Summertime and the living is easy.

Perhaps not quite this year with the recent weather but the Mazda MX-5 Kuro is the car to take advantage of those convertible moments amongst the endless showers. One button push and a flick of the wrist and the manual roof is down, a little more muscle and the roof is up and it can be done from inside the car. A more than adequately equipped no frills sports car.

The Kuro Special Edition car we drove had the velocity red bodywork, Kuro means black, all Kuro editions have the great looking black dark gunmetal 17-inch alloy wheels wheels and more sporty dark accents around the car, black door mirrors, black grille and fog light surrounds and Kuro Edition Badges and graphics – The Kuro’s are available however in Velocity Red Mica, Crystal White Pearlescent and Brilliant Black.

On the road the MX5 1.8i had 126ps and the five-speed gearbox, not over powered but more than enough to stir up the reality and spirit of a sportscar, with fun in bucket loads. You need to use the gearbox, but get down some side roads and just let it go. The 50/50 weight distribution makes spirited driving a real pleasure and the car has real poise on the road. All cars now feature DSC, dynamic stability control but it is switchable. The steering is light and direct, you could say the MX-5 is a bit girly but with the sad lack of choice of sportscars of this type I disagree and enjoyed the car very much.

I have said before you haven’t lived until you have owned a convertible and this is a great place to start. The MX-5 as popular as they are, still puts a smile on your face and other drivers seems to get on with them unlike other sportscars. Now with the MX-5 being selected as future classics and with What Car? ranking the Mazda-MX-5 as the most reliable car in Britain you can’t really go wrong.

Inside the car the MX-5 Kuro has very comfortable Stone leather seats with matching Stone leather door inserts and contrasting red stitching, the seats are also heated. A silver interior deco panel with red accents, alloy pedals, premium floor mats with a sporty Kuro logo and climate control air-conditioning. Overall a visually pleasing and sporty interior but quite hardwearing and what you need for long summers with the roof up and down. With the roof down the package is complete and a pop up wind deflector stops your hair blowing everywhere. The heating system was as good as any hot hatch and with the changeable weather de-misting was quick and the aircon was particularly easy to use. The boot is adequate for a weekend away and will take a set of golf clubs if thats your bag.

Watch the Drive.co.uk slideshow of the Mazda MX-5 Kuro

On the road the Kuro drives with a sporty balanced feel the performance is adequate with a 0 to 60mph in 9.9sec for the Soft-top we tested and 7.9sec for the Roadster Coupe Top speeds of 121mph and 136mph respectively.

With an exhaust note to match the sporty feel the sound system was adequate and easy to operate, but I would have liked to see a bit better iPod connectivity. Although I believe it is an option.

Only 600 are available in the UK,  200 soft-tops and 400 Roadster Coupes. The Kuro soft-top is priced at £18,495, and the 2.0i Kuro Roadster Coupe costs £21,995. As usual Mazda are offering some very competitive finance deals.

Both models are available from July 2012.

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