Cometh The Hour, Cometh The Dart: Dodge Reveals Its New Small Car

Jack Baruth
by Jack Baruth

Here it is: the Alfa-based new small car to be known as the Dart. There will be three engines, detailed after the jump. For Mopar small-car fans, however, the most important and interesting part isn’t the car itself; it’s where the car will be made.

Chrysler isn’t attempting to hide the Dart’s Alfa origins. What will the car look like? We’ll see it at the 2012 Detroit show, but it’s safe to say that the front and rear fascias seen above will be grafted onto this:

Not bad-looking, really. There’s a strong suggestion of Alfa’s gorgeous early-21st Century sedans in the side surfacing. The three engines will be a two-liter four, the Fiat 1.4 turbo motor, and a “new Tigershark 2.4 MultiAir”. Presumably the last one will be the strongest… at least until the SRT-4 comes out. Four-wheel indepedent suspension should give the guys from Car and Driver something to write about on the airplane ride home. The Dart will feature dual exhaust, because all four-cylinder cars need that.

The home of the Dart will be the former Neon assembly plant in Belvidere, IL. For those of us who carried the small-Mopar torch over the years, it’s nice to see a compact Chrysler come home. Full press release below.

Dodge Hits the Mark With the All-new 2013 Dodge Dart Compact CarDodge Dart Blends Alfa Romeo DNA and Dodge’s Passion for Performance, Resulting in a Groundbreaking Car with the Ultimate Blend of Power, Fuel Economy, Handling and Style

The Dodge brand is back in the U.S. compact sedan segment – in a big way – as the all-new 2013 Dodge Dart will make its world debut at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Mich., on Jan. 9, 2012


Built on a world-class architecture, Dodge Dart offers three technologically advanced, fuel-efficient and powerful engines, including the 1.4L MultiAir® Turbo


Dodge delivers exceptional craftsmanship with class-leading technology and style

December 6, 2011 , Auburn Hills, Mich. – Dodge redefines performance in the compact car segment with an all-new, state-of-the-art four-door sedan delivering class-leading aerodynamics – the 2013 Dodge Dart.

With Alfa Romeo DNA and Dodge’s passion for performance at its core, the all-new 2013 Dodge Dart is a thoroughly modern vehicle that’s fuel-efficient, beautifully designed and crafted, agile and brings fun back to driving in the segment.

Similar to the Dodge Dart of the late 1960s, the 2013 Dart offers a special blend of style, performance and innovation. The Dodge brand leveraged its nearly 100-year history of passion for building high-quality, innovative vehicles that stand apart in performance and style, as well as from its partner Fiat’s global compact car expertise, to develop the all-new Dodge Dart.

ALFA ROMEO DNA


The all-new Dart is the first Chrysler Group vehicle based upon a Fiat architecture – adapted from the award-winning Alfa Romeo Giulietta. The Giulietta is renowned for satisfying the most demanding customers in terms of road-holding, agility and safety, with exceptional driving dynamics. The Dart leverages all of these attributes within a lengthened and widened platform delivering segment-leading levels of interior roominess.

The all-new Compact U.S. Wide (CUSW) architecture underpinning the Dart is a state-of-the-art architecture with an industry-leading 68 percent of the body composed of high-strength steel, resulting in a very strong and rigid structure. Combined with responsive steering, four-wheel independent suspension, and available 18-inch wheels, the Dart brings fun back to driving in the compact car segment.

UNMISTAKABLE STYLE


The all-new 2013 Dart marks the Dodge brand’s re-entry into the compact sedan segment, hitting the bulls-eye with a modern, unmistakable Dodge design that builds upon its performance heritage while evoking emotion, efficiency and fluidity of movement.

Eye-catching exterior proportions are set off from every angle by dynamic lines and curves, along with advanced technology, to deliver class-leading aerodynamic performance. The personality-packed front view is instantly recognizable as an all-new Dodge with its tailored split-crosshair grille, projector headlamps and fog lamps and accentuated fenders. Signature Dodge full-width LED ‘racetrack’ tail lamps and class-exclusive integrated dual exhaust – both inspired by Dodge Charger – accentuate the athletic and muscular stance of this dynamic and passionate new design.

THREE SOPHISTICATED, FUEL-EFFICIENT & POWERFUL ENGINES


The 2013 Dodge Dart will be powered by three fuel-efficient, powerful, state-of-the-art four-cylinder engines that add to Dart’s fun-to-drive quotient.

Drivers can select from a new Tigershark 16-valve 2.0-liter engine, a 16-valve 1.4-liter MultiAir Intercooled Turbo engine, and a new Tigershark 16-valve 2.4-liter MultiAir four cylinder engine. These three engines, combined with three transmission choices, combine to redefine performance by providing the most diverse powertrain lineup in its class.

MultiAir technology delivers optimum combustion at any speed under all driving conditions by allowing direct and dynamic control of air intake and combustion. The result is up to a 15 percent increase in low engine rpm torque, a 7.5 percent improvement in fuel efficiency and a 10 percent reduction in C02 emissions.

THE ALL-NEW DART – BUILT IN AMERICA


The all-new Dodge Dart will be made in America at Chrysler Group’s Belvidere Assembly Plant in Belvidere, Ill. The Company is in the process of investing $600 million dollars to support the production of future products, including the 2013 Dodge Dart. The investment includes the construction of a 638,000-square-foot body shop, as well as the installation of new machinery, tooling and material handling equipment. Work on the expansion began in the summer of 2010 and will be completed this year.

The all-new Dodge Dart has been engineered with great levels of refinement, craftsmanship and engaging driving dynamics. Consumers can follow www.Dodge.com/Dart for additional photos and more information about the all-new 2013 Dodge Dart.

About Dodge Brand


For nearly 100 years, Dodge has defined passionate and innovative vehicles that stand apart in performance and in style. Building upon its rich heritage of muscle cars, racing technology and ingenious engineering, Dodge offers a full-line of cars, crossovers, minivans and SUVs built for top performance – from power off the line and handling in the corners, to high-quality vehicles that deliver unmatched versatility and excellent fuel efficiency. Only Dodge offers such innovative functionality combined with class-leading performance, exceptional value and distinctive design. With the all-new 2013 Dodge Dart, the all-new Dodge Charger paired with the ZF eight-speed transmission that achieves a class-leading 31 miles per gallon on the highway, the new Durango and the significantly revamped Grand Caravan – inventor of the minivan – Journey, Avenger and iconic Challenger, Dodge now has one of the youngest dealer showrooms in the United States.

Jack Baruth
Jack Baruth

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  • Cheezeweggie Cheezeweggie on Dec 07, 2011

    "The home of the Dart will be the former Neon assembly plant in Belvidere, IL." Great... That'll be a well built car (snicker).

    • Ryoku75 Ryoku75 on Dec 08, 2011

      Well many years ago they did build Monacos and stuff like that, than they went to Omnis and ditched build quality consistency. Of course, it won't help that the Alfa was designed in Italy, a place known for great looking cars but low reliability.

  • Tuborg Tuborg on Dec 08, 2011

    While this Dart is a mere shadow of it's (by today's standards) magnum-sized predecessor, in spirit it's still the same.

  • MaintenanceCosts It's not a Benz or a Jag / it's a 5-0 with a rag /And I don't wanna brag / but I could never be stag
  • 3-On-The-Tree Son has a 2016 Mustang GT 5.0 and I have a 2009 C6 Corvette LS3 6spd. And on paper they are pretty close.
  • 3-On-The-Tree Same as the Land Cruiser, emissions. I have a 1985 FJ60 Land Cruiser and it’s a beast off-roading.
  • CanadaCraig I would like for this anniversary special to be a bare-bones Plain-Jane model offered in Dynasty Green and Vintage Burgundy.
  • ToolGuy Ford is good at drifting all right... 😉
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