We recently drove the 2022 Mazda MX-30, Mazda’s first electric car, but the good news is that it’s the first of many. Mazda has already confirmed plans to electrify its lineup and it’s also expected that the beloved MX-5 Miata will also eventually get some sort of electrification. Now a new report claims that the fifth-generation MX-5 Miata will get a mild-hybrid powertrain.
Autocar is reporting that the next Mazda MX-5 Miata will be powered by a four-cylinder SkyActiv-X engine with a small supercharger. The engine will have the same spark-controlled compression ignition tech, but also get a 48-volt mild-hybrid system to help improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.
The SkyActiv-X engine is already used in the Mazda3 and CX-3 models and Mazda says that the 2.0-liter engine has up to 30 percent more torque than the 2.0-liter SkyActiv-G engine. It’s also up to 30 percent more fuel efficient. We’ll have to wait and see if the next MX-5 gets the 2.0-liter engine, instead of a smaller 1.5-liter engine.
The reason Mazda isn’t ready to introduce a full hybrid or plug-in hybrid MX-5 has to do with the fact that Mazda is still trying to keep the roadster’s weight in check. A hybrid or plug-in hybrid version would a require bigger/ heavier battery.
Mazda has yet to confirm the report, but the NE-generation MX-5 Miata is expected to arrive in 2024.
