mx-5 01

The global first drive of the 2016 Mazda MX-5, which took place at a Mazda Corporation event staged in Barcelona, has offered new live photos of the fourth-gen open-top sports car, which was unveiled last September and which made its first public showing in Paris.

Aside from the new photos, the output figures for the 1.5 litre high-compression direct-injected SkyActiv-G petrol four-pot, one of two normally-aspirated mills that will feature on the fourth-gen open-top two-seater, has also been revealed.

The unit, derived from that found on the Mazda 2 but given bespoke treatment for use in the roadster, puts out 129 hp at 7,000 rpm and 150 Nm at 4,800 rpm (on the Mazda 2, 114 hp at 6,000 and 148 Nm at 4,000 rpm), paired with a specially-tuned SkyActiv MT six-speed manual. A six-speed SkyActiv-Drive automatic will also be available.

In terms of power, it's slightly ahead of the 126 hp from the outgoing NC's 1.8 litre MZR unit, but has a little less torque (167 Nm on the MZR). The latter deficit is of course countered by the fact that the new ND is more than 100 kg lighter than the third-gen model.

The other mill, a 2.0 litre SkyActiv-G, is reportedly set to offer 168 hp and 200 Nm - the unit will be offered in the US as standard, but is expected to be available as an option in other markets when the car begins selling in the second half of 2015.