Well, it was fun while it lasted. Because of stringent emissions regulations in Europe, Mazda has been forced to discontinue the 2.0-liter engine in the Miata. There is one exception, though. You can still get the bigger powertrain in the UK, which left the European Union in January 2020. Elsewhere, the smaller 1.5-liter unit will be the sole engine.
The announcement was made a few weeks ago during a press event held in Croatia. Upon hearing the sad news, we reached out to Mazda. The company's Italian division has now confirmed the surprising demise of the 2.0-liter unit, mere months after the ND3's launch. The dealer in Romania from where I bought my ND2 a couple of years ago told me the same–the Miata's 2.0-liter engine is no more in Europe.
Although you can't order the MX-5 with the bigger engine anymore in Europe, Mazda told us there are still a handful of cars left in stock. Once those are gone, the 2.0-liter mill is gone for good, so you'd better hurry up and grab one of the final cars.
Never sold in the United States, the 1.5-liter engine packs 129 horsepower and 111 pound-feet of torque. That's 52 hp and 40 lb-ft less than the bigger engine. On the flip side, a Miata with the 1.5-liter unit is slightly lighter. The smaller engine is known to have a rev-happy character, more than the 2.0-liter during the initial ND1 years. Of course, the lesser Miata is also cheaper.
Will Mazda ever offer a Miata with a bigger engine in Europe? It’s hard to say. That ship has probably sailed for the ND. However, the next-generation model will likely be electrified to some extent, which would allow the Zoom-Zoom company to install a larger engine and still meet stricter emissions regulations. Well, at least in theory since it's too early to know for sure.
An all-new MX-5 is likely several years away since logic tells us the recently launched ND3 is sticking around for a while. A 35th Anniversary Edition is coming later this year, but if it'll be offered only with the 2.0-liter engine, it'll be a forbidden fruit in Europe.
2024 is a terrible year for relatively affordable sports cars in Europe considering the Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ are dead. Not because of tougher emissions laws, but due to the new General Safety Regulations 2 (GSR2).
