Mazda 2 facelift (2012) with SkyActiv revealed

The Mazda Demio launch in Japan points at the facelift Mazda2 for 2012

The Mazda Demio facelift - that's Mazda2 to me and you

The 2012 Mazda 2 facelift has been revealed in Japan with the launch of the new Demio, featuring a 1.3 litre SkyActiv petrol engine which does 85mpg.

We’re back to the old story of car reveals for the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) pointing at reveals to come in overseas markets, with the reveal of the facelifted Mazda Demio telling us all we need to know about the next Mazda 2 Facelift.

Although the Mazda2 has had the car surgeon’s knife lightly applied to freshen things up a bit, the big news is the oily bits, where Mazda are busy showing us that there are better alternatives to frugal cars than electric or hybrid.

The new Mazda 2 gets the direct injection, 1.3 litre SkyActiv engine which features a raft of technology to squeeze every last drop of energy out of the petrol it uses, together with a CVT ‘box which does the decent thing and offers a seven-speed manual mode.

The SkyActiv employs a high compression ratio (14:1) and stuff like dual sequential valve timing, new six-hole injectors and intelligent stop-start which uses less fuel to restart.

All this technology adds up to a 1.3 litre petrol engine that averages 85mpg and averages under the magic 100g/km of Co2.

The ICE fights back.