The new generation of powertrains developed by Mazda under the Skyactiv name will soon have its another member out on the road, as the company announced that the “Skyactiv-G 1.3” direct-injection gasoline engine will debut on the facelifted Demio (known as the Mazda2 in international markets) in Japan this summer. Mazda will unveil the new engine at Tokyo's Automotive Engineering Exposition on May 18-20.

The 1.3-liter engine features a record high compression ratio of 14.0:1 and delivers 84 horsepower at 5,400 rpm and 112 Nm (82.6 lb-ft) of peak torque at 4,000 rpm. In the Demio, it returns an impressive average fuel consumption of 3.33 lt/100 km (70.6 mpg), according to Japanese norms.

The low fuel consumption is also due to Mazda's new i-stop system and the continuously variable transmission (CVT), as the improved start/stop system alone contributes to an 8 percent drop in fuel consumption.

The Japanese automaker said it applied for over 130 patents in relation to this engine only, as it features many new technologies, such as multi-hole injectors that enable precise fuel injection control, compact combustion chambers with a longer stroke for better efficiency, lightweight and highly rigid aluminum alloy engine block and a dual sequential valve timing system.

Mazda aims to increase its global fleet fuel efficiency by 30 percent by 2015 via its Skyactiv technologies.