FIVE STARS (some text hidden) SECTIONED_new_mazdamx5_2023

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 136

BY JONATHAN CROUCH The concept of a lightweight, affordable roadster seems as relevant today as it's ever been, Mazda's fourth generation MX-5, first launched in 2015, was a perfect example of what could be achieved with clear objectives, single-minded purpose and a bit of engineering passion. Though the size of this market segment has shrunk in recent times, this model proved good enough to reawaken the interest of enthusiasts and prize them away from hot hatches and performance coupes into a purer form of sportscar motoring. In the used market, if you can stretch the budget, it's worth trying for a version produced from Model Year 2023 onwards, which was the point where this car gained Mazda's clever 'Kinematic Posture Control' system. It's the 2023-2024-era versions of this MK ND-series model that we look at here.

Modelsword count: 5

2-door roadster [1.5, 2.0 petrol]

Historyword count: 171

There's nothing quite like a Mazda MX-5. Few cars on sale today can rival its legacy which stretches back to cover more than a quarter of a century of pure roadster motoring. So what of this, the fourth generation ND-series version? In both soft top roadster form and in metal-folding-roof 'RF' guise, it's a car that Mazda claims you'll be able to really connect with. And it's a car the brand continually evolved, following this MK4 model's original 2015 launch. 2018 saw an engineering upgrade to the bigger of the two engines on offer, the 2.0-litre Skyactiv-G unit, which got a power hike from 160 to 184hp. Then in 2023, the brand introduced a kind of torque vectoring system, christened 'Kinematic Posture Control', aimed at stabilising the car through corners and reducing body roll. It's that improved 2023 Model Year car we look at here, which sustained this ND-series design until more far-reaching updates arrived in 2024. Here, we'll look at 2023 to 2024-era MX-5 models for the used car buyer.

What You Getword count: 381

Shorter, lower and wider than its MK3 predecessor, this ND-series MK4 design was the most compact MX-5 ever made. For us, it was also the best-looking example of the breed so far, with perfectly balanced proportions and beautiful detailing that conveys motion, even at a standstill. The emotive shape has more aggression in 'ND'-series form - and a greater sense of energy too - but you'd always recognise it as an MX-5, the design still true to the classic roadster principles of a long bonnet, a rear-set cabin and a short tail. An alternative RF body style with a folding metal roof was also available. Behind the wheel, the challenge was to keep the MX-5's traditional ergonomic simplicity but match it to modern levels of quality, equipment, refinement and comfort. Does it all work? Broadly yes, though folk over-familiar with the offerings of Colonel Sanders will find that the compact dimensions take a bit of getting used to as they adjust to the close proximity of the centre console, the door trim and the sides of the narrow footwell. Mazda claimed there was more kneeroom with this MK4 model - plus there's a bit of extra headroom when the roof's up too - but despite that, larger folk might still like to consider their own dietary plans and all will find the pedal box particularly tight, so much so that, rather annoyingly, it doesn't provide anywhere for your clutch foot to rest on longer journeys. This irritation apart though, there's not much to criticise here, provided you can fit in in the first place. You quickly get the whole Mazda 'Jinba Ittai' 'driver-and-car-as-one' thing - the way the driving position has been created to make you feel a part of this MX-5. We also like the flourishes of aluminium used on the air vents and door handles - and the way that the exterior body colour flows elegantly over the door on plusher models like this one. Move out back and on the face of things, trunk capacity looks to have been a casualty of Mazda's move to down-size this car, having fallen by 20-litres to just 130-litres in this MK4 model. The Japanese designers though, beg to differ, claiming that to compensate, this area has been redesigned for greater usability.

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