2018 Mazda MX-5 receives updated features, pricing

The Mazda MX-5 has received a mild update to keep it up to date in the 2018 market.

Adding more safety features, adjusting the handling, and improving every-day driving were the focuses of the update, though slightly higher pricing has followed as a side-effect.

The ND MX-5 now features ‘NVH improvements’ to reduce noise in the cabin, with more sound insulation found in the transmission tunnel and rear-wheel housing.

Lane departure warning and adaptive headlights are added to improve the roadster’s safety and keep it ahead of it already five-star ANCAP rating.

The rear suspension has also been adjusted according to “knowledge gleaned from the RF's development.”

Mazda lowered the soft-top's rear suspension's upper link bushings, as well as lengthening the rear bump-stops so that they’ll be reached earlier.

Mazda’s latest colour, Soul Red Crystal Metallic, is also now available on MX-5s, while Machine Grey Metallic is now available on soft-tops.

Pricing for the MX-5 hasn’t changed drastically, though a few hundred dollars here and there are noticeable.

Any MX-5 with cloth trim costs about $100 more, while leather-clad interiors hike the price up by around $1350.

The cheapest in the range, a manual 1.5-litre soft-top, now costs an extra $100 at $33,440. In GT spec, that becomes $39,660, up from $38,340.

Mazda Australia managing director Vinesh Bhindi says the updated MX-5 doesn’t drastically change the way the MX-5 feels, but just alters it to keep it in line with current expectations.

"The MX-5 carries a promise of fun, and the upgraded fourth generation model certainly upholds this," says Bhindi.

"The enhancements and added equipment are another phase in its constant evolution, which is testament to Mazda's endless pursuit of achieving driving pleasure."