GDi is interesting.
These had GDi engines from 1996, and I think some Japanese home market models had them prior to then.
They had problems though, which early adopters had to deal with, mainly a build up of carbon deposits which had to be removed every 60k miles. Petrol here is not as clean as it is in Japan.
Wiki-Bl@@dy-Pedia suggests that Ford did some development work in the late 1970s but the technology was not yet developed enough.
Maybe future ones will give an advantage but the Carisma (the car pictured) advertised it was as smooth and quiet as a petrol car but with the economy of a diesel one.
It didn't work.
The Carisma got a 2.0 TD a year or so later.