Mazda confirms the US-spec 2016 MX-5 Miata will use an "ultra-high-compression" 2.0-liter I-4.
When Mazda staged its global preview of the fourth-generation MX-5 Miata last summer it left plenty of questions unanswered. As the roadster gets readied for its first public showing at this week’s Los Angeles Motor Show, the Japanese maker is finally filling in some – but not all – of the missing details.
Among other things, it says the new 2016 Miata’s SkyActiv design makes it not just lighter, but also shorter and narrower than the model it replaces. And U.S. buyers will be getting a 2.0-liter inline-four. But we’re still going to have to wait until closer to the MX-5’s launch date, it seems, to find out such necessary details as horsepower and torque.
Buyers in other markets will also have the option of a smaller 1.5-liter I-4 engine. The U.S.-spec car will be offered with a 6-speed SkyActiv manual gearbox, Mazda also revealed.
Why not reveal more details? With the new Miata nearly a year away from showrooms, it’s likely there’s a lot of final development work underway. And Mazda knows what happens when it over-promises and under-delivers – as happened when it released earlier horsepower numbers for the old RX-8 that were higher than proved accurate. That was not only embarrassing but costly as the maker had to give cash settlements for those early owners.
(2015 Chrysler 300 makes its LA Auto Show Debut. Click Here for more.)
Mazda attacked all aspects of development to trim the weight of the 2016 MX-5 Miata.
One has to expect that the 2016 Miata will deliver at least the 167 hp and 140 lb-ft of torque of the old roadster’s 2.0-liter engine. While the displacement remains the same, there’s nothing else in common. The new powerplant was developed using the new SkyActiv system, and during a presentation the night before the official LA Auto Show unveiling, Mazda noted the new, naturally aspirated 2.0-liter engine features “ultra-high compression.”
It’s thought to be a more sporty variation of the 2.0-liter SkyActiv engine in the latest Mazda3.
(Click Here for a first look at the 450-hp Cadillac ATS-V.)
While often thought to refer to just powertrain technology, Mazda’s SkyActiv is actually a comprehensive system covering all aspects of vehicle development, down to the design – and mass – of tire lug nuts. Mazda had previously noted this approach contributed to shaving 220 pounds off the weight of the new MX-5 Miata.
The new MX-5 will feature LED headlights, foglights and taillamps.
But it will also help that the 2016 model is 3.2-inches shorter, at 154.1 inches, and an inch narrower than the outgoing roadster, the maker revealed on Tuesday evening. Its wheelbase, meanwhile, measure 0.6-inchs shorter, at 91.1 inches.
Mazda had previously revealed it has revised the old car’s front double-wishbone and rear multilink suspensions. The chassis is also stiffer, which the maker suggests will improve handling.
(New Golf R wagon makes its LA Debut. Click Here for a closer look.)
The design of the new car is based on Mazda’s latest design language, known as Kodo. The traditional slab sides and flat hood now are more sculptural the maker explains. It’s also more aggressive looking. The new MX-5 will meanwhile adopt LED head, tail and fog lamps.
We’re hoping to get more dribbles of information at the actual Mazda LA Auto Show news conference this week.