2012 Mazda Demio 13-SKYACTIV Arrives in Japan

4 June 2011 - The revised and refreshed version of the Demio (known as the Mazda2 in Europe) has just been released by Mazda onto the Japanese market. As you might already know, the 2012 model year now features the Japanese carmaker’s new 1.3-liter SKYACTIV-G direct-injection gasoline engine.

The unit, unveiled last month at the Pacifico Yokohama convention center near Tokyo, Japan, features dual sequential valve timing and an ultra high compression ratio. Combined with the automaker's i-stop idling stop system, the SKYACTIV-G 1.3 features a record high compression ratio of 14.0:1 together with knocking avoiding technologies like piston cavities designed to support ideal combustion and multi hole injectors for precise fuel injection.

A total of 130 patents had to be filed by Mazda for the new 1.3-liter, which evelops 82 hp at 5,400 rpm (62 kW)  and 112 Nm (83 LB-FT)of torque at 4,000 rpm. While that doesn’t sound like much, according to the Japanese test cycles, the Demio now burns through 30km/l (we assume that's the figure for the combined cycle), which is equal to 3.33 l/100 km or 70.6 mpg US.

The Japanese carmaker has also developed a system named i-DM that monitors the movement of the steering wheel, accelerator and brake pedals, as well as the vehicle speed, to inform the driver about his skills through a gauge and colored lights on the dashboard. “The score from each trip is used to calculate a driving skill level, from Stage 1 to Stage 3. By progressing through the stages, drivers can feel that their driving skills are improving,” Mazda says.

That sounds a bit silly and cliche, but the price tag for the Demio’s is very serious: between JPY1,149,000 to JPY1,621,750 (the equivalent of US$14,400 to $20,300).