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.