NEW YORK: The all-new model 2015 Mazda MX-5 Accessories Concept is on display at the Chicago Auto Show wearing several bells and whistles. Seventeen-inch BBS alloy wheels, a Brembo brake package with red callipers and even a carbon-fibre luggage rack are fitted, and the concept wears Mazda’s Ceramic Metallic paint.
Furthermore, the concept is fitted with the 2.0 litre SKYACTIV four-cylinder petrol engine option that will be available to Australian customers and Mazda has now confirmed its power output.
US customers will be offered the 2.0 litre unit only putting 116kW and 201Nm under their right foot, and Australian buyers can expect similar if not identical figures when the roadster arrives here.
The 2.0 litre engine’s output is roughly the same in the MX-5 as it is for the locally-available Mazda3 small car and CX-5 SUV. The incoming CX-3 SUV is also a likely starter with the same engine.
A smaller 1.5 litre four-cylinder engine is also available to Australian customers with an output of around 95kW/150Nm, making our market the only one in the world for MX-5 buyers with a choice of engines (for now).
The 1.5 litre unit is expected to power a new sub-$40,000 entry-level MX-5 in Australia, and both engines will likely be available locally with six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmissions.
The 2015 Mazda MX-5 arrives in US showrooms from around June, while Australian customers will have to wait until later this year.
