Photo: Florin Profir
Mazda's beloved Miata, also known as the MX-5, will continue its career as a roadster with a gasoline engine. The news is big, as the Japanese model was expected to become all-electric once the ND generation is replaced.
The next-generation MX-5 will reportedly be built around the SkyActiv-X engine, which means it will not be an EV, a PHEV, or even a hybrid. Expect micro-hybrid tech inside, which involves things like Stop-Start systems, variable oil pumps, and other elements like those.
It will be interesting to see the SkyActiv-X engine in the MX-5, as the unit is different in operation from the SkyActiv-G ones, but Mazda's engineers have plenty of time to tinker with it. It is worth noting that the SkyActiv-X unit already comes with about 30 percent more torque than the top-of-the-line SkyActiv-G engine in the MX-5 range.
Moreover, the SkyActiv-X is not offered in a lower displacement variant, as is the case with the SkyActiv-G, which can be had in a 1.5-liter guise on the MX-5. With that aspect, Mazda will likely have to hike the price of the entry-level Miata. That is a worry-inducing thought, as the MX-5 is the most affordable roadster that money can buy.
The good news is that the MX-5/Miata is here to stay and we will get to see it in production for several years after its introduction. It is unclear when Mazda will launch the next-generation Miata on the market, but the Brits at Autocar estimate that it will happen in 2024.
That means that the Japanese marque will offer it for sale in all European markets until the stop-sale order is introduced on new combustion-engined vehicles.
With that, it is a relief for many that the Mazda MX-5/Miata NE, the latter suffix being the internal codename for the fifth-generation roadster from the Japanese marque, will continue the tradition started in 1989 and will feature a gasoline-powered engine in a lightweight package.
Mazda's commitment to the Miata and its internal combustion powerplant has been confirmed by company officials in a discussion with the Brits.
Mind you, just because the NE generation of the Miata/MX-5 will continue to be offered with a gasoline engine, it does not mean that the roadster will never be turned into an EV. That aspect would happen at a later date, hopefully when battery technology will reach a level that will also offer a reduced weight along with sufficient capacity.
It will be interesting to see the SkyActiv-X engine in the MX-5, as the unit is different in operation from the SkyActiv-G ones, but Mazda's engineers have plenty of time to tinker with it. It is worth noting that the SkyActiv-X unit already comes with about 30 percent more torque than the top-of-the-line SkyActiv-G engine in the MX-5 range.
Moreover, the SkyActiv-X is not offered in a lower displacement variant, as is the case with the SkyActiv-G, which can be had in a 1.5-liter guise on the MX-5. With that aspect, Mazda will likely have to hike the price of the entry-level Miata. That is a worry-inducing thought, as the MX-5 is the most affordable roadster that money can buy.
The good news is that the MX-5/Miata is here to stay and we will get to see it in production for several years after its introduction. It is unclear when Mazda will launch the next-generation Miata on the market, but the Brits at Autocar estimate that it will happen in 2024.
That means that the Japanese marque will offer it for sale in all European markets until the stop-sale order is introduced on new combustion-engined vehicles.
With that, it is a relief for many that the Mazda MX-5/Miata NE, the latter suffix being the internal codename for the fifth-generation roadster from the Japanese marque, will continue the tradition started in 1989 and will feature a gasoline-powered engine in a lightweight package.
Mazda's commitment to the Miata and its internal combustion powerplant has been confirmed by company officials in a discussion with the Brits.
Mind you, just because the NE generation of the Miata/MX-5 will continue to be offered with a gasoline engine, it does not mean that the roadster will never be turned into an EV. That aspect would happen at a later date, hopefully when battery technology will reach a level that will also offer a reduced weight along with sufficient capacity.
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