Those who feared Mazda would make the 2016 MX-5 Miata into a real slug can rest easy. But it’s not launching with the engines to make it a tire shredder, either.

At the Paris Motor Show, Mazda confirmed a 2.0-liter SkyActiv engine for the new roadster, which is the size of the current model’s top engine. It also sounds like it will be very similar to the 155-horsepower 2.0-liter unit in the Mazda 3 and CX-5, although the company insists the MX-5 will get its own tuning. A few more horses is probably within reason.

And in line with previous reports, the base MX-5 engine for European and Asian markets will be a new 1.5-liter SkyActiv setup. And while that engine is slated to produce just around 100 horsepower in the 2015 Mazda 2, it will most likely get a big bump in the MX-5. Mazda has yet to announce output figures for either engine.

I’m all in favor of a tiny engine powering the U.S.-bound Miata, but two liters is just fine. And it doesn’t need any more power.

By Zac Estrada

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