Mazda MX-5 News

The Mazda CX-3 is in but the Honda HR-V and Renault Captur are out.The Audi TT is in but the Holden Cascada is out.That's my assessment of the field so far as we search for the best new car of 2015.Good is still good, but it's not good enough when the biggest prize in Australian motoring is on the line.Even a car as initially impressive as the Land Rover Discovery Sport is marked down heavily on value when you consider it as a CarsGuide Car of the Year contender.It's the same for the Ford Mondeo, which looks good, is packed to the hilt with technology but has lost its mojo on the open road.Similarly the Ford Focus ST, which is a great drive, is too narrow in its appeal.The CarsGuide team has already driven more than two dozen good cars in the opening half of the year and it's time to see what's looking good for a spot for the top-10 run-off in December.There are some surprising failures and the line-up could change dramatically with a rush of impressive newcomers booked for the second half but this is how the COTY 2015 contenders are shaping up.The new German coupe is everything the TT always could — and should — have been.It's had a muscle-car makeover that covers a broad spectrum from the sharper body shape to the driving dynamics and cabin space.All right, it should have a standard rear-vew camera, but that omission is offset by gains in other areas that count for a performance car.And the interior, with its integrated display screen in front of the steering wheel, is top-notch.This one is a slow burn because it's not like previous BMWs.For a start, it has front-wheel drive. And it puts family first.It's more like the i3 electric car than a 3 Series which is a good thing for people who put comfort and space and quality ahead of the Ultimate Driving Machine.It might be a clunky in the front suspension but it's classier than we expected and the flexible cabin, which will later include a third row of seats, is up there with the best.Cars as good as the Sorento should allow Kia to make the final breakthrough in Australia.Look beyond the country's longest warranty and you find a family seven-seater that's good-looking, practical and nice to drive.It could do with more steering feel but that's a very minor thing for people who need a seven-seater.Inside, the cheap and cheerful Kias of a decade ago are a distant memory, replaced by quality finishes, soft surfaces and great attention to detail.The best of the new-age mini SUVs wins a spot by trumping rivals including the HR-V and Captur, something it achieves with quality, refinement and a class-leading starting price.It's never going to star for a family with such a small boot but it's developed from the Mazda2 that starred in last year's COTY run-off.It looks good, drives well and works for twentysomethings who crave an SUV, delivering the elevated seating position without being too bulky.The new family sedan is a welcome return to form for a company that went backwards during the global financial crisis.Honda and Mitsubishi are still recovering but Subaru is back to what it does best with a quiet, comfortable, refined and well-priced car for Australian families. It also maintains Subaru's impressive reputation for cutting-edge safety.As always, it comes with all-wheel drive and provides the platform for the equally impressive Outback.The back end of 2015 will bring a number of impressive newcomers, from the baby Skoda Fabia through to the muscular Ford Mustang, bigger Hyundai Tucson and youthful Jeep Renegade.For now, the best of the bunch looks like this:This car could be as impressive, in its own SUV style, as the Volkswagen Golf Mk7. It's first with the mechanical package that will go under several VW Group arrivals, including the next Porsche Cayenne and Bentley Bentayga. So we're expecting class leading comfort, quality and a great family drive.If the born-again Mustang is half as good as the hype it will be a serious COTY contender. Early drives in the US point to best-yet dynamics for the first 'Stang with factory right-hand drive. There is even a four-cylinder EcoBoost engine. More than 2000 Australians are paid-up and waiting for their car to arrive, sometime in November.This one needs to be more than good to challenge the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class. But Jaguar learned bitter lessons from its X-Type, which was no more than a re-bodied Ford Mondeo, and is pushing hard with an XE that gets everything from an aluminium backbone to new-age engines. In Australia, the key will be in the pricing and equipment.The world's favourite sports car is odds-on for a COTY spot. It's been completely reworked for 2015 despite a body that could only be an MX-5. It's promising a much-needed improvement in cabin space and overall refinement, as well as Skyactiv engine technology that already works in Mazda's mainstream models. Add the lightweight body and sharp pricing. There is already a queue for early deliveries.The all-new Mitsubishi Triton and Nissan Navara for 2015 are good but not great, which leaves the Ranger to challenge the all-new Toyota HiLux for the benchmark in utes. This midlife update is more than just a mild makeover. It has new panels, tweaked driving dynamics and on the flagship model it has technology that would make a German SUV blush.More than just a truck, the HiLux has been Australia's favourite ute for more than a generation, not just because it scores with miners but because it can be most things to most people. The new HiLux promises everything from a new turbo diesel to car-like quality and refinement.It's been a very long time since the first XC90, which has given Volvo — after its change from a Ford subsidiary to Chinese ownership — plenty of time to develop a benchmark upscale SUV. Extensive work on everything from cabin comfort and quality to best-in-class safety technology — wrapped in a good-looking new bodywork — should make the XC90 something special and a '15 standout.Alfa Romeo 4C - The Italian version of a Lotus Elise is a looker and a goer, but too costly.Ford Mondeo - Not as good as the previous car, although cabin space is excellent.Holden Cascada - Most impressive of the new Euro Holdens, good but not great.Hyundai Sonata - Not up to the standard of Hyundai's other newcomers, although value is good.Renault Captur - Funky bodywork makes big promises but the undersized engine cannot deliver.Toyota Camry - A top car by any measure but not enough change for a COTY run.

More than 6000 people have their hand up for a Mazda MX-5.

They would have learned everything they need to know at the world's most successful new car show, the Goodwood Festival of Speed.Goodwood has been running for many years, but more recently it's morphed from a garden party at the stately home of the Earl of March into a genuine motor show which draws every major maker in the UK - and beyond.So what began as a chance for the owners of historic racing cars to exercise their old-timers is now a major event that draws more than 200,000 people each June on the same weekend as the Glastonbury music festival.Some fantastic retired racers still sprint up the Earl's driveway but it's the modern stuff which is drawing the big crowds and the big brands.Goodwood is an event and a destination, proving that cars are still more than just appliances for a lot of peopleMercedes-Benz uses the weekend to unveil its facelifted A45 AMG and new C63 S, Aston Martin rips the covers off its $2.5 million Vulcan and launches it up the hill, and Peugeot shows its 308 GTI for the first time. Mazda, which is the star brand at the show and has its Le Mans winning rotary 787B doing noisy demonstration runs, has its all-new MX-5 in action.There is also a moving motor show where ordinary fans can take a passenger ride and a supercar cavalcade including all of the world's most desirable cars, right up to the 400km/h Ferrari FXX K.And that's the real key to the Festival of Speed. The cars move and there is lots of interactivity for visitors, from off-road driving events to racing car simulators and even kiddie slides.Did I mention Ken 'Gymkhana' Block in the outrageous Ford Mustang that starred in his most-recent internet video hit?Old-school motor shows are just giant showrooms, but Goodwood is an event and a destination, proving that cars are still more than just appliances for a lot of people. If it can work in Britain then the same formula should be just as tasty in Australia.

The world's favourite sports car enters its fourth generation with a price that takes it back 23 years.

Mazda has released local pricing for the all-new MX-5 convertible sports car, with the hotly-anticipated new fourth-generation model priced from $31,990, sharpening the pricing by over $15,000 compared to the outgoing NC model.This puts the MX-5 squarely up against the Toyota 86, with the other budget rear-wheel drive hero still kicking off at $29,990. The MX-5 brings the added bonus of an open roof, however.Two variants of the MX-5, designated as the ND, will be available when the model arrives on our shores in mid-August.From launch, both entry-level Roadster and Roadster GT trim levels will be powered by an up-rated version of the Mazda2’s 1.5-litre petrol engine, bringing an extra 15kW and 9Nm to now total 96kW/150Nm.Driving the rear wheels as per MX-5 tradition, the new model can be had with a choice of six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. A more powerful 2.0-litre petrol engine will join the lineup later in the year.Impressively the ND is only 59kg heavier than the original 1989 NA modelIncreased use of aluminium and high-strength steel helps make the all-new MX-5 is significantly lighter than before, with a starting point of 1009kg a full 91kg lighter than the equivalent NC model.Also aiding weight loss is the fact the model is shorter than ever before, with an overall length of 3915mm and a wheelbase of 2315mm. The ND is 1730mm wide and 1235mm tall.The new model also reverts to a lighter soft-top roof, doing away with the folding hardtop fitted exclusively to the final NC models. Impressively the ND is only 59kg heavier than the original 1989 NA model, which lacked most modern safety features that are standard in the new car.Mazda’s attention to weight reduction even extends to reverting to a four-stud wheel and brake package, compared to the five-stud package of the NC.The new 1.5-litre MX-5 may trail the 118kW/188Nm output figures of the NC, but the new model's lighter weight has kept the power-to-weight ratio within the same ballpark, and easily better than the 1.6-litre NA.The upcoming 2.0-litre version should easily eclipse the performance of the NC, however, making it the fastest non-turbo MX-5 yet.Australian-spec ND MX-5's started rolling down the Ujina production line near Hiroshima last week.

But the start of 2015 is gearing up for more hot deals than usual because new car sales stalled last year for the first time since the Global Financial Crisis.It means dealers are overstocked and they're even more eager to make way for fresh metal.Adding to the pressure - and putting buyers in the driver's seat - is the uncertainty around Australia's currency, which has taken a hit in recent months. Buying a new car now could mean a double-saving; get the discount on end-of-year bargains and beat possible price rises.Record low interest rates and favourable exchange rates saw new car prices fall to 20-year lows in 2014 as affordability hit a 38-year high in 2014.But once the cars imported at last year's exchange rates are cleared, the chances are new models won't be discounted as heavily, or prices may even rise.Most cars sold in Australia are sourced from Japan (30 per cent), Thailand (20 per cent) and South Korea (12 per cent) - rather than the US (5 per cent) - but most car companies buy in US dollars as it has historically been more stable.The prices of Japanese branded cars are likely to remain steady because the Japanese Government artificially devalues the yen to boost exports. But the value of the Australian dollar against the currencies of Thailand, South Korea and the US is less stable.It means price rises are likely on almost every ute sold in Australia because most are made in Thailand, including the top-selling Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger, Nissan Navara, Mitsubishi Triton and Holden Colorado, among others.South Korean brands Hyundai and Kia, two of the industry's biggest discounters, may also lose some of their bargaining power if the Australian dollar continues to head south.But one brand you may not be expecting to go backwards due to a shift in currency is Holden, which sources eight of its 12 models from South Korea and two from Thailand.With that in mind we have assembled the 10 cars we reckon are worth waiting for. Remember to always judge a car by its build date (the day it went down the production line and how its age will be measured when it comes time to sell), rather than the compliance plate (in effect, when the car cleared Australian customs).Be warned: there are still some 2013-built cars out there (Nissan, we're looking at you), so be sure to haggle hard and make sure the factory warranty starts the day you take delivery.Sometimes it's worth waiting for an all-new model, or at least knowing if you have more bargaining power if the dealer is trying to clear not only last year's model but one that is about to be superseded.The successor to Australia's cheapest car from a mainstream brand is just around the corner with a new look and a new name. The Suzuki Celerio is bigger than the Alto and the 1.0-litre three-cylinder has been tuned to run on regular unleaded (rather than premium like its predecessor), making it one of the cheapest cars to own and operate. Expect a super-sharp $13,990 drive-away starting price when it goes on sale in February.Australia is going to be crawling with pint-sized SUVs next year but the Mazda CX-3 is likely to take most of the spotlight. Available with a 1.5-litre turbo diesel or a 2.0-litre petrol engine it is expected to start between $20,000 and $25,000 when it goes on sale in March. It will join the Honda HR-V (February), Renault Captur (February), the next generation Suzuki Vitara (June), the unusually named Citroen Cactus (June), and the cutesy Fiat 500X (November).The city-sized soft-roader market is so huge globally even off-road brand Jeep has joined the fray. The Jeep Renegade may look like a scaled-down Tonka Truck but it is based on the same underbody as the Fiat Punto, Alfa Romeo Mito and the Fiat 500X. Powered by a 1.4-litre turbo petrol or 2.0-litre turbo diesel matched to a segment-leading nine-speed automatic transmission, the Renegade is due in showrooms in October priced between $20,000 and $30,000.The first new Nissan Navara in 10 years arrives in showrooms in April with two new 2.3-litre turbo diesel engines (one with a single turbo, the other with twin turbos). The outputs are almost the same as the previous 2.5-litre turbo diesel, despite being smaller in capacity (a 118kW/403Nm version and a 140kW/450Nm version). Payload and towing capacity are yet to be confirmed but bank on a one-tonne cargo rating and a 3500kg towing limit (bringing the Navara into line with class leaders). The 550Nm Navara with the Renault 3.0-litre turbo diesel V6 has been dropped. It will be a big year for utes, with a rebodied Mitsubishi Triton due in May, significant updates due for the Ford Ranger and Mazda BT50 in July, an all-new Toyota HiLux in October.Take a close look at the new Ford Mondeo due on sale in April. This is a pointer to the vehicle that will eventually replace the Falcon. Available in sedan and wagon body styles, likely with a choice of 2.0-litre turbo petrol or 2.0-litre turbo diesel engines, prices are expected to range from $30,000 to $50,000. It will also be loaded with technology including LED headlights, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, and industry-leading rear seatbelt airbags. A hybrid version will join the Mondeo line-up later in the year.Jaguar is making a second attempt at the lucrative mid-size luxury sedan market dominated by the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C Class. After learning from the ill-conceived 2002 X-Type based on the Ford Mondeo, Jaguar has started with a cleansheet design and aluminium construction. It will be available with a 2.0-litre petrol engine, and a 2.0-litre turbo diesel said to sip 4.0L/100km, less than the Audi A4 (4.8L/100km) and BMW 320d (4.5L/100km) aided by an eight-speed auto. At the other end of the scale: a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 with a 0 to 100km/h time of 5.1 seconds. Due on sale in September, it's likely to start about $60,000.The first new Volvo XC90 in 12 years is also the first all-new model developed since Volvo was bought by China's Geely motor company in 2010. Promising to the world's safest SUV it will automatically slam on the brakes if you're about to turn in front of an oncoming car, and can also spot cyclists and pedestrians at night. It even has eyes in the back of its head: a radar system can detect if you're about to be hit from behind, and will prepare the seatbelts and headrests for the sudden impact. It will be available with a choice of four-cylinder petrol or diesel power, and a plug-in hybrid that can travel up to 40km on battery power alone (before switching to petrol power), the first seven-seater of its type in the world. Due in showrooms in July priced about $90,000.Mazda has gone back to basics – in every sense of the word – and wound back the clock with the new MX-5 sports-car. The first all-new MX-5 since the original was launched 25 years ago goes back to its lightweight, low cost roots (each wheel only has four locating nuts instead of five, for example) and promises a soft-top roof and a sub-1000kg mass for the first time since last century. Since 2006 the Mazda MX-5 has had a folding metal roof to help it weather storms and thwart thieves, but this has added weight, complexity and cost. The new model is expected to be available with a choice of two engines – a 1.5- and a 2.0-litre – when it goes on sale in September priced below $40,000.The Ford Mustang returns to Australia in October for the first time since 2003, but it will be the first time in the nameplate's 50-year history that it will be made in right-hand-drive on a Ford production line (Flat Rock, Michigan). All models before this one were converted to right-hand-drive locally. It will be available with a choice of 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo or 5.0-litre V8 power in coupe and convertible body styles. Prices will range from $50,000 to $70,000.Mercedes-Benz's answer to the Porsche 911 arrives in July priced about $270,000. Powered by a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 that will also power the upcoming AMG C63 sedan, it can complete the 0 to 100km/h dash in just 3.8 seconds. Fun fact for the tech heads: it has a better weight distribution (47/53 front to rear) than either the Porsche 911 (39/61) or Cayman (46/54). Game on.

New fourth-gen Mazda MX-5 to spawn global one-make racing series in 2016.Mazda has announced that the upcoming fourth-generation MX-5 will form the basis of a new global race series starting in North America, Europe and Asia in 2016.The track-prepped MX-5 racer was previewed at this week’s SEMA show in the US, with the showcar wearing a discreet aero bodykit, single outlet exhaust and larger wheels than the roadgoing example revealed in September.The interior has also been stripped out to make room for a race-spec rollcage, steering wheel and instruments, along with a racing seat and harness for the driver. What is shown may not be the final form that takes to the grid in 2016. Further development will occur over the coming months, with the final specifications confirmed when the car goes on sale in 2015.Mazda has confirmed that the Global MX-5 Cup racers will use the 2.0-litre Skyactiv-G petrol engine destined for the road car in some markets.Each regional series of the Global MX-5 Cup will run identical production-based machinery, and the season will culminate in with a Global Shootout grand final at the end of the year held at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in the US.The prize for winning the Shootout will be a one-day test in Mazda's Skyactiv-D LMP2 prototype racer, which competed this year in the Tudor United SportsCar Championship in the US.Single-make global series like this are not new, with Porsche's Carrera Cup running in Australia for a decade and in Germany since 1986. However this is Mazda’s first tilt at a factory-backed single-make series.Previously, their involvement has been limited to the US-based MX-5 Cup and Spec Miata series. Mazda has also hoted the MX-5 Challenge since 2011, which pits motoring journalists from Australia and Europe against each other in conditions not typical of the topless sports car.There’s no mention of an Australian leg of the Global MX-5 Cup at this stage, but exact locations of circuits are yet to be confirmed.

Are you tired of being stuck behind an SUV? If can’t beat em, join em. Paris motor show previews the next big thing on four wheels: pint-sized SUVs for the city.The world’s car makers are rushing to release high-riding hatchbacks that have the commanding view of a family-sized SUV -- but fit in the same size parking space as a Toyota Corolla.SUVs are second only to small cars when it comes to new vehicle sales, and the big brands are finding new ways to fill every possible niche.That means we can expect to see a bunch of tiny-tot SUVs designed for the city, even though they will be dressed up with rugged, go-anywhere looks.Indeed, most city SUVs won’t even have a four-wheel-drive system because they’ll never leave the tarmac.So why are car makers so desperate to get their small SUVs into showrooms? Because buyers are happy to pay a premium for them even though they cost only a fraction more to build than a regular hatchback.Japanese car giant Toyota, the world’s biggest automotive brand, will unveil a city-centric SUV inside enemy territory at this week’s Paris motor show.Even though Toyota is one of the biggest sellers of SUVs on the planet, it has completely missed the march to city-sized softroaders, or “faux-wheel-drives”.Toyota’s swoopy looking “C-HR” concept car is a rather large clue as to what the showroom version will look like when it arrives next year, although no-one knows what ‘C-HR” stands for. “Compact High Rider” perhaps?Even the French, which once revolved against the SUV and vandalized them in the street less than a decade ago, has joined the party.Citroen is poised to unveil the oddly but honestly named “C1 Urban Ride”. It’s a version of its smallest car but with bulging bumpers and slightly taller suspension to give it a macho appearance.Maybe that’s why they’re becoming so popular: blokes need peer approval to buy small cars. Is a Bear Grylls bumper bar enough to get them over the line?Then again, Citroen also released a compact SUV called the Cactus, complete with plastic side mouldings so you don’t get door dings in the shopping centre car park.The Cactus might be made for the urban jungle but it’s not exactly the type of name that would make you want to boast about it.Australians have been at the forefront of the swing to super-small softroaders.Already on sale locally are the Suzuki S-Cross, Holden Trax, Ford EcoSport and Nissan Juke, all priced between $20,000 and $30,000 (when the cars on which they are all based start at less than $20,000).Around the corner are the Honda HR-V and Fiat Panda Cross. Next month Mazda is due to unveil a SUV to slot under the top-selling CX-5.South Korean car maker Hyundai is also working on a super-small SUV, which should be in showrooms in 2016.Meanwhile, for those who think motor shows should always be about high performance exotic supercars, fear not, although the definition of supercar has changed slightly.Lamborghini is preparing to unveil its first ever hybrid sports-car, while Porsche is about to unveil its first ever plug-in hybrid SUV.Porsche’s two-tonne luxury SUV sips less fuel than a Prius -- providing it has enough charge to travel the first 50km on electric power alone before the petrol engine takes over.More affordable eye candy, however, will come in the form of the first ever motor show outing for the new Mazda MX-5 (the world’s top-selling two-seater roadster), and Jaguar XE sedan (no relation to the Ford Falcon from the 1980s of the same name).

New Mazda MX-5 on sale in Australia next year priced close to $30,000, about $15,000 less than the current model.Mazda has unveiled the successor to the world’s top-selling sports-car, the MX-5 convertible.In a bizarre display at the global unveiling in Monterey California, the Japanese company used 1980s pop sensations Duran Duran to take the covers off the first all-new MX-5 since the original was launched 25 years ago.When the MX-5 first went on sale, Bob Hawke was Prime Minister, Ronald Reagan was the president of the United States and the Australian cricket team regained the Ashes on UK soil for the first time in 40 years.Still not feeling old? The year 1989 was when Australian Formula One star Daniel Ricciardo was born.Mazda is trying to tug at the retro heartstrings with the new model because it is one of the few Japanese cars that have developed a global cult following.But, much like its owners, the Mazda MX-5 put on some middle-age spread over the past decade or so, getting bigger and heavier with each new model.The latest MX-5, however, has lost much of the weight it had put on over the years and gone back to its roots, weighing less than 1000kg for the first time since the original.The other good news for sports-car fans is that Mazda will bring the MX-5’s price back to basics.When the fourth-generation car goes on sale in Australia in late 2015 it will likely have a starting price close to $30,000 -- about $15,000 less than today's car -- and once again be available exclusively with a soft-top roof.Since 2006 the Mazda MX-5 has had a folding metal roof to help it weather storms and thwart thieves, but this has added weight, complexity and cost.The new model is expected to be available with a choice of two small and economical engines -- a 1.5 and a 2.0-litre -- and a version with a folding metal roof is due to follow in the coming years.The new MX-5 is also significant because it is the first time Mazda will share a car with Italian car makers Fiat and Alfa Romeo.The Italian version of the MX-5, due to be unveiled later this year, will be made in Japan and have a unique appearance and engines.Alfa Romeo announced two years ago that it would work with Mazda to deliver a low-cost two-seater sports-car.But the Italian company has since hinted that the convertible will be sold as a Fiat, its sister brand, rather than an Alfa Romeo.In the meantime, Mazda has revealed little other detail on the new MX-5, only showing that it is smaller and lighter than before, and announcing it will be on-sale next year. Watch the 2015 Mazda MX-5 launch video here.

Mazda's top-down two-door marks 25 years and 16,000 local sales. As anniversary presents go, this is one of better options ... but the buyer may just want to let the partner share it.The 25th anniversary limited-edition of Mazda's modern-day classic MX-5 sports car has arrived in Australia but the brand isn't expecting it to gather dust in showrooms.Just 40 of the 1000 built for sale worldwide are coming to Australia, asking an extra $1100 over the normal retail price but staying below $50,000 before on-roads.Unveiled at the New York motor show earlier this year, the roadster sold out within hours of release in the US and Japan. Australian MX-5 buyers have been a little more conservative.Mazda Australia spokesman Steve Maciver says 13 of the allocated 40 cars have been reserved for customers and he expects the rest to sell quickly.The arrival of an all-new MX-5 - it's officially being revealed in September - isn't expected to put potential customers off buying the anniversary edition, he says.'This is a limited-edition car, unique styling, lightweight components, Bilstein shock absorbers, Soul Red paint - a few of those things put together makes it unique so, for collectors and enthusiasts, we think there will be demand for it," he says.The red paint is a first for the MX-5. Anniversary models are badged and numbered and also will be distinguished by black paint on the windscreen pillars, door mirrors and retractable roof.Off-white leather seat trim, red-stitched black leather-wrapped sports steering wheel and manual gearshifter are among the limited-edition features. There is also a 'his-and-hers" commemorative watch set.The Mazda two-door - inspired by the 1960s Lotus Elan and launched in 1989 - reinvigorated the affordable sports car market and has sold more than 940,000 examples globally and 16,000 in Australia, gaining a Guinness World Record as the most popular two-seater open-top sports car.Current MX-5 program manager Nobuhiro Yamamoto and his predecessor Takao Kijima echoed tributes paid to the enthusiastic fan base from first-generation MX-5 program manager Toshihiko Hirai.Hirai says that before the initial series MX-5, lightweight sports cars were nearly extinct. "Although the project was officially approved, both human resources and budget were extremely limited. However, the developers, who believed that true car lovers would love the MX-5, made every effort to get it on the market and managed to accomplish this feat."