The current Mazda Miata will be the longest-lived in the model’s history. The first model launched for the 2016 model year, and there’s no clear end date for it, in part because there’s no clear start date for its successor. It will have a successor, though, and in an interview with German car news outlet Auto Motor und Sport, the company’s CEO, Masahiro Moro, shared some interesting details about it.
It’s Going To Be Light
One of the constant concerns about the Miata is weight. Even though the ND generation managed to be slightly lighter than the NC, the next-generation is facing ever-stricter safety regulations, plus the probability of different levels of electrification. Moro, though, revealed the targets are ambitious for the new car’s weight. He told the German outlet that the company is aiming for between 2,205 and 2,646 pounds (1,000 to 1,200 kilograms).
2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata front 3/4Mazda
If the company managed to hit the low end of that estimate, the next-generation Miata would be the lightest generation since the original car. The other end of the target would actually make it the heaviest, though not by an enormous amount. The lightest Miata right now, a soft-top with a manual, weighs 2,366 lbs, and the heaviest, an RF with an automatic, is 2,513. It would also remain lighter than the Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ. The lightest version of the Toyota weighs in at 2,811 lbs.
It Has To Be EV-Ready
The other interesting thing that Moro said, was that the next Miata has to be able to be electric. That seems to imply two things. It’s quite likely that the next generation will have electric power. However, it probably won’t be electric initially. Other Mazda executives have said that combustion will be what the next Miata will use, at least to start, specifically highlighting weight. Mazda has a new range of combustion engines in development, too, and Moro said the company is only aiming for global EV sales of 15% by 2030. He noted that there are four electric models planned to reach that goal, all of which will have to be higher-volume than the Miata to reach that goal.
Mazda Miata PS Edition JapanMazda
Of course, based on the fact that the latest generation of Miata has lasted more than a decade, Moro and other Mazda executives know that the new generation will likely be around a long time. The next decade will also be a time of major powertrain and regulatory changes, so it will likely need to be flexible enough to accept a fully-electric powertrain. It’s also quite possible that we’ll see different levels of hybridization, too.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
Moro’s comments have us feeling more reassured that the next-generation Miata will still deliver on the experience that fans, and importantly customers, want. On top of the focus on low weight, Moro said in his interview that the company’s motto of “Joy of Driving” is “non-negotiable” in its cars. It also seems that the company will only go to electric power when it feels like it can do so while delivering on the driving experience, or if it has no other alternative. Those are the things you want to hear about what remains one of the lightest and most fun, not to mention easily accessible, sports cars in the world.
Source: Auto Motor und Sport
