The ND Mazda MX-5 gets more updates and special handling-focused “PS” variant

The ND Mazda MX-5 soldiers on for yet another year, and alongside the recent introduction of the Zinc Green Metallic and gray soft top roof colorway option, Mazda Japan has given the  ND3 MX-5 (or Roadster) and MX-5 RF a handful of improvements for 2026.

READ: Mazda adds a new color for the ND Miata in Zinc Green Metallic

Utilizing the know-how from the Mazda Spirit Racing Roadster, the MX-5 soft top and RF get improved suspension tuning, improved accelerator response and heel and toe assist control for manual transmission vehicles, and traction control improvements.

It also comes with new headrest height and shape to comply with new safety standards, and the 8.8-inch Mazda Connect infotainment now comes with touch functionality within Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

For Japanese models, due to tightening noise regulations, the MX-5 now comes with quieter tires and optimized steering feel, new exhaust silencers that come with improved exhaust sound thanks to a new dedicated resonator, improvements to intakes, and, at least for the soft top model, a standard sound tube (or induction sound enhancer).

There is now a new special variant called PS, which focuses on the driving experience from both city to backroads. This includes an insulated soft top with a glass rear window finished in gray cloth, 16-inch RAYS aluminum wheels finished in black, silver-painted four-piston Brembo brakes with ventilated discs, Bilstein dampers, and black-and-silver accents in the interior.

Otherwise, engine and transmission choices remain unchanged, so you either get a 1.5-liter, naturally aspirated gasoline engine or a larger 2.0-liter, naturally aspirated gasoline engine, mated either to a six-speed automatic or manual transmission.

Eventually, we can come to expect these changes to come to international models, but we’re particularly interested in the PS variant that comes with all the handling-related improvements and the factory-fitted RAYS aluminum wheels, which we hope Mazda Philippines will offer.

^{Photos from Mazda}