Surprise, surprise! The all-new Mazda MX-5 RF has landed on Malaysian shores, with this particular unit being spotted at Mazda Malaysia’s Glenmarie showroom. The arrival of the retractable fastback has been heralded for some time, with Mazda Malaysia confirming its arrival since July last year.
The RF defers from its soft-top sibling most noticeably by its folding metal hardtop, which can be tucked away or put up in a few seconds, by simply interacting with a toggle just below the air-con controls. This eliminates any need for manual labour, and will work at speeds of up to 10 km/h.
To accommodate the new roof design, the RF gets new rear pillars, a stowable mid-section for said roof as well as a more upright rear window to provide a more fastback look. The rest of the car remains unchanged from the soft-top, including the boot space of 130 litres, if that’s relevant.
The car seen here, unlike the one that was revealed in New York, isn’t finished in the carmaker’s new Machine Grey premium body colour, but instead gets the brand’s familiar Soul Red paintjob. Not that it matters as it is still quite the looker, at least to this writer’s eyes.
Under the hood, the RF gets the same 2.0 litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder SkyActiv-G petrol engine (158 hp/200 Nm) as the soft-top roadster. The mill in this instance is mated to a six-speed SkyActiv-MT manual transmission, something that driving purists in the country will most definitely welcome. Those who still want the six-speed SkyActiv-Drive automatic will still be able to order the RF with said transmission, although it will cost more.
The equipment list is similar to the roadster, with adaptive LED headlights, LED daytime running lights, 17-inch wheels, keyless entry and start, automatic air-con, cruise control, MZD Connect infotainment system, seven-inch touchscreen and nine-speaker Bose sound system coming as standard.
We’ve been told by Bermaz personnel that the automatic RF will be tentatively priced at RM250k (manual should be less), with an official launch scheduled to take place in April or May this year. As a comparison, the soft-top retails for RM219,999 in Malaysia. Interested? Well, bookings are now open for the RF with either transmission. You can get best offers for the Mazda MX-5 on CarBase.my.
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AI-generated Summary ✨
Comments express frustration over the high prices of the Mazda MX-5 RF in Malaysia, with many stating RM179K to RM199K as a more reasonable range, criticizing the pricing as excessive compared to prices abroad and other sports cars like the Audi TT. Some emphasize that the MX-5 offers genuine driving fun, manual options, and is a premium brand, though others feel the price is unjustified and underpowered for the money. There is keen interest in the soft top version, with test drive attempts and waiting for future availability. Comparisons to other vehicles and opinions on Mazda's positioning as a premium Japanese brand are frequent, with some users lamenting the affordability gap between Malaysia and western markets. Overall, sentiments range from admiration of the car’s qualities to disappointment over pricing and market value.