New Mazda MX-5 sales: 66 percent male, noticeably younger buyers than before

The new Mazda MX-5 is attracting a younger and different audience than those of the previous-generation model.

The new MX-5 â€" which launched with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine in August â€" has been a hit with early adopters with the two-door sportscar registering 220 sales in August and a further 97 in September.

Speaking to CarAdvice at this week’s Tokyo motor show, the CEO of Mazda Australia, Martin Benders, said the company was very excited by the car’s reception.

“We actually had to order a few more.” Benders said.

“We still have outstanding orders and starting to build up bit of an order bank on the 2.0-litre ahead of it launch.”

Despite the 1.5-litre being more likely to attract a slightly more passive audience than performance buyers waiting for the 2.0-litre, figures so far suggest the MX-5’s buyer demographic is about 66 percent male, roughly the same as the previous-generation, however the age group has shifted noticeably.

While 80 percent of previous-generation MX-5 owners were aged above 45, that figure has now dropped to below 60 percent for the new car, suggesting the car’s fresher and more youthful styling (and it’s considerable price drop) is attracting a younger audience.

It’s also prudent to note that repurchase rates of the new MX-5 is lower than other models in the Mazda range, suggesting the fourth-generation convertible appeals to a new audience, likely those more appreciative of the first and second-generation MX-5 â€" which captured the lightweight convertible sportscar concept so well â€" rather than the third-generation which shared its platform with the larger and heavier RX-8 of the time.

The higher output 2.0-litre arrives in local showrooms from late November with customer deliveries set for December and January. Roughly 30 pre orders per week are currently being taken nationally for the higher-output MX-5.