The MX-5 is the best selling two-seat sports car in the world – and it’s not hard to see why.

It’s available for an affordable price, it’s good-looking and is hugely enjoyable to drive.

And the latest version of Mazda’s little gem is even better than the previous thanks to engines that have been upgraded for 2019.

Around three days into the week-long roadtest, I really started to really ‘get’ the MX-5.

For a couple of days, I’d been a little bemused by some of the chassis movements, and had felt somewhat ill-at-ease with the car’s rear-end feedback, brought about by the rear wheel drive set-up.

But suddenly it all clicked and I became at one with Mazda’s characterful sports car. From that point on, it was sheer driving pleasure.

I’d learned to listen to the car more as it communicated back to me through the steering wheel, and I was now reading the front-end dips and rear wheel slips with relish rather than caution.

Indeed, each twitch is easily corrected and, in general, the car stays well-planted through tighter bends.

Much as a cricket player who’s scored 100 no longer notices his gloves and pads, a driver who’s absorbed by the MX-5 experience perhaps feels the car is just an extension of themselves.

There’s no question that the light-weight MX-5 is perfectly balanced and nimble through the corners, which only goes to help the delicacy of the handling.

And it’s now even more of a driver’s car thanks to an uprated powertrain.

The two-litre engine can now rev all the way up to 7,500 rpm compared to its predecessor, which redlined at 6,800 rpm.

The engine is now pushing out 184 PS, which is a substantial increase of 24 bhp compared to the previous model, which there’s also a minor torque increase.

With a purposeful growl from the tuned exhaust under acceleration, the car goes from a standing start to 62mph in under seven seconds, which feels satisfying.

Despite the extra power, the Skyactive engine is still naturally-aspirated, which is nice to see at a time when most other manufacturers have opted for turbochargers to achieve the extra performance.

The latest version of the MX-5 is available as either a soft top convertible or a hard top roadster, with the latter version tested here.

The roof is electric-powered and can fold away in a shade over 10 seconds, meaning the open air experience is the mere press of a button away once the sun breaks through the clouds.

It really is a neat mechanism which disappears along with the rear window glass.

As you’d expect, the interior is compact. At 6ft 3in, I was just about able to find a driving position with some degree of comfort, although anyone much taller may want to take a lengthy test drive before buying.

What there is within the cabin is simple but stylish.

The black leather seats are trimmed with red stitching and there are other nice design flourishes to be found.

Climate control air-conditioning comes as standard, as is Mazda's MZD-Connect in-car connectivity and integrated navigation system.

It's accessed via the seven-inch colour touch-screen display and Multimedia Commander.

The car has stop-start technology, with emissions now lower than the outgoing model.

In conclusion, the MX-5 is still the one to beat in this sector. It offers a great wind-in-your-hair buzz and terrific handling capabilities at a relatively affordable price.

Some critics thought the old model lacked a bit of grunt, but the upgraded powerplant on the new model has well and truly taken care of that criticism.

Mazda MX-5 RF 2.0 184ps SE-L Nav

PRICE: £24,095

ENGINE: 1,999cc, 4cyl petrol engine

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual gearbox, rear wheel drive

PERFORMANCE: Max speed 136mph, 0-62mph in 6.8 seconds

ECONOMY: 40.9mpg combined and emissions of 156g/km

Insurance Group: 26