The 2016 MX-5 to Receive Skyactiv 2.0-Liter in the U.S.

2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata (Credit: © Mazda)

So far, the unveiling process of the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata has been nothing short of obnoxiously annoying. From the “look it’s a car and here’s Duran-Duran” debut until today, Mazda has been oddly coy about any specifications. This lack of information has bred lots of speculation about its drivetrain, ranging from a tiny 1.5-liter to a beastly, turbocharged four-pot.

Well, part of the mystery is solved, according to Autoblog. In the U.S., the MX-5 will carry a 2.0-liter Skyactiv four-cylinder under its hood, while other markets will get a 1.5-liter powerplant. Autoblog also learned that these engines will be specially tuned for the roadster, which is a good thing because the current Skyactiv-G 2.0-liter produces only 155 horses and 150 pound-feet of twist, and the current 1.5-liter is even worse at 99 horsepower and 110 pound-feet. If those numbers were to carry over, it would mark a steep drop in output, as the U.S.-spec Miata currently has 167 horses and 140 pound-feet, while the global-spec base model’s 1.8-liter produces 125 horsepower and 123 pound-feet of torque.

Before MX-5 fans start losing their minds over the numbers, remember that the 2016 MX-5 weighs around 2,200 pounds, which is about 200 pounds less than the current model. These weight savings mean that even if the power output of the Skyactiv-G remains untouched, the pounds-per-horsepower ratio will drop slightly, leading to a sportier feeling than the NC Miata.

The real question is what exactly will Mazda do to specially tune the Skyactiv-G 2.0-liter engine for use in the MX-5? The hope of a turbocharger is fading fast, but there is still potential for one. If Mazda can pull off slightly reducing the compression of the 2.0-liter engine, it could receive a light dose of boost and still retain its Skyactiv qualities. Instead of being the highest-compression gasoline engine, it could be the highest-compression turbocharged engine. With light boost, 180 horsepower and nearly 200-pound-feet of torque aren’t impossible numbers to reach. But this is rather unlikely to happen.

What I think we’ll see is some revised hardware and updated electronics to boost the Skyactiv-G engine to around 170 horses and 160 pound-feet of torque. This output would put the new MX-5 about even with Mazda’s last turbocharged MX-5, which had 178 horsepower 166 pound-feet of torque.