► New MX-5 prices from £18,495
► Available with 0% finance from launch
► Mk1 would cost £31,687 in today’s money
Mazda is taking the unusual move of launching the all-new 2015 MX-5 with 0% finance – a move normally reserved to kickstart sales of ageing, soon-to-die models.
The news cements our view that the roadster remains something of a bargain. The entry-level 1.5i SE will cost £18,495 on-the-road (a fiver less than the outgoing MX-5), while the cost of stepping up to a more powerful 2.0i SE-L is £1600 extra.
Interest-free finance deals are available on all MX-5s registered in the UK from 1 July-30 September 2015. Just remember you’ll have to stump up 50% cash up front, and then spread repayments over 12, 24 or 36 months. If you can’t afford £9k up front, you can use a Mazda PCP instead, although you’ll pay interest at 5.9%.
Mazda MX-5 prices: stuck in a time warp
Japan’s best roadster has always been a good barometer of affordability and, rather incredibly, the inflation-adjusted economics show just how much of a bargain the new 2015 MX-5 is.
At UK launch in 1990, the Mk1 MX-5 cost £14,249. Adjust that to today’s prices, and that’s equivalent to £31,687. Which goes to show how good punters have it today – and how hard it is for car makers to make good money building cheaper cars.
MX-5 specs in the UK
All Brit-bound roadsters come with LED headlamps, alloy wheels, leather steering wheel and a six-speed gearbox. Punters can choose from five trim levels: SE, SE-L, SE-L Nav, Sport and Sport Nav.
Stepping up one run to SE-L adds climate control, DAB radio, Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control and the Mazda MZD touchscreen system. Sport models add rain-sensing wipers, parking sensors, keyless entry, heated seats and Bose stereo – while the 2.0 Sport gets a limited-slip difff and sports suspension with different Bilstein dampers.
In combination with two engines, that makes nine models in total to choose from.
Click here to read our full first drive review of the new 2015 Mazda MX-5.