A leaked brochure gave us our first look at the mildly refreshed MX-5 in both soft- and retractable hard-top (RHT) body styles earlier this week and now Mazda has come out with an official release for the 2013 model that goes on sale today in Japan.
We suspect that if not all, most of the changes on the JDM model will be applied on the international market versions before the end of the year.
The second facelift for the third-generation MX-5 since its debut in 2005 brings a redesigned face with a new bumper sporting a larger front grille opening with a more curved upper part, new front fog lamp housings, a front chin spoiler plus black headlamp bezels for the soft-top and chrome bezels for the hard-top model.
In addition, the refreshed roadster model gains a pedestrian protection system in the guise of an Active Bonnet, which raises the rear end of the hood in the event of an accident to absorb the energy of impact and reduce the severity of head injuries in collisions involving pedestrians.
Also new for the 2013 model year is the Dolphin Gray Mica paint finish that replaces the Metropolitan Gray Mica and newly styled 17-inch alloy wheels for the MX-5 RHT.
Inside, the Japanese carmaker has introduced a new tan color option for models fitted with leather seats while a Glossy Dark Gray finish is used for the decoration panel and steering wheel bezel.
Finally, Mazda’s engineers have tweaked the throttle and brake booster to improve control of the accelerator in the manual transmission models and the brakes in all models.
In Japan, the updated MX-5 starts at 2,330,000 Yen (about US$29,200 / €23,300).
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