The Mitsubishi L200 pick up truck is named Best Pickup at the Carbuyer Awards 2017

• Mitsubishi L200 is named Best Pickup at the Carbuyer Awards 2017
• Judges praise L200 for its rugged ability and strong 2.4-litre four-cylinder diesel
• Car-like driving dynamics and off-road ability also commended by Carbuyer judges
• Mitsubishi L200 available in single, club and double cab bodystyles price from £17,999.00 (CV List Price)

The Mitsubishi L200 has secured another major award, this time for Best Pickup at the 2017 Carbuyer Awards at the Curzon Bloomsbury Cinema, The Brunswick, London.  

The panel of judges for the 2017 Carbuyer Awards were particularly impressed with the latest Mitsubishi L200, saying it is ‘better than ever’ thanks to its combination of  impressive off-road capabilities with car-like on-road dynamics, while also offering competitive pricing and high standard specification.

Stuart Milne, Editor of Carbuyer commented: “The Mitsubishi L200 name has been with us for more than 30 years and the latest model is better than ever. It delivers on its promise of rugged ability with some neat detailing and an impressive amount of equipment, while it packs a strong 2.4-litre four-cylinder diesel engine that allows you to tow over three tonnes. It’s also the most car-like pickup to drive on-road and extremely capable off-road. Despite all this, it can return more than 40mpg. Combine that with competitive pricing and a number of desirable high-spec models and it’s clear why the L200 is our best pickup.”

Lance Bradley, Managing Director of Mitsubishi Motors UK, commented, “Tough and rugged vehicles like the L200 and Shogun are what the Mitsubishi name has been built on over the past 100 years and our engineers continually strive to ensure our 4X4 vehicles remain the benchmark in their segments. We’re delighted that Carbuyer has recognised the qualities that have made the Mitsubishi L200 a critical and commercial success.”

The latest generation Mitsubishi L200 went on sale in July 2015 and has claimed numerous accolades since launch. Priced from £17,999.00 (CV List Price), the Mitsubishi L200 is available in single, club and double cab body styles and has a payload of up to 1,045kg and a towing capacity of up to 3.1 tonnes (braked). The fifth generation Mitsubishi L200 is currently available with zero percent finance.

The Best Car features on Carbuyer.co.uk and the awards that underpin them have been ranked by Carbuyer’s team of motoring experts, which collectively have dozens of years of experience and have tested thousands of cars between them.

USA - Mazda today announced that it has sold out of the 1,000-car allocation for the 2017 MX-5 Miata RF Launch Edition.

Two-Thirds of Customers Select Manual Transmission, Deliveries to Begin Early 2017

Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today announced that it has sold out of the 1,000-car allocation for the 2017 MX-5 Miata RF Launch Edition.

In the first week of ordering, which started September 26, more than 500 loyal Mazda customers put down deposits to buy a Retractable Fastback MX-5 Miata. When ordering opened to the general public on October 3, the remaining cars sold out in just 13 hours. In all, 67 percent of customers opted for manual transmissions.

Each U.S.-bound MX-5 RF Launch Edition will be painted Machine Gray Metallic and come with Auburn Nappa leather seating appointments, a hand-painted black roof and special badging—the latter three exclusive to the MX-5 RF Launch Edition for 2017. Customers also will receive a serialized Tourneau 42mm MX-5 RF Launch Edition watch.

“The 2017 MX-5 RF Launch Edition preorder program was created to reward loyal Mazda customers with exclusive access to some of the first MX-5 RF models to be sold in the U.S., as well as to ramp up anticipation for what was arguably the star of the 2016 New York International Auto Show,” said Robert Davis, senior VP, U.S. Operations. “By every measure, this program was a success, and we’re excited to be that much closer to getting these cars into the garages of customers from all over the U.S.”

Production of MX-5 RF started last week, and orders have been submitted this week for the U.S. MX-5 RF Launch Edition, with deliveries to customers beginning early 2017.

With the MX-5 RF Launch Edition having sold out, focus now shifts to the standard-production MX-5 Club and Grand Touring models.

The hardtop sibling of the 2016 World Car of the Year and World Car Design of the Year will come in tech-laden MX-5 RF Grand Touring and harder-edge MX-5 RF Club trim levels and will be available with a SKYACTIV-DRIVE six-speed manual transmission or six-speed automatic in either trim level.

While most features of the MX-5 RF are carryover from soft top models, there are a few additions for 2017 that will separate the Retractable Fastback from its cloth-covered sibling, including a 4.6-inch full-color TFT gauge and the availability of Machine Gray Metallic paint in substitution of Meteor Gray Mica that is available on the soft top. For 2017, all MX-5 Club models will come standard with Blind Spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Traffic Alert, regardless of their roof option. Previously, these features were available only on MX-5 Grand Touring models.

All MX-5 RF models come with a seven-inch MAZDA CONNECT^TM touchscreen infotainment system that integrates audio, SiriusXM and HD Radio, phone and diagnostic functions that can also be used via Commander control knob or voice commands as well as a nine-speaker BOSE^® audio system with integrated headrest-mounted speakers, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter knob and LED headlights and tail lights. MX-5 Club models come with premium cloth seats with red stitching, a Bilstein suspension, front and rear black functional aerodynamic body extensions and a limited-slip differential in models equipped with the six-speed manual transmission.

MX-5 RF Club models equipped with the six-speed manual transmission can be further optioned with the Brembo/BBS Package that includes a front shock-tower brace; side sill body extensions; forged, lightweight BBS 17-inch wheels; and Brembo front brakes with wider brake pads for greater heat dissipation during spirited driving. The package also includes red-painted brake calipers.

MX-5 RF Grand Touring models feature heated leather seating surfaces, Adaptive Front-lighting System, High Beam Control and Lane Departure Warning.

MSRP[1] for MX-5 RF Club and Grand Touring models:

MX-5 RF Club 6MT	$31,555
MX-5 RF Club 6AT	$32,285
• Brembo/BBS Package (6MT only)	$3,400
MX-5 RF Grand Touring 6MT	$32,620
MX-5 RF Grand Touring 6AT	$33,825
• Advanced Keyless Entry (Standard on 6AT models)	$130

Premium paint options:

Soul Red Metallic	$300
Machine Gray Metallic	$300
Crystal White Pearl Mica (GT models only)	$200

The new Mazda MX-5 RF is joining the UK MX-5 range with pricing and specification listed.

• The all-new Mazda MX-5 RF Retractable Fastback on sale from the 4^th March 2017.
• Priced from £22,195 to £28,995 the all-new Mazda MX-5 RF joins the award-winning MX-5 range.
• Limited to just 500 cars, the £28,995 Launch Edition features unique styling and equipment.

With production having started at Mazda’s Ujina Plant in Hiroshima Japan, the all-new Mazda MX-5 RF Retractable Fastback will go on sale in the UK on the 4^th March 2017. 

With the first cars produced heading to Europe and North America, UK drivers will be able to get behind the wheel of Mazda’s exciting new MX-5 Retractable Fastback early next year.

With a limited run of just 500 cars, the six model range will be heralded by the flagship Launch Edition. 

Powered by a 160ps 2.0-litre SKYACTIV-G engine, the Launch Edition is marked out by its unique twin-tone roof, BBS wheels, black door mirrors and black rear spoiler. Available with a choice of free-of-charge Soul Red or Machine Grey metallic paint, it also comes with a Safety Pack as standard, while the exclusive feel continues inside with Alcantara trim and Recaro seats.

Designed to offer a new dimension of open-top driving fun, while at the same time staying true to the underlying principle of the previous generation MX-5 retractable hardtop, the all-new Mazda MX-5 RF’s ‘fastback’ styling gives it a unique appearance roof up or down, broadening the appeal of the world’s best-selling two-seater sports car.

As with the established Mazda MX-5 convertible, all models powered by the 2.0-litre 160ps engine feature a limited slip differential and 17-inch wheels; while Sport Nav models (and the Launch Edition) feature Bilstein dampers and strut brace to further enhance their dynamic set up. Plus, with the introduction of the £27,095 Sport Nav Auto, the current generation of MX-5 is offered with an automatic gearbox for the first time in the UK. Offered in both SE-L Nav and Sport Nav trim, RF’s powered by the 1.5-litre 131ps engine will arrive in dealerships in May.

Developed to deliver enhanced cabin comfort and a refined ride, while at the same time maintaining the agility, performance and driver engagement of the MX-5 convertible, the suspension and electric power steering parameters of the all-new Mazda MX-5 RF have been specifically tuned for the Retractable Fastback. In addition, a sound-absorbing headliner used in the front and middle roof panels combines with sound insulation around the rear wheel housings to deliver a significantly quieter cabin when the roof is closed.

“With the all-new Mazda MX-5 RF we freed ourselves from traditional ways of thinking and took on fresh challenges in order to create something new. Our aim was a convertible sports car with gorgeous fastback lines when the roof is closed and an exhilarating open-air feeling when open,” commented Nobuhiro Yamamoto, Mazda MX-5 Programme Manager.

The MX-5 RF’s retractable hardtop consists of front, middle and rear roof sections, and a rear screen. When the top is lowered the front and middle portions are stowed together, while the rear glass sits behind the seats, leaving the rear roof section in place to create a unique open-topped look, and a cabin feeling that combines a sense of open air freedom with the impression of being securely ensconced within the car.

On the Launch Edition the front and middle roof sections feature a piano black finish that contrasts with the Soul Red or Machine Grey metallic paint, which both use Mazda’s unique “TAKUMINURI” paint process to deliver glossy depth and nuanced shading that intensifies the contrasts between light and shadow with its high-density finish, giving the impression that the body was sculpted from a solid block of steel. 

Building on the all-new Mazda MX-5’s award-winning design, the RF’s roof up style will set it apart when it arrives on UK roads early next year. A 5mm increase in roof height aside, the RF retains the same overall length, width and wheelbase as the MX-5 convertible, but thanks to gently downward slopping buttresses that tuck in at the sides to create a teardrop shape, the RF’s elegant fastback silhouette accentuates the MX-5’s dynamic and contemporary sports car proportions in a completely unique way.

“If we consider the convertible model to represent the purist of lightweight sports car appeal, the new Retractable Fastback epitomises a new type of MX-5 that aims to be a compact sports car with a natural charm that everyone will find beautiful,” commented Masashi Nakayama, Mazda MX-5 Chief Designer.  

With pre-order now open, the all-new Mazda MX-5 RF will arrive in dealerships on the 4^th March 2017 and promises to add another chapter in the MX-5 success story.  Jeremy Thomson, Managing Director of Mazda Motors UK said, “We’re very excited about the arrival of the all-new Mazda MX-5 RF. It will add a unique and stylish model to our range, one that stands distinct from the MX-5 Convertible, yet retains all the award-winning driver appeal our sports car is famed for."   

Adding, “With over 120,000 sales since its launch in 1990, the UK has played a huge part in the MX-5 success story. The last generation of retractable hardtop accounted for a large percentage of MX-5 sales and we expect the all-new RF to continue that trend.”

All-new Mazda MX-5 RF pricing

Mazda MX-5 RF 1.5 131ps SE-L Nav	£22,195
Mazda MX-5 RF 1.5 131ps Sport Nav	£24,795
Mazda MX-5 RF 2.0 160ps SE-L Nav	£23,095
Mazda MX-5 RF 2.0 160ps Sport Nav	£25,695
Mazda MX-5 RF 2.0 160ps Sport Nav Auto	£27,095
Mazda MX-5 RF 2.0 160ps Launch Edition	£28,995
Options		Basic Price	VAT	MSRP
Mica/Metallic/Pearlescent Paint		£458.33	£91.67	£550
Soul Red or Machine Grey Metallic Paint		£558.33	£111.67	£670
Nappa leather trim*		£166.67	£33.33	£400
Safety Pack (High Beam Control and Blind Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross Traffic Alert)**		£333.33	£66.67	£400
*Optional on Sport Nav models only.

**Optional on 160ps Sport Nav models only.

All-new Mazda MX-5 RF Specification

SE-L Nav 1.5 131ps

Black cloth seat trim

LED headlights

Climate control air-conditioning

7” Colour touch-screen display

Multimedia Commander

Cruise Control

Integrated navigation system

DAB radio

Integrated Bluetooth^®

16” Alloy wheels

Body colour door mirrors

Additional on 2.0-litre 160ps engine

Limited Slip Differential

17” Gunmetal alloy wheels

Piano Black door mirrors

Sport Nav 1.5 -131ps (as above plus)

Heated black leather seat trim

Dusk-sensing lights

Rain-sensing wipers

Auto dimming rear-view mirror

Lane Departure Warning System

Adaptive Front lighting System

Smart keyless entry

Rear parking sensor

Premium Bose^® sound system

16” Gunmetal alloy wheels

Piano black door mirrors

Additional on 2.0-litre 160ps engine

Bilstein Sport suspension

Strut brace

17“ Bright alloy wheels

Body colour door mirrors

Additional on Launch Edition

Recaro seats

BBS wheels

Twin tone roof

Alcantara pack including dashboard panel, gearshift boots, handbrake boots and door cards

Limited Edition numbering

Piano Black door mirrors

Piano Black rear spoiler

Safety Pack

Free-of-charge Soul Red / Machine Grey Metallic paint