Sector: Roadster Price: £22,445 Fuel: 47.1mpg CO2: 139g/km

Mazda’s recent product revival has finally come full circle with the new MX-5. Having spent the last three years injecting its ever-popular roadster’s DNA into other models, those same innovations are now sharpening the brand’s spearhead.

While it’s debatable whether consumers really understand the innovations behind Skyactiv Technology, the move towards lighter, more fuel-efficient cars packaged in a stylish and instantly recognisable family design has definitely struck a chord. A wider range has helped, but fleet and retail sales are booming in the UK and it’s hoped that the MX-5 will become more of a corporate choice now that it’s benefitting from the same upgrades.

But, if the outgoing car was good enough to inspire a whole range, how do you improve on it? The difference with the MX-5 is that it’s dipping into the past, as well as drawing on Mazda’s latest technology. So, against a tide of ever-larger cars, this is the shortest, lowest MX-5 to date and, at 1,050kg, it's close to the weight of the original of 1989.

There are obvious fuel economy benefits from this, but it’s as important for the driving experience here as it is for the running costs. And the news is great – this is still an exemplary driver’s car. Mazda has pushed the wheels out to the extremities of the car, and the combination of low-slung, lightweight body with rifle-cock gearchanges and quick, snappy steering make this feel hugely confident and incredibly agile. Qualities which can be enjoyed even at low speeds.

It doesn’t feel like a track day car, either. Cabin material quality is very high, Mazda’s MZD Connect infotainment system is perched on the dashtop and the Sport trim gets most of the equipment a long-distance driver could need – cruise control, DAB, Bluetooth, heated sports seats, parking sensors, keyless entry. It’s all there.

Perhaps the biggest surprise in something so modern is the manual roof. Mazda has shed 3kg from the mechanism to make it easier to raise by hand, but there’s no option of an electric roof on the MX-5. With the colour-coded interior panels and classic roadster driving experience, it doesn’t feel like and odd fit either. Extra insulation means it’s surprisingly quiet with the roof up.

But its biggest nod to classic drop-tops is that it really doesn’t need lots of power. Mazda replaced the outgoing car’s 1.8-litre petrol engine with a 131bhp version of the 1.5-litre used in its smaller models. It’s as close as this has ever come to the 1.6-litre engines used when the first generation roadster, not only in size but in spirit. With no turbocharger, it delivers the power enthusiastically at the top of the rev range, backed by plenty of exhaust bark, and feels far quicker than it should.

So much so that the extra £800 and fuel consumption of the 2.0-litre is arguably a bit of a luxury. Particularly when the 1.5-litre engine offers genuinely impressive real-world fuel economy if it’s driven gently, and rides so well on its smaller 16-inch wheels. However, it does miss out on driver-focused features such as the upgraded Bilstein suspension and limited-slip differential – which reduces wheelspin off the line and while cornering.

This is a great company car option. Strong residuals, impressive fuel economy and realistic CO2 emissions for a perk vehicle all help the rational side, and the smaller engine is by no means a soft option. It’s all the best bits that have driven Mazda’s sales upwards this last few years, finally coming home to roost on the model which inspired them in the first place.

Verdict:

A fascinating blend of traditional roadster values and ultra-modern engineering, the MX-5 offers proper sports car thrills with accessible running costs and plenty of day-to-day usability. A tempting option for those with flexible choice lists.