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| Wednesday, 20 May 2015, 15:14 JST | |
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Source: mazda | |
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| - Joy of the moment, joy of life - |
HIROSHIMA, Japan, May 20, 2015 - (JCN Newswire) - Mazda Motor Corporation has announced that the all-new Mazda Roadster (known as Mazda MX-5 outside Japan) will go on sale at all Mazda and Mazda Anfini dealerships throughout Japan from Thursday, May 21. The fourth generation Roadster features Mazda's latest technologies and embodies the essential value of the Mazda brand; "fun-to-drive" driving pleasure.
 | | All-new Mazda Roadster Goes on Sale in Japan |
The manufacturer's suggested retail price ranges from 2,494,800 yen to 3,142,800 yen (including tax). The company expects to sell 500 units per month.
The all-new Roadster is the sixth model in Mazda's line-up of new-generation vehicles that feature the full range of SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY(1) and KODO-Soul of Motion design. In developing this lightweight two-seater rear-wheel drive sports car, Mazda's goal was to deliver pure Jinba-ittai driving fun, and development engineers went to great lengths to appeal, on deeper level, to the senses and the sensations through which people enjoy cars.
With a newly-developed direct injection SKYACTIV-G 1.5-liter gasoline engine positioned behind the front axle, the all-new Roadster achieves the ideal 50:50 front-rear weight distribution.
The curb weight of the Roadster has been reduced by over 100 kilograms(2) compared to the previous model by increasing the use of aluminum and ultra-high tensile steel from 58 percent to 71 percent and adopting a body structure that is both lighter and more rigid. The fourth generation Roadster weighs between 990 and 1,060 kilograms.
The cockpit offers an ideal sports car driving position with outstanding visibility, pedals that are centered to the driver's body and controls laid out for maximum operability.
The canopy features a highly weather-resistant construction and can be opened and closed with a light and easy motion. While staying true to its purpose as two-seater sports car, Mazda worked hard to make the all-new Roadster a practical vehicle that will add excitement to the customer's daily life. Examples of these efforts include well-designed, easy-to-use storage compartments, removable drink-holders and a trunk that can accommodate two carry-on-sized suitcases.
"We launched the original Roadster in 1989 as the Eunos Roadster and for over a quarter of a century the model has been admired for its affordable price, exhilarating open-top feel and its Jinba-ittai fun-to-drive, which today has become a symbol of the Mazda brand," said Mazda President and CEO Masamichi Kogai. "Written in the catalog made for the original model were the words, 'A car that will make anyone happy.' I feel strongly now that these words were pointing the way, not just for the Roadster, but for the entire Mazda brand. These days, Mazda is aiming to get closer to our customers and enrich their lives through a variety of touch points. By providing driving pleasure and satisfied smiles, we want to make a particular kind of connection with our customers and become for them a one-and-only brand that they will choose again and again. By delivering driving pleasure and satisfaction to even more customers, this all-new Roadster will help to raise the value of the Mazda brand."
Features of all-new Mazda Roadster
A design to set the heart racing
- Beautiful proportions that make the occupants look good, from the car's low, short front overhang to its compact cabin that positions the occupants in the center.
- A low and wide trapezoidal form makes the vehicle appear as though it is firmly gripping the road and conveys an image of stability and agility.
- The body panels wrap around to extend right into the door trim, dissolving the visual boundaries between the vehicle's interior and exterior and creating an open-feeling interior design.
Driving pleasure that will captivate any driver
- Excellent visibility enables the driver to accurately perceive the car's behavior and quickly confirm conditions surrounding the vehicle.
- Seats feature a new S-fit construction that combines urethane pads with a newly-developed net material. They fit snugly from the moment they are sat upon and provide greatly enhanced hold while driving.
- In addition to 50:50 front-rear weight distribution, a lowered yaw inertia moment achieved by moving the engine rearward and adopting aluminum parts at the front and rear ends of the body, as well as a lower center of gravity achieved by lowering the engine's mounting position and seating position, combine to realize a light driving feel.
- The SKYACTIV-G 1.5-liter direct injection gasoline engine responds faithfully to the driver's will, delivering a pleasing sound and feeling of acceleration that extends continuously from low to high engine speeds.
- The newly-developed SKYACTIV-MT manual transmission for front-engine rear wheel-drive adopts a direct-drive sixth gear and was designed to be simple, compact and lightweight. It features a light and crisp shift feel with the shifter being drawn into gear from mid-shift.
- The 6-speed automatic transmission features wider slip control and lockup ranges for a more direct feel and adds a blipping function(3) and Drive Selection(4) for sporty and powerful driving performance.
- In a first for Mazda, the steering employs dual pinion electric power steering assist. It delivers highly rigid steering characteristics and provides direct feedback from the road surface.
A pleasant feeling all will find open and refreshing
- The soft-top canopy can be opened and closed easily with one hand while remaining seated and the cabin is quieter when the top is up.
- The flow of wind into the cabin is controlled to ensure pleasant and comfortable open-top driving.
- A nine-speaker sound system (Bose AudioPilot2) was developed jointly with Bose to deliver high-quality sound even when the top is down. It is available as a factory-installed option for the S Special Package and is standard equipment with the S Leather Package.
Advanced Technologies
- The Mazda Connect(5) car connectivity system is standard equipment for S Special Package and S Leather Package. It connects with a smartphone to enable various functions including hands-free telephone and SMS text messaging.
- The navigation system can be operated while driving using the commander control or voice commands. Customers can purchase the necessary Mazda Connect Navi PLUS SD card from their dealer for all models except the S model grade.
- The I-stop idling stop system and i-ELOOP brake energy regeneration system are standard equipment for automatic transmission models and are available as factory-installed options for S Special Package and S Leather Package manual transmission models.
Safety Equipment
I-ACTIVSENSE(6)
- Blind Sport Monitoring (BSM) uses a 24-GHz quasi milliwave radar to detect vehicles in the blind spot and alerts the driver with an indicator embedded in the mirrors and a buzzer if the driver indicates a lane change. It is available as a factory-installed option for S Special Package and as standard equipment for S Leather Package.
- High Beam Control automatically switches the headlights between high and low beams. It is available as a factory-installed option for S Special Package and standard equipment for S Leather Package.
- Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) detects lane makings on the road surface with a camera and issues a warning if the car is going to depart from its lane. It is available as a factory-installed option for S Special Package and standard equipment for S Leather Package.
- Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS) uses steering input and vehicle speed to predict and illuminate around curves in the road. It is available as a factory-installed option for S Special Package and standard equipment for S Leather Package.
- Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) detects approaching vehicles when the car is in reverse and alerts the driver. It is available as a factory-installed option for S Special Package and standard equipment for S Leather Package.
Passive Safety
- Active Bonnet causes the bonnet to pop up in the event of the vehicle striking a pedestrian, creating a shock-absorbing space between the bonnet and items in the engine bay. It is available as standard equipment on all model grades.
(1) SKYACTIV is the umbrella term for Mazda's range of next-generation technologies including gasoline and diesel engines, transmissions, and new body and chassis, developed under Mazda's Sustainable Zoom-Zoom vision to provide driving pleasure balanced with outstanding environmental and safety performance.
(2) Figure varies depending on specifications.
(3) This function automatically increases engine speed the instant the driver shifts down when using manual mode or direct mode with the transmission in Drive ("D"), adjusting engine rpm to match the selected gear. The result is quicker shifts as well as better continuity and response in deceleration when shifting down.
(4) Allows the driver to choose Sport mode by pressing a switch on the shift panel. This increases torque output when the accelerator is pressed, delivering powerful acceleration.
(5) The name Mazda Connect is used in Japan, US, Canada and Mexico. The system is referred to as MZD Connect in other markets.
(6) Mazda's I-ACTIVSENSE is an umbrella term covering a series of advanced safety technologies, developed in line with Mazda Proactive Safety, which make use of detection devices such as milliwave radars and cameras. They include active safety technologies that support safe driving by helping the driver to recognize potential hazards, and pre-crash safety technologies which help to avert collisions or reduce their severity in situations where they cannot be avoided. For more information visit http://www2.mazda.com/en/technology/safety/
(7) Figures screened by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. The fuel economy figures shown are the results of testing under a fixed set of conditions. In practice, fuel economy figures may vary according to driving circumstances.
Contact:
Corporate Communications Division
Mazda Motor Corporation, Japan
+81-3-3508-5056 [Tokyo]
+81-82-282-5253 [Hiroshima]
mailto: media@mazda.co.jp
Topic: Press release summary
Source: mazda
Sectors: Automotive
https://www.acnnewswire.com
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