Mazda MX-5 Miata ND Japanese S

Identity and scope

The S was the entry grade of Japan’s fourth-generation Mazda Roadster at its 21 May 2015 sales launch. It belongs beneath the MX-5 Miata ND generation. Roadster was the Japanese name; this record covers the Japanese launch specification, not an overseas model-year designation. Mazda’s launch announcement.

Powertrain, body and equipment

The two-seat, rear-wheel-drive soft-top used a direct-injection SKYACTIV-G 1.5-litre petrol engine and six-speed SKYACTIV-MT manual transmission. The engine sat behind the front axle; sixth gear was direct drive.

Mazda listed the S at ¥2,494,800 including tax, excluding the recycling fee. Unlike S Special Package and S Leather Package, it had no automatic option in the launch lineup. Mazda Connect was standard on those higher grades, while the navigation SD card excluded S. The launch document’s i-stop and i-ELOOP options applied to higher manual grades, not S. These distinctions make the S the basic manual configuration rather than a synonym for every Japanese ND. Launch specifications and equipment.

Production and historical context

Mazda’s announcement dated 5 March 2015 reported the start of fourth-generation production at Ujina Plant No. 1 in Hiroshima, Japan, with the first cars destined for the domestic market. This is a generation-level production milestone, not a separately documented S-grade production date. Its provisional forecast of Japanese sales around June was superseded by the May launch announcement.

Development combined SKYACTIV engineering and KODO design with an emphasis on preserving the lightweight sports car’s driving appeal while addressing safety and environmental demands. The S’s historical relevance lies in its place as the basic Japanese launch configuration within that programme. Mazda’s production announcement.

This record describes the launch configuration. It does not establish an S-specific production total or discontinuation date, or imply that equipment remained unchanged throughout the ND generation.

Related records

See the parent fourth-generation ND and the separate Japanese NR-A and RS Soft Top variant records.

Sources

• Mazda Motor Corporation — All-new Mazda Roadster Goes on Sale in Japan (20 May 2015)
• Mazda — Mazda Starts Production of All-New MX-5 (5 March 2015)

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• Mazda MX-5 Miata ND Japanese S SKYACTIV-G 1.5 Engine

  The Japanese ND Roadster S paired the direct-injection SKYACTIV-G 1.5 petrol engine with a six-speed manual gearbox, applying Mazda’s engine architecture to a lightweight sports car.

  Engine