Wednesday 8th January 2020

MX-5 gets new GT Sport Tech trim for 2020

Mazda's featherweight icon gets more safety tech and an entry price rise to £23,795

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Mazda has bolstered its MX-5 line-up for 2020 with extra standard kit and a new GT Sport Tech variant, alongside a new higher starting price of £23,795. The two-seater retains its revvy 1.5 and 2.0-litre engines, while inheriting Mazda’s latest driver assist safety systems to help justify the bump in price, which equates to nearly two grand on last year’s opener.

Think of that raise more as a price correction, though, because a Mazda spokesperson told PH that this was the first significant change in list price since the ND generation launched back in 2015. And it’s true that the plucky little roadster has looked more and more like a steal thanks to its blend of authentic sports car handling and lack of genuine like-for-like rivals.

Even with the increase, the MX-5 still looks like a bargain – it undercuts fellow rear-drive Japanese sports car, the Toyota GT86, by £4k. Lack of rear seats aside, you get much more kit in the Mazda, too, with new standard features including accident-reducing auto brake tech, a lane departure warning system and rear cross traffic alert tech. There’s also traffic sign recognition and driver attention alert, while adaptive LED headlights and a reversing camera are standard on Sport Tech and the top GT Sport Tech trims.

Those two variants are available exclusively with the 2.0-litre four-cylinder motor, with the new-for-2020 trim marked out by 17-inch BBS alloy wheels and Burgundy Nappa leather seats inside. There’s a new metallic colour for the whole range called Grey Metallic, as well, pictured here, but no changes to the ND’s design. Most importantly, the MX-5’s near one-tonne kerbweight and underlying chassis setup remain as before, meaning no harm will have been done to the MX-5’s famed balance and adjustability.

While not quite enjoying the highs of the NC - which shifted around 10,000 units per year in the UK - the current model is still plugging along with around 3,500 deliveries last year. A smaller number, yes, but Mazda’s spokesperson told PH that it’s in line with brand expectations at a time of economic uncertainty. Two-seater sports cars, it turns out, are not high on the priority list for consumers with tightening purses. But for those taking the plunge, the 2020 updates ought to make the experience of MX-5 ownership even easier - if no cheaper.

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Search for a Mazda MX-5 here

[xu5]

The great thing about safety tech is that it really takes the thinking out of driving.

[WJNB]

xu5 said:

The great thing about safety tech is that it really takes the thinking out of driving.

The ideal purchase for the thick then.

[spikyone]

xu5 said:

The great thing about safety tech is that it really takes the thinking out of driving.

Absolutely. Reading that "extra equipment over the GT86" bit, as if those aids are something that driving enthusiasts are crying out for, is pretty depressing. Don't get me wrong, I like MX5s, but it's hardly going to get people rushing to the dealer if they weren't already interested in the MX5. I'd take a nearly-new one without that extra kit, and a trip to BBR...

[xu5]

spikyone said:

xu5 said:

The great thing about safety tech is that it really takes the thinking out of driving.

Absolutely. Reading that "extra equipment over the GT86" bit, as if those aids are something that driving enthusiasts are crying out for, is pretty depressing. Don't get me wrong, I like MX5s, but it's hardly going to get people rushing to the dealer if they weren't already interested in the MX5. I'd take a nearly-new one without that extra kit, and a trip to BBR...

Indeed, we had an ND1 1.5 and loved it. Being the mid range SEL spec it wasn't too heavy on safety features. Unfortunately it did not work for our household on the practical front so we no longer have it (really should up date my garage). An MX5 may be a "luxury" purchase again at some point but added safety features, particularly autonomous one's are hardly a selling point.

The whole attraction for me to the ND in the first place was the "added lightness, not added sh*te-ness" ethos.

Edited by xu5 on Wednesday 8th January 20:08

[Helicopter123]

Still a real bargain compared with the GT86 and A110.

Just a fantastic car for the money.

[Kawasicki]

The soft top has great proportions.

Well done Mazda.

[Niffty951]

You'll have to excuse my confusion but my 2019 car has every one of the features listed in the article above?

I mean, I'd happily have paid the same price to have them removed as you can't permanently turn the auto brake off like you can the speed sign recognition feature. It turns back on every time you start the car and annoys as it has a panic attack when you change lanes to avoid stopped traffic. Lane assist thankfully defaults to off as standard and the adaptive lights are nice but generally they're not features I value.

Edited by Niffty951 on Wednesday 8th January 22:05

[bennno]

We picked up a new 1.5 last summer, great car.

Much lower powered but if anything it’s a even better drive than my gt4.

It was 16k with discount and 0% ifc - at £23.7k it’s still a bit of a bargain, but nothing like it was last year

[Burgerbob]

Surely adding extra safety features is a positive update!?

I had a MK1 MX-5 as an every day car many years ago and yes I enjoyed my two years of ownership but when used in all weathers, in traffic, on motorways etc it can't be bad thing to be safe.

I now have a westie as a fun car and love the fact that it's just me, an engine and four wheels with no electronics. But it's not going to see heavy traffic in bad weather like many a MX-5 will.

[anonymous-user]

Niffty951 said:

You'll have to excuse my confusion but my 2019 car has every one of the features listed in the article above?

I mean, I'd happily have paid the same price to have them removed as you can't permanently turn the auto brake off like you can the speed sign recognition feature. It turns back on every time you start the car and annoys as it has a panic attack when you change lanes to avoid stopped traffic. Lane assist thankfully defaults to off as standard and the adaptive lights are nice but generally they're not features I value.

Edited by Niffty951 on Wednesday 8th January 22:05

Covered 5000 miles in my '19 and not set off the auto brake function once, or in any other car I've had with it, I always wonder what sort of last minute swerving people must be doing to complain about it going off regularly; it has stopped my fool of an ex wife from rear ending someone in her XC60 though, which is the point. The lane departure warning is a bit of an annoyance sometimes and doesn't add anything of vaue whatsoever, but it's easily ignored or turned off. Blind spot monitoring is a shrug from me, but it doesn't do any harm. Not sure why you'd take issue with it displaying the current speed limit in the instrument cluster?

All these features are zero weight software once you have a single camera up front and the rear parking sensors are used for the lane departure. I'm pretty sure city safe braking is to become mandatory soon anyway? In any case a couple of hundred grams for the camera is well worth it for the fantastic adaptive lights.

The basic 1.5 was fantastic value before this, especially with the chunky discounts dealers were giving, but there is still zero competition at this price point. I wanted the GT86 to be good but that engine is an absolute boat anchor and the styling is a little bit too teenage boy for my tastes.

Actual new features for 2019 are the burgundy leather replacing some other red-ish shade in the RF and sand in the top spec soft top, the gunmetal grey BBS wheels that are nicer than the previous dealer option black ones, and silver stitching in the cabin instead of red. So it's just trim changes, as you said all of these features were available on the top spec GT Sport Nav models in 2019.

The base model with no navigation, climate control, and a few other things is gone. The ceramic colour option and the metallic snowflake white are gone, which is a shame as the snowflake white was great. They also won't let you have the burgundy interior with the red exterior, presumably it looks so st as a combo they won't let you inflict it on the 2nd hand market

Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 8th January 23:16

[flukey5]

Great little car, but I'm glad we got the 30th anniversary edition (yes, the bright orange one).

Looks like Mazda have yet another shade of depressing grey for their 2020 lineup, which frankly doesn't belong on a small, fun sports car.

The extra safety tech isn't really that helpful and adds weight, it's more of a tick-box for safety tech than a real value add (The lane assist is especially annoying - go drive a B road and it'll be beeping the whole way)

Still, glad emissions regs haven't killed the zingy naturally aspirated engines in these yet.

[edo111s]

Unfortunately due to emissions regulations, there will be limited availability of the 2.0l engined version of the ND in 2020.

https://www.mx5oc.co.uk/forum/yaf_postst117300_Red...

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/mazda/mx-5/108701/ma...

[edo111s]

I'm so happy I bought a low-mileage 68-plate 184hp which I had lowered and added CarPlay ... done 10k miles now mostly smiling.

After 2 Elises, an E46 M3, a GT86 and a 160hp ND1,
I find the current 2.0L MX-5 really a great compromise between everyday usability and fun on the road.
On track, it's still good fun but of course shows limitations compared to less compromised machinery.

For the money, I can't see anything else on the market that appeals so much.

[365daytonafan]

edo111s said:

Unfortunately due to emissions regulations, there will be limited availability of the 2.0l engined version of the ND in 2020.

https://www.mx5oc.co.uk/forum/yaf_postst117300_Red...

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/mazda/mx-5/108701/ma...

Jalopnik just ran an article that European MX5's are getting a new trick alternator that gives a 5% efficiency gain, but no word of it in this article (or the one on EVO that presumably came from the same press release). Is it on the UK cars?

https://jalopnik.com/mazda-adds-a-high-tech-altern...

[BevR]

flukey5 said:

Great little car, but I'm glad we got the 30th anniversary edition (yes, the bright orange one).

Looks like Mazda have yet another shade of depressing grey for their 2020 lineup, which frankly doesn't belong on a small, fun sports car.

The extra safety tech isn't really that helpful and adds weight, it's more of a tick-box for safety tech than a real value add (The lane assist is especially annoying - go drive a B road and it'll be beeping the whole way)

Still, glad emissions regs haven't killed the zingy naturally aspirated engines in these yet.

I adore the looks of the 30th anniversary edition and considered getting one to replace my S2000, just seemed daft when I only do 1500-2000 miles a year. I went to look at one and though the seats were brilliant, everything just felt right- snug but not uncomfortably so.

I was quite chuffed to see there were a few RF's still for sale with a small discount but after the election result I am saving until we see how science funding pans out when we leave the EU (quite a few people being laid off as grants are not being renewed around Oxford).

[anonymous-user]

365daytonafan said:

Jalopnik just ran an article that European MX5's are getting a new trick alternator that gives a 5% efficiency gain, but no word of it in this article (or the one on EVO that presumably came from the same press release). Is it on the UK cars?

https://jalopnik.com/mazda-adds-a-high-tech-altern...

The 2.0 has had this "i-eloop" system for a while, possibly since 2015 IIRC, but they are now inflicting it on the 1.5. It uses the alternator on overrun to put some charge in a capacitor so it can use this when you're back under power and ever so slightly reduce the load on te engine. I can't imagine it achieves much in the real world, but must be worth it on the economy test cycles.

It requires a bit chunky capacitor, a DC-DC converter, and a fair bit of wiring. I can't imagine the "gram strategy" chaps were happy about it. All this stuff, let alone the exhaust aftertreatment kit in diesels, makes it pretty clear that internal combustion is fighting a rearguard action at this point.

[RazerSauber]

stickleback123 said:

The 2.0 has had this "i-eloop" system for a while, possibly since 2015 IIRC, but they are now inflicting it on the 1.5. It uses the alternator on overrun to put some charge in a capacitor so it can use this when you're back under power and ever so slightly reduce the load on te engine. I can't imagine it achieves much in the real world, but must be worth it on the economy test cycles.

It requires a bit chunky capacitor, a DC-DC converter, and a fair bit of wiring. I can't imagine the "gram strategy" chaps were happy about it. All this stuff, let alone the exhaust aftertreatment kit in diesels, makes it pretty clear that internal combustion is fighting a rearguard action at this point.

I must admit, I have the i-eloop system in my Mazda 6 and I don't notice it working unless I look at the i-eloop panel on the dash. It was always a game to keep it charged but I ended up just looking at average MPG because it was distracting in the end!

[nickfrog]

Helicopter123 said:

Still a real bargain compared with the GT86 and A110.

Just a fantastic car for the money.

Agreed although comparing it to the Alpine is not exactly relevant and actually highlights how well priced the A110 is for what you get.

[V8 FOU]

Featherweight? 1200kg.....
No auto option?

[anonymous-user]

V8 FOU said:

Featherweight? 1200kg.....
No auto option?

2020 brochure says 1,106KG for a 1.5 and 1,127KG for a 2.0 with a 75KG driver, so the cars weigh 1,031KG and 1,052KG.

You can get an auto in the RF if you're into that sort of thing.

A110 is a fantastic thing but the entry level model costs literally twice as much as an entry level MX5 (and weighs 1100KG).

No matter ,if someone is criticising a sportscar (that costs less than a shopping hatchback with the boost turned up) by making up weight, and for not having an automatic gearbox () then I'm sure it's also no good because the wheels are not round enough and it doesn't have air suspension and all wheel drive.

I cannot think of any sensible criticism for the car give it's remit, price, and regulatory environment.

Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 9th January 15:20