Plus a unique dark brown premium cloth for the fabric roof

Tag : Fabric Finish

(from Mazda Press Release)

The latest Mazda MX-5 can truly be described as an all-weather,all-year sports car with its enhanced heating and air-conditioningsystems. Now, to celebrate its continuing status as‘Britain’s favourite sports car brand’ thiswinter, Mazda is introducing a pair of special edition‘Niseko’ models, named after Japan’s mostprestigious skiing resort.

As the latest edition of the world’s best selling roadster,the rear-wheel drive Mazda MX-5 Niseko boasts unrivalled handlingand driving dynamics, and represents extremely competitive valuefor money. Available from £17,995 on-the-road, the Nisekooffers up to £2,000 worth of additional or exclusive extrasover and above the equivalent standard models.

On sale from 1 January 2008, both the ‘entry-level’1.8i Niseko soft-top (126ps, five-speed) and the £19,995 2.0iNiseko roadster coupe (160ps, six-speed) are available in anexclusive new bespoke colour ‘Icy Blue’ metallic, aswell as Sunlight Silver metallic – for no additional charge.

“Mazda MX-5 customers have traditionally given a warm welcometo each new ‘special edition’ model introduced duringour roadster’s 18 year history,” commented MarkCameron, Mazda UK marketing director. “Now, for the firsttime with the Niseko, we are offering a ‘special’ modelin both soft-top and roadster coupe forms and with co-ordinatedbrown leather seats and interior trim. Personally, I think the new‘Icy Blue’ colour is going to appeal particularly towomen buyers, although since launch the third generation Mazda MX-5has achieved a 50/50, male/female sales mix as predicted.

“Traditionally, MX-5 buyers spend more on accessories and domore to individualise their cars, than other Mazda owners. Althoughthe majority of those buyers use their MX-5s all-year-round, thepeak ordering period is from February through to May, so theintroduction of Niseko in January will boost sales at the back endof winter and give us a head-start for a spring sales boom,”added Cameron.

Special exterior features of the Mazda MX-5 Niseko include: uniquedesign 17-inch alloy wheels, unique body-colour finish for thestyle bar trim, front fog lamps, Chrome Pack (door handles andheadlamp bezels, and surrounds for the side-repeaters, front grilleand fog lamps) and special edition ‘Niseko’ badging oneach front wing, plus a unique dark brown premium cloth for thefabric roof (soft-top only).

Inside, both Niseko models feature unique dark brown heated leatherseats with co-ordinated door trim and icy blue stitching, plus darkbrown leather steering wheel, gearknob and handbrake. They are alsoequipped with a dark-silver dash panel, stainless-steel scuffplates and Niseko-branded luxury interior mats, with a suspensionstrut tower bracing bar beneath the bonnet.

As well as adding the special Niseko features, the generousstandard equipment of the donor vehicles ensures that buyers canenjoy: driver’s seat height adjustment, electric windows,central locking, MP3-compatible radio/single CD player withsix-speaker audio system, climate control air-conditioning,stainless-steel scuff plates, twin chrome exhaust tail pipes and aThatcham Category 1 alarm and immobiliser.

Niseko owners will also enjoy a degree of exclusivity as productionof this latest Mazda MX-5 model will be restricted. Just 240examples of the Mazda MX-5 1.8i Niseko soft-top and 560 units ofthe MX-5 2.0i Niseko roadster coupe will be made available in theUK.

Despite all of the additional specification, both Mazda MX-5 Nisekospecial editions remain in the same insurance groups as theirstandard counterparts – 11E (1.8i) and 13E (2.0i).