The 2024 Mazda MX-5 gets tweaked dynamics, Recaro seats and a £28,000 price tag
Mazda has updated its evergreen roadster for 2024, with the goal of improving feel, drivability and in-car connectivity
The Mazda MX-5 has an unbreakable grip on the small sports car market – rivals have come and gone, but none have made a dent in its number one spot in the sales charts. This is despite the fact that the current ND version has been on sale for almost a decade, in which time Mazda has applied numerous incremental updates to the model. This year brings another round of changes, this time aimed at refining the MX-5’s driving dynamics and in-car tech.
As before, the MX-5 range is split across Prime-Line, Exclusive-Line and Homura models, with the choice of a soft-top or folding hard-top RF version. Order books are open now with prices starting at £28,000, or £29,900 for the RF.
The MX-5’s pert, sharply surfaced design has barely changed, save for redesigned front and rear LED light units and a new Aero Grey paint colour. Instead, Mazda has focused its efforts on making the MX-5 more intuitive and playful to drive, with detail changes to its drivetrain and chassis.
Manual 2-litre MX-5s receive a new asymmetric limited-slip differential, which has been tuned for optimum lock-up characteristics on-throttle and under coast. In particular, the new hardware enables a more stable attitude on the way into the corner thanks to a stronger locking effect in this phase.
Exclusive-Line and Homura models get a more lenient DSC track mode to take advantage of this, while all MX-5s receive a revised throttle map for more linear, sharper engine response. The steering, meanwhile, gains a new power steering calibration that reduces friction in the rack – something that robs the system of a natural, fluid feel in the outgoing car.
The existing pair of naturally-aspirated four-cylinder petrol engines are carried over unchanged for 2024, with the 1.5-litre unit generating 130bhp and the larger 2-litre boosting this to 181bhp. The latter comes equipped with a strut brace, the aforementioned limited-slip differential and Bilstein dampers as standard.
Inside, the MX-5’s ageing 7-inch infotainment touchscreen has been swapped out for a larger 8.8-inch unit running Mazda’s newest software, which sits next to an updated instrument panel. Extra USB-C ports and a frameless rear view mirror are also thrown in, with the Homura now gaining Recaro seats trimmed in leather and Alcantara.
The 2024 MX-5 is available to order now, with first deliveries scheduled for March.
