The Mazda2 is being treated to a facelift and will now come with the Japanese firm's latest 1.3-litre petrol engine and continuously variable transmission (CVT) gearbox.

This is the first time Mazda will use the new engine, which is set to offer sub-100g/km carbon dioxide emissions, qualifying the Mazda2 for free road tax. It will also provide fuel economy of around 85mpg to make the updated 2 one of the most economical cars on sale in the UK.

SkyActiv is Mazda's new generation of fuel-saving and emissions-beating technologies. The 1.3-litre engine comes with a much higher compression ratio than usual, using a 14:1 compression ratio in place of a normal petrol engine's 8:1.

Mazda is also employing new fuel injectors, a revised stop-start system and the new CVT gearbox with seven pre-programmed gear ratios.

No on-sale dates or prices have yet been confirmed for the Mazda2 SkyActiv for the UK.

Alisdair Suttie - 14 Jun 2011