2023 Mazda MX-5 Miata Updated With New Zircon Sand Color In The UK

Oct. 26, 2022 7:14 AM ET by Anthony Capretto Sports Cars / 7 Comments

But you'll have to wait another year for a facelift.

The ND (fourth-generation) Mazda MX-5 Miata has been on sale since 2016, which means we've had seven years of the current-gen model. But while rumors and reports abound of what to expect from a next-gen version - potentially with a hybrid powertrain - it appears we'll be waiting a little while longer for that fifth-generation model. Spy shots have revealed another facelift (ND3) for the current generation, but even this will wait, as details for the 2023 model year have been announced, at least for the British market.

While US details will be confirmed at a later date, some of the changes are all but certain to make their way stateside, most notably a new paint color for the Miata lineup in Zircon Sand, which was previously announced for the 2023 Mazda CX-50.

While the changes have only been announced for the UK, the new color will likely make its way to the US for 2023, just as Platinum Quartz was added to the global roster for 2022.

Mechanically, the MX-5 remains the same, although Mazda UK has seen fit to change the naming structure of the MX-5. The soft-top is now officially called the Mazda MX-5 Roadster - adopting the name used in other markets including Japan. Whether the US will adopt this naming strategy remains to be seen. It was only with the ND generation that Americans got a car called the MX-5, as it was previously known only as the Miata. The MX-5 name was brought on to standardize naming globally, so the next step would be the adoption of the Roadster title.

The model name isn't the only thing that is now called by something else, as a shake-up of the trim lineup has seen new trims like 'Prime-Line,' 'Exclusive-Line,' and 'Homura' in place of old grades like Sport Tech and GT Sport Tech. For the US model, a change in trim naming is not expected, which means the Sport, Club, and Grand Touring names will live on.

Mechanically, nothing has changed for the MX-5. Once again, the UK gets a 1.5-liter base engine in addition to the 181-horsepower 2.0-liter unit we receive stateside. After the addition of Kinematic Posture Control for 2022, Mazda has seen fit not to make any major changes.

A more comprehensive update is expected for the 2024 model year, however, which could include mechanical updates.

We've reported previously that the Miata has been spied wearing a new face, but while some reports suggested the mule was wearing widened fenders, CarBuzz maintains this is not the case. Instead of it being a prototype for a new generation Miata, it is expected to be a facelift with new tech an possibly a few powertrain updates to extend the fourth-gen sports car's life cycle a little further into the future.

Luckily this means that for the near future, the model will continue to be naturally aspirated. Mazda has already come out and said the next model will be electrified but will probably feature light hybridization instead of plug-in or full electrification.

Updates for the US market are likely to be announced in the coming weeks, but we expect them to be nothing more than the new color and possibly the adoption of the Roadster name.

2023 Mazda MX-5 Miata Updated With New Zircon Sand Color In The UK

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2023 Mazda MX-5 Miata Updated With New Zircon Sand Color In The UK

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