Mazda admits the electric MX-5 lacks significant interest

Mazda is already exploring what the future of the MX-5 might look like without a combustion engine, but customers continue to request the traditional version.

A lot has been discussed about the future of the Mazda MX-5, and one thing seems increasingly certain: the next generation will need to be prepared for various scenarios. This includes a future where combustion engines are no longer an option in some markets.

This is exactly what Masahiro Moro, Mazda’s executive director, explained recently to the German magazine Auto Motor und Sport. According to him, the successor to the current MX-5 “also needs to be prepared for a scenario without a combustion engine.”

But is this what customers want? At least in Australia, it seems not. In remarks to CarExpert, Vinesh Bhindi, general manager of Mazda Australia, revealed that he doesn’t see many customers coming to a dealership asking for an electric MX-5.

The question he hears most often is another: “When can I get the pure, analog version of the next generation?”

This makes perfect sense given that the appeal of the MX-5, from its first generation onward, has never been about having the biggest engine, fastest acceleration, or most advanced technology. The formula has always been mechanical simplicity, compact dimensions, low weight, agility, and driving pleasure.

Fully electrifying the Mazda MX-5 without compromising these principles is therefore a particularly complex challenge. A high-capacity battery would inevitably add weight and force a thorough rethinking of a car that has always made lightness one of its greatest strengths.

What can we expect from the next generation?

Still, this is a scenario Mazda is preparing for. Masahiro Moro revealed that the next generation should be able to adopt a combustion engine-free solution, while the brand aims to keep the weight between less than 1000 kg and around 1200 kg, depending on the engine chosen.

One thing is certain: the next generation will still have a combustion engine. But for us, Portuguese people, it could be a problem.

This is because the next Mazda MX-5 might come equipped with a 2.5-liter “giant” engine — one that will be significantly impacted by our tax policies — namely the already confirmed Skyactiv-Z. It is a four-cylinder in-line naturally aspirated engine that promises new levels of efficiency while also meeting the strictest emission standards.

The uncertainty lies in the level of electrification. The Skyactiv-Z will make its debut in the CX-5 hybrid, scheduled for 2027, but this doesn’t mean the next MX-5 will adopt the same configuration.

The final option has not yet been revealed, but a mild hybrid system seems to be one of the least intrusive ways to reduce fuel consumption and emissions without excessively increasing weight.

The message from Australian customers, at least according to Mazda Australia’s CEO, is that the brand should maintain the qualities that have always defined the MX-5.

It’s still some time away

The arrival of the fifth generation of this Japanese roadster could take a few years. Some rumors suggest 2028, but the brand has not yet officially announced any date.

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By then, the current MX-5 ND will have been on the market for at least a dozen years before being replaced. It will be the Japanese roadster generation with the longest commercial lifespan.