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It seems to me that any fuel economy gains from direct injection were only a side benefit of the technology beyond the main goal to decrease knock/detonation. That particular use case is what allows DI really shine in forced induction engines while only showing minimal gains in naturally aspirated engines. From a cost standpoint, you have to increase fuel economy more in a NA engine to offset the initial cost increase of DI. The cost increase becomes more worth it when you have the performance potential of forced induction.