Why Didn't Ford Offer A Smaller Engine?

[Qwerty321]

Let me just start by saying I'm a long standing fan of the falcon range and it's derivatives (Fairlane, Fairmont etc.). Personally I think the Boss V8s and the Barra I6s are among the best engines in existence.

That said, which idiot at Ford thought it would be viable to market a standard family sedan with a 4L Straight 6 and 5L+ V8 as the only engine options. I have a BA and regardless of how you look at it, the 4L is thirsty and the V8s will be worse, no doubt. Now I don't mind the extra petrol expense cause I enjoy driving this car, but for the average consumer it's easy to see how the falcon fell off the charts. Honestly, it makes no sense to have a 4L engine as the smallest/most efficient engine available when marketing a mainstream family sedan (not a sports car). I know that Ford now offer a Ecoboost (2L?) engine in the FG falcon, but this is a little bit too late now isn't it. The only people still buying falcons are enthusiasts who want the I6 or the V8.

My question is simple, why did Ford Australia for so long hold onto only offering large engines? Why not offer a smaller engine as the base option on the falcons since the early 2000's when people started migrating to smaller engines due to rising petrol costs?