Mazda's new small Mazda2 model received recognition as a world-class car based on a host of its performance and design features. Now Mazda has added a thrifty and clean diesel version of the car that brings even more economy to its modern style. Michael Moroney took the Mazda2 diesel on test and was impressed with its running costs as well as its style.

The new Mazda2 diesel comes with a thrifty 1.4-litre diesel engine that gives the best economy figures in the supermini sector and is competitive at €15,995 before delivery charges.

Mazda's entry model in the range is the Mazda2, a car that has evolved in one sense and been transformed in another to be an impressive performer. The new Mazda2 has style, is less conservative looking than the model that it replaces, but most of all, this car is very thrifty.

I've driven a petrol powered Mazda2 in the past but this new diesel powered model wipes the boards with most of the competition in terms of economy. The car comes with a 1.4-litre diesel engine that has similar attributes to the diesel engine fitted to the Ford Fiesta, but in the Mazda it has been tuned towards economy.

The neat engine develops 68bhp, which is average for a small diesel car at the entry level. This is backed up with 160Nm of torque from the eight-valve four-cylinder engine. That combination of performance gives the car a modest acceleration rating of 15.5 seconds in a 0 to 100km/hr race. In performance terms, that's a match for the 1.3-litre Opel Corsa but puts the Mazda2 at the lower end of the acceleration league.

Mazda has put the emphasis on economy for this small car. The car is significantly lighter than the model that it replaces and lighter than a comparison of 13 other cars examined, with the exception of the Toyota Yaris diesel. That helps it achieve a class leading economy figure of 4.3 litres/100km (65mpg) in a combined driving cycle.

This engine has been tuned for economy too as shown by its performance rating. It's slower than many of the other similar sized diesels and that ensures better economy and lower motoring costs in the long run.

And with its thrifty diesel engine coupled with a five-speed gearbox, you can be sure that it comes with a low CO2 rating. This small Mazda2 diesel comes with a rating of 114gr/kkm, which is close to the lowest in my 13 car comparison.

That means lower road tax; you pay just the entry level €100 annual road tax, as you would with all cars in this sector, with the exception of the Mitsubishi Colt and Skoda Fabia. So, in every sense, this car is a very cost effective car to own and drive.

But the Mazda2 story is not just about saving money, mind you it helps in these troubled economic times. This small five-door hatchback car has high level safety attributes and some style.

On the safety front the car comes with an all-disc braking system with ABS, Electronic Brake-Force Distribution with Emergency Brake Assist, driver and passenger front airbags, driver and front passenger seatbelt reminder, front seatbelt pre-tensioners with load-limiters, three 3-point rear seatbelts, twin ISOFIX child seat anchorages and an immobilizer.

The car achieved five-star rating in the EuroNCAP test. It was rated to be among the safest cars in the small car segment, earning the maximum five stars for adult protection, plus a class-leading four stars for child protection and two stars for pedestrian protection. So while it may be lighter than the previous Mazda2, the design is such that there is better occupant protection.