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Mazda 2 facelift (2012) with SkyActiv revealed

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

Driven: Citroen DS4

Recomissioning the DS name looked like a risk to many outside Citroen’s headquarters, including us. And the new sub-brand’s opening salvo – the DS3 – didn’t exactly calm the worries of those of us who hold the original in high esteem. Where was the ingenuity?

BMW and Toyota plan engine-swap deal, reports say

Details have begun to emerge about a planned engine-swap deal between BMW and Toyota. Set to be made public at the Tokyo motor show this week, the cooperation is said to center on BMW supplying Toyota with four- and six-cylinder common-rail diesel engines for use in a wide range of models. In return, Toyota plans to provide BMW with technology used to combine combustion engines and electric motors in various hybrid applications.