New Mazda Miata Sports Car Hits the Market at Last

On Thursday Mazda Motor Corp. will finally begin selling its fourth-generation MX-5 Miata. The model originally was due in 2012.

Sales will begin in Japan, where the two-seater is badged as the Roadster. The new car will carry a base price of 2.5 million yen ($20,600) in its home market. Mazda expects first-year sales there of 6,000 units, although the company reports pre-sale orders for more than 3,000 cars.

The new Miata will is expected to bow in the U.S. this summer at starting price of about $25,000.

The revamped model was nearly cancelled after the global economic crisis in 2009. After being resurrected, the Miata went through several redesigns. Management demanded a lighter, more efficient and sustainably profitable vehicle.

The resulting car boasts an ideal 50:50 front/rear weight distribution. It also weighs as little as 2,200 lbs in domestic market trim, making it about 220 lbs lighter than this year's model, according to the company.

The new Mazda is fitted with a 6-speed manual transmission and a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder Skyactiv-G engine rated at 155 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque. The engine has less power (-12 hp) and slightly more torque (+ 8 lb-ft) than this year's edition.

The 2016 Miata is expected to have U.S. fuel economy ratings of 27 mpg city and 34 mpg highway. Those figures compare with 21 mpg and 28 mpg, respectively, for the 2015 model.