Mazda Australia has confirmed an updated MX-5 sports car will be headed Down Under during the first quarter of 2024, detailing a number of technical upgrades and teasing the facelifted model’s new look.
UPDATE 5/10/2023, 2:15PM – Mazda Japan has revealed the 2024 MX-5 Roadster and RF in full. We have updated this article with the international press imagery and further detail as per the Japanese media release.
Touted as “the most exhilarating MX-5 driving experience yet”, the 2024 Mazda MX-5 is headlined by a new DSC-TRACK stability control mode for circuit driving, a newly developed Asymmetric Limited Slip Differential, and a new 8.8-inch Mazda Connect infotainment system that will also debut Mazda Connected Services in Australia.
The DSC-TRACK function is reserved for the GT RS flagship grade, and “affords maximum deference to the driver when operating the vehicle, interposing an over-steering restricting control only when in a hazardous spin that the driver is unable to control” – basically, the car will only apply any sort of assistance when it’s about to go pear-shaped.
Being reserved for the GT RS, the DSC-TRACK setting is a manual-only feature.
Meanwhile, the new Asymmetric LSD “stabilises vehicle turn-in behaviour by varying the limiting force of slip on the differential gear in response to vehicle acceleration and deceleration as the rear wheel vertical load changes”.
“A cam mechanism has been added to the conical clutch LSD which is lightweight, compact and highly durable,” the company adds.
“The cam angle is set differently for the deceleration side and acceleration side, thereby achieving optimal limiting force of slip during both processes.”
In non-technical terms, the new LSD increases stability when decelerating into a corner, where reduced wheel to ground load can cause instability, and helps to make the MX-5’s cornering smoother and more linear. Mazda says the improvements are realised both in normal daily driving scenarios as well as on a B-road or racetrack.
Manual-equipped MX-5 variants also benefit from a more responsive accelerator pedal, which the company says makes maintaining gaps from a leading vehicle easier to modulate and more natural in feeling. It also “translates to more dynamic control”.
The 135kW/205Nm 2.0-litre Skyactiv-G petrol engine is largely unchanged for the 2024 line-up, though Mazda said the motor’s sound is now drawn directly into the cabin from the engine “without raising the acoustic pressure any more than necessary” for a more “stirring” experience.
All models get retuned electric steering that has been modified “for more nimble and precise operability”, with reduced steering rack friction and “a more natural and fluid response”.
Inside, the 2024 Mazda MX-5 is the latest model in the line-up to move to the brand’s 8.8-inch Mazda Connect infotainment system.
Perhaps more significant is the confirmation of Connected Services functionality, which will “connect the vehicle to the emergency services to dispatch an ambulance in case of an accident and allow vehicle status to be checked via a smartphone app”.
The MX-5 will be the first model in Mazda’s local line-up to receive connected functionality, and while not confirmed for other model lines as yet we can logically expect it to filter throughout the line-up once it arrives in the first half of 2024.
Wireless Apple CarPlay is already offered with the existing MZD Connect interface, though expect wireless Android Auto to form part of the upgraded infotainment system as well.
Aesthetic changes include revised front and rear light units, scoring new LED signatures compared to the outgoing model. Mazda has also revealed the designs of the new 17-inch alloy wheels that will be available throughout the range.
The MX-5 RF GT with Black Roof will now be able to be optioned with tan leather for the first time, featuring double-stitched upholstery that covers the seats as well as the centre console.
A new exterior finish also joins the existing seven-strong colour palette – Aero Grey metallic, which is already available on the Mazda 2 and CX-3.
While the Japanese model has been upgraded to offer both adaptive cruise control and reversing AEB, Mazda Australia has confirmed Australia will not receive these features.
The updated Mazda MX-5 Roadster and RF will go on sale from the first quarter of 2024. As noted earlier, Mazda Connected Services will go online from sometime during the first half of next year.
The 2024 lineup has been slimmed down slightly, with prices up across the board.
Gone is the entry-level Roadster with automatic transmission, meaning the most affordable auto is now $49,990 before on-road costs – nearly $9000 more than the previous base auto.
Mazda has increased pricing of the remaining variants by around $2000-$2500. This is somewhat offset by the confirmed upgrades, however.
Stay tuned to CarExpert for our coverage of the new MX-5’s reveal in the coming weeks, and let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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Pricing
MX-5 Roadster
- Mazda MX-5 Roadster G20 6MT: $41,370
- Mazda MX-5 Roadster G20 GT 6MT: $48,490
- Mazda MX-5 Roadster G20 GT 6AT: $49,990
- Mazda MX-5 Roadster G20 GT RS 6MT: $51,490
MX-5 RF
- Mazda MX-5 RF G20 6MT: $46,100
- Mazda MX-5 RF G20 GT 6MT: $52,990
- Mazda MX-5 RF G20 GT 6AT: $54,490
- Mazda MX-5 RF G20 GT Black Roof and Tan leather 6AT: $55,510
- Mazda MX-5 RF G20 GT RS: $55,990
Prices exclude on-road costs
MORE: Everything Mazda MX-5