2022 Mazda MX-5 review: Australian launch

The 2022 Mazda MX-5 doesn’t fix anything that wasn’t broken – it’s still all for the driver, which is brilliant news for enthusiasts.

What we love

It’s light on its feet and beautifully balanced

An MX-5 is incredibly hedonistic. Run with it!

New chassis enhancement adds track appeal without diminishing the day-to-day experience

What we don’t

Zingy 2.0-litre atmo engine loses its fizz with an automatic

Tall drivers may not love the view out

Ageing infotainment out of step with current tech

Introduction

It’s been seven years since Mazda launched the fourth generation, or ND, MX-5. As is Mazda’s way, it’s received minor touch-ups here and there.

In the case of the 2022 Mazda MX-5 range, the revisions aren’t earth-shattering. At least, not in the same way the arrival of the hardtop MX-5 RF or high-output 2.0-litre models were in late 2016 and mid 2018 respectively.

It is time to pour one out for the dear departed 1.5-litre base model. The range now runs a 135kW and 205Nm 2.0-litre engine exclusively – and since the bigger engine revs as freely as the old 1.5 did since its high-output revisions four years ago, the so-called ‘purist’s choice’ hasn’t had much reason to hang around.

For 2022, Mazda has a new marketing term to play with, known as Kinetic Posture Control, or KPC.

It’s not a more comfortable or back-friendly seating solution, despite how the name sounds, rather it’s a clever chassis control system – something the rear-wheel-drive equivalent of G-Vectoring Control found in other Mazda models.

Mazda promises “a broader dynamic bandwidth to make the roadster even more enjoyable to drive in a wider range of conditions”. For a car that didn’t really have much wrong with it to begin with, that’s a bold claim – I’ll unpack exactly what it does further on.

The changes mean the 2022 Mazda MX-5 range now starts from $37,790 for the new base 2.0-litre MX-5 Roadster soft-top, or $42,100 for the hard-roof MX-5 RF.

The GT grade steps up to $44,420 (Roadster) and $48,500 (RF), or for an extra $1000 you can add a black roof to the RF. Each grade adds $2000 if you want to swap the six-speed manual for a six-speed auto.

Topping the range, the GT RS versions come manual-only from $47,420 for the Roadster and $51,500 for the RF – all prices exclude on-road costs. Full details available here.

Inside

There are no major or particularly noteworthy changes inside the cabin. The RF GT adds Terracotta nappa leather alongside the existing Black and Pure White options. All GT models come with leather, while the base cars stick with cloth trim.

On that, the base cars actually present nicely. There’s a slightly plasticised texture to the cloth, making it all-weather suitable, but otherwise the presentation doesn;t come across as particularly basic – more fit for purpose.

The cabin is, as ever, compact. Low-slung seats and a tight cockpit feel give the MX-5 a real sense of purpose. No, it won’t fit drivers of all shapes and sizes, and the length of your torso is likely to be the deciding factor.

Tall drivers can operate an MX-5 comfortably, but they’ll need to be long-legged, rather than long-bodied. For me at 169cm, the MX-5 fits like a glove, and I even have the seat scooched forward enough to store a slim backpack or laptop bag behind me. Handy.

Instruments remain analogue, though a digital display to the left shows trip info. It’s a lesson in clear, simple legibility – though perhaps not the last word in plushness or luxury.

Compromises remain as storage space within the cabin is minimal. There’s a glovebox on the back wall, between the seats, and a super-slim console, but that’s it.

Cupholders are still a little flimsy, and wireless charging doesn’t exist in the world of the MX-5. None of this is an issue – but set your expectations accordingly.

It is a little hard to believe Mazda couldn’t find a way to squeeze in a normal under-dash glovebox, but if the MX-5 is as no-compromises as they say, it’s forgivable.

Single-zone climate control is standard, so too a leather-wrapped steering wheel, shift knob, and handbrake lever. All models get a tilt and telescope steering wheel too.

From GT up there are heated exterior mirrors, leather seat trim with heated seats, stainless steel sill plates, and keyless proximity key to go with the push-button start on all variants.

Infotainment and Connectivity

No major changes for infotainment in this update, meaning the MX-5 range keep the same 7.0-inch MZD connect system as before.

The console houses a rotary controller for access to the system on the go, and a touchscreen for when stopped. It can be a little tricky to see in bright conditions, but an anti-reflective coating helps minimise glare.

Satellite navigation, AM/FM/DAB radio, Bluetooth, and wired Android Auto, or wireless and wired Apple CarPlay, are also included. Entry-level cars get a six-speaker sound system, GT and GT RS pump tunes through a nine-speaker Bose branded system.

While Mazda has a newer, slicker Mazda Connect system in some cars, it seems the MX-5 isn’t targeted for an update just yet. On one hand that’s good news, as the new system dispenses with touch inputs, but on the other hand the current infotainment can be slow to load and laggy between screens.

Safety and Technology

New for 2022, the MX-5 adds features like reverse autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane-departure warning, and rear park sensors to all models. Previously these were missing from the base model. All models also gain driver attention monitoring for the first time.

Continuing features include forward AEB, front and side airbags, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, reverse camera and tyre pressure monitoring.

The MX-5 range carries a 2015 five-star ANCAP rating. Under changes to ANCAP timestamps, this is set to expire and revert to an ‘untested’ status at the end of this year, but remains current at the time of writing.

Value for Money

With the latest round of updates there have been price rises, and the base model is the most affected with its switch to a bigger engine. See the full details here.

Kicking off from $37,790 plus on-road costs, there’s still decent value to be found in the base car. Run to the top of the range and the fully loaded $51,520 GT RF Black Roof auto, or $51,500 RF GT RS manual (both before on-road costs), and that value equation erodes.

Enthusiast drivers may be tempted to something like the more powerful Subaru BRZ range, which kicks off from $38,990 plus on-road costs. More lifestyle-oriented buyers might prefer something like a Mini Convertible, which adds in small rear seats but starts from $43,680 plus on-road costs.

Owners are covered by a five-year warranty with no kilometre limit. Capped-price servicing is available, and runs to $2049 over five years for auto variants, or $2203 for manuals (which required a transmission fluid change at the fifth service). Intervals are every 12 months or 10,000km.

Without a comprehensive road component to this particular drive, fuel consumption is a little tricky to get a solid catch on. During the mixed road loop, the Roadster manual I was at the helm of showed 7.6 litres per 100km. Officially, manual Roadster consumption is rated at 6.8/L100km, or 6.9L/100km for the RF. Switch to an auto and those claims rise to 7.0L/100km and 7.2L/100km respectively.

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Driving

Let’s start with the new Kinetic Posture Control (KPC) addition.

In simple terms, it functions like torque vectoring by brake. Applying small amounts of brake pressure to the inside rear wheel – though in this case the effect isn’t to simply push drive torque to the outside rear.

Mazda claims the system also acts to minimise pitch and roll, generating an “anti-lift” force to pull the body down. I’ll be honest, that seems like a lot.

To put KPC to the test, Mazda offered back-to-back drives of both the outgoing MX-5 and the new KPC-equipped range at the tight and technical Haunted Hills Hillclimb track in Gippsland, Victoria.

Here speed doesn’t matter, light weight and good technique are rewarded. Big power is not particularly required. If a handling aid works, cars shine, and if those technologies are off-beat or counterintuitive, they stick out like a sore thumb.

Not that I’d suggest previous iterations of the MX-5 needed handling help, but driving the old and new together shows a more settled and stable car when giving the MX-5 a motivated prod on the track. The old car is fun; the new car is no less fun, but certainly feels more pointed.

Away from a track, the effect is perhaps less pronounced, but find the right stretch of very tight road and the effect is similar. The rear axle is more planted, more resolute, and you can feel the car rotating more cleanly, with less unintended oversteer.

Intentional oversteer, however, is a different matter entirely and is still available, should you request it.

The change, in case you’re interested, adds no extra weight either.

The rest of the package is very much MX-5 as it’s been for a while now. The steering is delightfully communicative and quick to react without feeling nervous or twitchy.

The manual shift action from the six-speed manual is crisp and the gate is nicely defined, and all four wheels have a very defined level of grip without resorting to a cripplingly firm ride.

The MX-5 and MX-5 GT display a little more roll and float, but are also a little more forgiving on fidgety surfaces. The GT RS, meanwhile, with specially tuned Bilstein dampers, has a firmer ride.

If you’re aiming for coastal escapes and weekends on the road, pick the regular car. If you’re going to throw your MX-5 at a track from time to time, opt for the RS – which also gets 17-inch lightweight forged BBS wheels, Brembo front brake callipers, and a front strut brace.

As a testament to the weight savings, the GT RS models clock in six kilograms lighter then non-RS models: 1052kg for the Roadster GT RS and 1101kg for the GT RS RF.

Similarly, the manual cars rev their heads off quickly and easily – and it uncorks a great range of throttle responsiveness that’s missing from the automatics. Even when shifting manually, the six-speed auto-equipped cars were slower to build engine speed and felt just a touch more sluggish.

Into the mix, manual cars are equipped with a limited-slip differential, automatics run an open diff, and befitting the GT RS’s hero-car status it comes as manual-only.

Whichever you pick, keep in mind that the MX-5 is designed to be light and fun, not cushy and calm. You’ll get road noise and wind noise. You’ll get bumps and rattles… Basically all the great visceral stuff that comes with being connected to the driving environment.

Conclusion

In a world where affordable open-topped fun is almost entirely forgotten about, the MX-5 shines – simply because it dares to exist.

Subaru has its BRZ, by the end of the year the Toyota GR86 will have arrived, but both coupes keep a literal lid on wind-in-the-hair thrills. The alternative is a Fiat 500 or Abarth 595, though that’s more of a large sunroof than a true convertible top, and the Mini range also provides some blue-sky thinking.

Beyond that you start looking at drop-top Mustangs and into Audi A5 territory. There are some obvious philosophical differences there.

By keeping things simple, fun and endlessly engaging, the 2022 Mazda MX-5 range stays true to a mantra it adhered to since its inception. Driver first, everything else as a supporting act.

For a fun weekend cruiser or a casual track day warrior, or perhaps a little of both, Mazda’s iconic roadster really hits the spot.

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