Mazda Europe has added a fifth engine to its Skyactiv range with the arrival of a 1.5-litre petrol unit, the smallest in the series so far outside Japan.

A 1.3 litre unit is offered in the Japan market Demio, called 2 abroad.

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The 1.5 arrives in the 3 five-door hatchback and four-door ‘Fastback’ sedan, both of which are about to go on sale in the UK.

The 1.5 is expected to be the choice of only 5% of buyers but its real significance will be seen when the next Europe specification 2 comes along. Then it will be the mainstay of the range.

Mazda is also believed to be developing a B-segment SUV based on the next 2 as part of its plans to introduce five new models between now and 2016.

The Skyactiv 1.5 develops 99bhp and 150Nm of torque and has official Europe combined fuel consumption of 55.4mpg with CO2 emissions of 119g/km.

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Those match exactly data for the 118bhp two-litre Skyactiv unit but buyers will still save with the smaller engine because it costs GBP300 less and keeps insurance four groups lower.

The new engine is available only in entry level SE and SE Nav versions of the 3 with manual transmission with prices starting at GBP16,995.

By 2015 Mazda will have nine of 10 cars in its range powered by Skyactiv engines, compared with only 8% last year.

The technology is the first step in a chain aimed at bringing down the overall CO2 of combustion engines to the same level as those of electric cars powered by electricity created from coal.  

At the Tokyo show a couple of weeks ago Mazda announced it is working on two new combustion technologies which will reduce the fuel consumption of an average car by around 30% and make petrol engines as economical as diesels.

Mazda claims its Skyactiv engines are already delivering better real world economy than the smaller turbocharged units from rivals which, on paper, are more frugal.

The Skyactiv range is made up of the new 1.5, 118bhp and 163bhp two-litre petrol units and 148bhp and 172bhp 2.2-litre diesels. The larger units were seen first in the CX-5 followed by the 6.