Probably because 2-doors don't sell well in the econobox category relative to 4-doors.
Also: 200 lbs to add 2 doors to an econobox? Nuh uh. A 4-door Metro hatch weighed ~40 lbs more than the 2-door hatch.
Agreed on gearing though. However, if a car maker made a transmission with a top gear that would make me happy, the motoring press would make a mockery of it.
