Europeans are lucky: if they want, they can still go out and buy new subcompact "B" and even "A" segment cars with efficient, modestly powered, small displacement engines.
In North America, the last mass-market small displacement engine we could get was in the Suzuki Swift/Geo Metro fleet, which is largely rusting away to faded memories (last new one was produced 10 years ago now). We have so many fewer options.
But with more people on EcoModder sticking the Suzukiclone 1.0L / 5-speed drivetrains in various interesting host cars, it's had me thinking what I'd do if I were nuts enough to tackle such a project.
And I came up with the answer:
Fiat X1/9!
From wikipedia:
Fiat X1/9 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Basically it'd be like building my own Honda Beat. Well, not really. But I can pretend.
If you've never driven a tossable mid-engine car, you owe it to yourself to try one. I've driven an X1/9 years ago, and never forgotten how much fun it was going around corners. And it could be both fun
and efficient with a 993cc Suzuki 3 pot behind the seats.
The car's Cd is likely horrible, but could be fixed up. I'd bet the frontal area is certainly less than the Metro's. And weight is only a bit higher, at 1940 lbs - and it's got a targa top!
No, I'm not shopping. (OK, I checked the classifieds. But I'm not shopping.)
I wonder how much a 1st gen Toyota MR-2 weighed... Woo - porker! 2,350lbs.