the benchmark sprint in 6.5 seconds. The RF versions, which are weighed down by their folding metal targa roof, manage smaller gains of around half a second. Fitted with the manual gearbox, the 2-litre RF is will be capable of a 6.7-second 0-62 mph dash.

This increase in performance is accentuated with a change in exhaust note. Mazda has tuned the silencer to provide a “cleaner and more powerful” sound.

And, thanks largely to the introduction of Mazda’s clever kinetic energy-harvesting stop-start system, the new 182 bhp engine produces less CO2 than the old 158 bhp unit.

New safety assistance technology will feature, too, with the top-spec MX-5s inheriting autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning and blind-spot monitoring systems.

Prices for the 2019 MX-5 will start at £18,995 for the soft-top and £22,595 for the RF version, with trim levels ranging from entry-level SE+ to the new top-of-the-line GT Sport Nav+ trim, which gets a reversing camera as standard.

Jeremy Thomson, MD of Mazda UK, said: “When it comes to driver engagement, the current-generation MX-5 has already established itself as a benchmark sports car, so with extra power, improved performance and a sweeter exhaust note, the 2019 MX-5 will be more exciting and satisfying to drive than ever before. And with telescopic steering adjustment now standard across all models, we’ve made sure driver comfort is also enhanced.”

2019 Mazda MX-5 pricing