The 2-litre Mazda MX-5 has officially been axed in the UK, for good this time
As emissions regulations close in, Mazda has announced the discontinuation of one of our favourite current sports cars on sale: the 2-litre MX-5
The Mazda MX-5 came tantalisingly close to winning our evo Car of the Year test overall in 2024, coming joint second with the £200k McLaren Artura Spider despite its modest c£30k price tag. It’s one of the best sports cars on sale today, and its 2-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder is an important part of the package. Not for much longer, though, as Mazda has officially announced it has axed the engine as part of a lineup overhaul.
A Mazda spokesperson revealed that while the firm had been able to extend the sales period of the 2-litre engine beyond the original 2024 end date, the time has come for it to be pulled from the UK market for good. If you’re quick enough you might be lucky enough to find one in existing stock, as Mazda has ‘sufficient stock of 2.0-litre models to meet anticipated customer demand until around January 2027’, but new cars from the factory are no longer available.
> Mazda MX-5 review – the last surviving affordable sports car
That leaves the 129bhp 1.5-litre four-cylinder as the sole engine option for UK buyers, a significant downgrade on output over the 181bhp of the 2-litre. It’s not all bad news though, as the 1.5-litre car is actually 22kg lighter overall, and far from a bad engine objectively. Our time with the two engines proves that while the 2-litre indeed offers more performance, the 1.5-litre revs more cleanly and comes with a more enjoyable soundtrack too.
Mazda said: ‘The 1.5-litre engine remains at the heart of the MX-5. The current-generation MX-5 was originally developed around this engine, with its lightweight, responsive and accessible performance perfectly reflecting Jinba Ittai. The continuation of the 1.5-litre ensures customers can continue to enjoy the lightweight, engaging and fun to drive experience that has defined the Mazda MX-5 for more than 35 years and continues to win awards as one of the best driving cars on the road today.’
Whether or not the MX-5 will receive additional tweaks in-line with this drastic change is yet to be seen.
