A leaked brochure gave us our first look at the mildly refreshed MX-5 in both
soft- and retractable hard-top (RHT) body styles earlier this week and now Mazda
has come out with an official release for the 2013 model that goes on sale today
in Japan.
We suspect that if not all, most of the changes on the JDM model will be
applied on the international market versions before the end of the year.
The second facelift for the third-generation MX-5 since its debut in 2005
brings a redesigned face with a new bumper sporting a larger front grille
opening with a more curved upper part, new front fog lamp housings, a front chin
spoiler plus black headlamp bezels for the soft-top and chrome bezels for the
hard-top model.
In addition, the refreshed roadster model gains a pedestrian protection
system in the guise of an Active Bonnet, which raises the rear end of the hood
in the event of an accident to absorb the energy of impact and reduce the
severity of head injuries in collisions involving pedestrians.
Also new for the 2013 model year is the Dolphin Gray Mica paint finish that
replaces the Metropolitan Gray Mica and newly styled 17-inch alloy wheels for
the MX-5 RHT.
Inside, the Japanese carmaker has introduced a new tan color option for
models fitted with leather seats while a Glossy Dark Gray finish is used for the
decoration panel and steering wheel bezel.
Finally, Mazda's engineers have tweaked the throttle and brake booster to
improve control of the accelerator in the manual transmission models and the
brakes in all models.
In Japan, the updated MX-5 starts at 2,330,000 Yen (about US$29,200 /
€23,300
