NAIAS: 2013 Dodge Dart
What don’t you know about the Dart? I will tell you something: it is spacious inside. The rear seat is no-kidding suitable for full-sized adults In fact, it’s quite nice to sit in, front and back. Click the jump for some comments from Speed:Sport:Life’s Byron Hurd:
“In a scene more suitable for debuting a new iteration of the ‘Rock Band’ franchise than the launch of a new domestic compact, Dodge proudly introduced its new 2013 Dart. It’s small. It’s Italian (sort of). It looks like nothing else on the road… from the front or rear, anyway.
Actually, don’t look at the sides too closely or the Kia Forte greenhouse and Mazda3 rear deck profile (each its respective model’s least-attractive design trait) will be obvious. Of course, Dodge took great pains to point out that they were not beholden to any previous compact strategy, the subtext here of course that the outgoing Caliber was neither compact nor the product of any recognizable strategy.
Naught has changed since we received preleminary specs a few weeks back. Three engines offer either 160 or 184hp (the former from either a 2.0L non-turbo or a 1.4L turbocharged MultiAir; the latter available only from the 2.4L, naturally aspirated range-topper) and you have your “choice” of 6-speed manual transmission, 6-speed slush-o-matic, or six-speed-not-a-DSG-twin-clutch. The dual-clutch unit will be available only on the MultiAir turboharged engine, and going by industry convention, we expect the 6-Speed manual will be limited to the 2.0L and lower trims of the 2.4L.”
More by Jack Baruth
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Of course the big question is will it starts coming loose and rattling as it leaves the lot, like most Chryslers, or will it be doomed to Fiat unreliability.
I wonder what will be the car rental trim level? Should be interesting, if there are enough bells and whistles in that trim level, this could very well be a best seller very fast. It's attractive and might be a very good car for the american market.