When equipped with the 6-Speed SkyActiv manual transmission, the new MX-5 will achieve 27 mpg in the city, 34 on the highway and 30 combined. When the automatic is selected, the new Miata can manage 35 mpg on the highway, with no city or combined improvements.
Mazda calls the improvement dramatic, and that’s not hyperbole. The outgoing MX-5 only managed 21-22 mpg (transmission dependent) in the city and 28 on the highway, meaning the new MX-5′s combined fuel economy surpasses the outgoing model’s best-case highway figure.
“There has always been an MX-5 for all types of drivers, from weekend autocross and track-day enthusiasts to those who just want a stylish convertible sports car,” said O’Sullivan. “With its improved fuel-efficiency, we believe that audience will grow even larger when it goes on sale this summer.” said Jim O’Sullivan, president and CEO, Mazda North American Operations, in the announcement.
The 2016 MX-5 is down on power compared to the previous car (155 horsepower vs 167 horsepower ), but the new model actually boasts a better power-to-weight ratio thanks to its feather-light curb weight. That should translate to a 0-60 time in the low six-second range.
The hotly anticipated new roadster will tip the scales at just 2,332 pounds with the manual transmission. Checking the MX-5′s automatic gearbox option will push the car’s weight to a slightly more portly 2,381 pounds.
Production of U.S.-bound examples of the 2016 MX-5 Miata is got underway earlier in April and deliveries are expected to begin stateside over the summer. The initial run began earlier in the year, but was reserved for home-market customers.
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