The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Mazda lifts lid on special ed roadster
Limited edition MX-5 RF gears up for summer.
Not content with delivering just two special-edition Sport Black models this year, Mazda has brought the trim level to its range-topper, the MX-5 RF.
The iconic sports car follows on from the 2 and 3 hatchbacks in receiving Sport Black as a trim level in 2018.
It receives a number of black pieces of external trim, including a rear spoiler and door mirrors, while gunmetal grey alloys feature too. There’s also just the one body colour – Eternal Blue Mica.
Climb inside and you’ll find unique floor mats, scuff plates and badging.
As for equipment, this is based on the existing SE-L Nav grade, meaning standard features include cruise control, keyless start, LED headlights, heated front seats and a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment display with satellite navigation. The Sport Black also gets its heated seats wrapped in leather, rainsensing wipers, rear parking sensors, automatic headlights and a limited-slip differential for no extra cost.
Pricing for the Mazda MX-5 RF Sport Black begins at £25,695 and it goes on sale from May 28. Only 300 of them will be built, so if you fancy one it’s best to act quickly.
This isn’t the first special-edition MX-5 to go on sale in the UK this year. January saw the introduction of the Z-Sport, which brought a cherry red roof, 17-inch BBS alloy wheels and a cream interior to the soft-top version of the car.
Peter Allibon, sales director at Mazda UK, said: “I’m delighted we can offer an exclusive RF model to our customers. With it joining the Z-Sport convertible in the line-up, we now have an unrivalled choice of MX-5s in the range, which means that anyone wanting to drive a distinctive and stylish roadster can find what they need with one of our special edition models.”
Meanwhile, declining consumer demand for diesel has now resulted in Vauxhall dropping diesel Corsas from its range.
Demand has dropped sharply, with sales falling by more than a third in recent months. This shift hits smaller vehicles harder than it does large saloons and SUVs, as buyers tend to travel shorter distances and carry smaller loads – meaning less need for a diesel’s low down grunt.
The 1.3-litre CDTI diesel engine produced 94bhp and was theoretically capable of 78.5mpg, but even that attractive number couldn’t save it from being culled.
The move comes as new parent brand PSA Groupe, which also owns Peugeot and Citroen, is introducing a host of costcutting measures in a bid to make Vauxhall profitable.
A spokesperson for Vauxhall said: “The reason why [the diesel engine] has been dropped is due to poor sales and it not being Euro 6.2 compliant. Just one in 200 Corsas sold at retail are diesel now.”