The
Mazda MX-5 Miata (sold as the Roadster in Japan) will receive a number of
updates as it enters its 31st year of production. Previewed at the Tokyo Motor Show last
month, the 2020MY Mazda Roadster is available to order in its home market from
December 5 and will go on sale in other markets in early 2020. So far, it was
confirmed for Australia but there’s no official information regarding U.S. and
European availability.
One
of the main updates is the introduction of the new Polymetal Grey Metallic
exterior paint, first seen on the all-new Mazda3 hatch earlier this year. This
new color is said to fuse the hard appearance of metal with the characteristic
glossy smoothness of plastic, highlighting the MX-5 body’s flowing form.
In
Japan, the Mazda Roadster also gains an optional Silver Top specification which
includes a grey soft top, body-color mirror caps and 16-inch aluminum wheels in
a bright glossy finish. If
those are too shiny for your taste, Mazda has also introduced new 16-inch forged
aluminum wheels developed with Rays. These rims bring the weight down by around
3 kg, thus reducing unsprung weight for improved driving dynamics.
Customers who select the new Rays wheels can also specify the optional Brembo
front brakes.
Inside,
the 2020 MX-5 brings revisions to interior materials, with RF hardtop models
gaining Burgundy Nappa leather combined with light grey stitching for a more
luxurious ambience. The automaker has made changes to both Tan and Black
optional leather upholsteries, adding perforations that improve comfort and
contribute to a sportier appearance, as well as stainless steel scuff plates.
In
addition to these upgrades, all model grades adopt a new-look key fob and Mazda
badging, plus a night pedestrian detection function for the Advanced Smart City
Brake Support (Advanced SCBS) system. Nothing
changes under the hood, with the updated MX-5 offering a choice of SkyActiv-G
1.5 or SkyActiv-G 2.0 four-cylinder gasoline engines mated to six-speed manual
or automatic transmissions.
