I was driving a 67 Dodge R/T with a 440 CI engine 110 miles a day round trip to work. Gas was still under $1.00 a gallon for high test. I bought an 88 Chevy Sprint, 2 door, 5 speed, no air., which was made by Suzuki. Window sticker said 59 mpg hi way. I got dead on 60. I had two friends that had the same car with automatic and air. They said it was scarry changing lanes and merging. But, my little 2 door with no extras had no problem at hi way speeds. I loved it. But, at 125,000 miles every thing just started falling apart. I took it to WV hunting one year and had 4 guys in it that all weighed over 200 pounds. Never a bit of trouble. Try sticking 4, 200 pound guys in a Smart Car, that doesn't even get close to 60 mpg.Like over here you mean? That's how we've gone for a decade now. We've always had more expensive fuel and hence smaller motors.... Plus smaller roads and smaller vehicle make a bigger motor less important anyway, but the emissions rules drove European vehicles to smaller and turbocharged a decade ago. 1 litre turbocharged petrol give about 140 BHP stock, easy to drive and 50+ mpg.
The Sprint had a 1 ltr 3 cylinder. Mine was carbureted, later sport models had turbo's.