Mazda has released prices for the snazzy retractable hard top version of its MX-5 roadster.
The MX-5 RF (Retractable Fastback) carries a £2,000 premium over the soft top car, meaning it will cost from £22,195.
It goes on sale in the UK in March next year.
A 2.0-litre Launch Edition model will sit at the top of the range, costing £28,995, and gets a two-tone roof, special alloy wheels, black door mirrors and a black rear spoiler. The car also gets the Safety Pack, Alcantara trim and Recaro seats as standard. Only 500 examples of this model will be built.
Once the Launch Edition MX-5s have been sold, the £27,095 2.0-litre Sport Nav Auto will top the range. A like-for-like MX-5 RF is £2000 more expensive than the standard soft-top, although the range-topping RF is offered with an automatic gearbox, which is unavailable on the standard car.
The automatic option is only available on the Sport Nav, rather than lower-spec RFs, however.
Buyers have the choice of either the 1.5 litre or 2.0 litre petrol engines.
The RF, which was first revealed at the New York Motor Show, follows the previous-generation folding hardtop version,
It accounted for around 80% of UK sales, with drivers opting for the refinement and extra insulation it offered over the standard car’s cloth roof. The same sales split is expected this time round.
The new RF takes a more radical approach than its predecessor, with a complex mechanism that’s similar to the set-up used by Porsche on the latest 911 Targa.
SE-L Nav models feature LED headlights, cruise control, climate control, a seven-inch media system, sat-nav and 16-inch wheels.
The pricier Sport Nav models benefit from upgrades including heated seats, automatic lights and wipers, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, keyless entry, a Bose sound system and rear parking sensors.
Opt for an SE-L Nav with the 2.0-litre engine and your RF will also come with 17-inch alloys with a gunmetal finish and black door mirror housings.
Refreshingly, relatively few options are available, the car already being well kitted out. You can choose pearlescent paint, costing £550, or Soul Red or Machine Grey Metallic for £670. There’s also an option for Nappa leather trim, on Sport Nav models, which costs £400.
If you’ve gone for the 2.0-litre Sport Nav model, you can additionally pick the Safety Pack – which adds automatic dipping, blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert. It’ll set you back another £400.
Well over a million MX-5s have been sold since Mazda launched its jaunty little roadster in 1989, and more than 120,000 of those sales have been in the UK.
jmckeown@thecourier.co.uk