THE Mazda MX-5 is getting an exterior design change for the first time since the launch of the current generation model in 2015.

The subtle changes include a new LED headlight design that now incorporates the daytime running lights, while the rear LED lights have also been redesigned.

A new Aero Grey paint colour has been added to the MX-5 line-up as well.

The eight-model range features four Roadster and four RF models with a choice of Prime-Line, Exclusive-Line and Homura trim grades.

Prime-Line cars are powered by the 132ps 1.5-litre Skyactiv-G engine, while Exclusive-Line can be chosen with either the 1.5-litre or the 184ps 2.0-litre Skyactiv-G engine.

The range-topping Homura is exclusively matched to the 184ps unit. Prices for the 2024 Mazda MX-5 range start at £28,000 for the 1.5-litre Prime-Line Roadster.

As before 2.0-litre cars feature a front strut brace, limited slip differential and Bilstein dampers as standard.

The 2024 MX-5 features a new asymmetric limited slip differential - a cam mechanism has been added to the conical clutch, which is lightweight, compact and highly durable. The cam angle is set differently for the deceleration and acceleration side, thereby achieving optimal limiting force of slip during both actions.

Strengthening the slip limiting force when the unloaded rear wheel is lightened during cornering enhances stability, moreover tuning the slip limiting force and optimising the set up for the MX-5's engine, suspension and tyre characteristics ensures the purity of handling balance the MX-5 is famed for, says Mazda.

Drivers will also notice upgrades to the cabin of the MX-5, as inside there's a new larger central 8.8-inch touch-screen multimedia display and an updated instrument panel.

The larger central screen allows for clearer navigation mapping, while the more advanced MZ Connect system helps user functionality, additionally USB-C ports have been introduced.

The range-topping Homura grade now features Recaro seats trimmed in leather and Alcantara.

Over more than three decades and across four generations, the Mazda MX-5 has always been the benchmark pure lightweight sports car with driver engagement at the centre of its appeal.

The Jinba Ittai philosophy - of driver and machine working in perfect harmony - is at the heart of every Mazda, none more so than the Mazda MX-5. The 2024 Mazda MX-5 continues to deliver pure open-top driving pleasure while retaining its core values of agility, lightweight and finely balanced handling.

On Exclusive-Line and Homura models, the new dynamic stability control track driving mode avoids intervention until a later parameter to deliver a more dynamic, yet secure, drive experience with first-time track drivers in mind.

The response of the accelerator has been improved to deliver a more accurate throttle application, while the electric power steering has been adjusted and steering rack friction reduced to deliver an even more natural and fluid response.

It is now 35 years since the first-generation Mazda MX-5 was revealed at the 1989 Chicago Motor Show and to date 1,256,745 MX-5s have been produced at Mazda's Ujina plant in Hiroshima and more than 135,000 of these being sold in the UK.

Arriving in the UK in March, the 2024 Mazda MX-5 continues the formula that has seen more than 25,000 fourth-generation MX-5s sold in the UK since its launch in 2015.

"Our engineers created a sports car that incorporates our ground-breaking Skyactiv technology, modern safety and superb efficiency with the driver focused enjoyment for which the MX-5 is loved. The MX-5 is Mazda's brand icon and it embodies all that is great about our products."