After months of spy shots, name changes, teasers and rumors, we finally get to see the 2013 Dodge Dart.
The Dart is powered by either a TIGERSHARK 2.0-liter, 1.4-liter MulitiAir or a 2.4-liter MulitiAir -- all engines are four-cylinders. Putting that power to the ground will be one of three transmissions. Right now we assume these will be a six-speed manual, a six-speed dual-clutch or automatic and a nine-speed automatic coming later.
Lightness was key in the Dart's development (we're still not privy to the actual weight number) with 68 percent of the Alfa-sourced body structure made from thinner, lighter high-strength steel. The chassis is named Compact U.S. Wide (an oxymoron and a jab at America's love of large if ever there was one) and the CUS-wide architecture will spawn more Fiats for our shores.
We'll have more leading up to, and at, the Detroit Auto Show on Monday.
firelicked says:
11:49 AM, 01/ 7/12
Looks like a Neon. Or what I imagine a Neon would have looked liked if they didn't kill it off with the horrible Caliber. Not bad Dodge, not bad at all.
jnaylor1 says:
12:09 PM, 01/ 7/12
I logged in to essentially make the exact same comment @firelicked did..
mazdamike17 says:
12:42 PM, 01/ 7/12
Hmmmm, I like it, but I don't Love it, and I wanted to Love it. I do Love the tail lights and think they look amazing on the Charger, and hope Dodge applies it to all of their cars, because it can be their trademark, and I miss cars with lavish tail lights, especially ones that reach from left to right.
The interior looks really good too, glove box is a bit small, but over all a great lay out and it looks amazing compared to any previous dodge compact.
I do not love the front end, I feel indifferent. It is unique and does not look like any other compact, but it just looks weird. The grill is seemingly crushed into a tiny crosshair, The red car has this huge empty black space with the tiny grill above it, looks kinda silly. The white one deletes the black space and instead is body color and looks okay, but still not that great. The head lights also look a bit odd, but their okay. Over all I like it and would consider buying one, but I think Focus and Cruze look better as does the Mazda 3...
gloss says:
01:02 PM, 01/ 7/12
I really like it, but no hatch = no interest. Humor me, Dodge.
f1ndler says:
01:04 PM, 01/ 7/12
Interior is in the best traditions of Dodge - awful. But exterior is very nicely designed, makes me think that this is how they should have designed Neon many years ago.
subytrojan says:
02:19 PM, 01/ 7/12
I agree with gloss.
djsho91 says:
02:49 PM, 01/ 7/12
The exterior looks like a Kia Forte body with a Mitsubishi Lancer front end. Not bad, but definitely not ground-breaking!
threemopars says:
02:54 PM, 01/ 7/12
"Interior is in the best traditions of Dodge - awful."
How is this interior awful?
ctpaul says:
03:07 PM, 01/ 7/12
overall very positive, the red line around the dash looks odd in the pictures, will have to see it in person - rear looks good, front generally good, a little weak somehow with the smallish upper grille area. Side view excellent and overall shape excellent. Looks like a hatch, why isn't it one? Hopefully there will be a hatch variant. Is that something like an ipod sliding out from above the glove box? Overall very interesting and not bland. I would consider it and I think it will generate alot of interest and traffic.
blackdynamite1 says:
03:12 PM, 01/ 7/12
It doesn't look that bad
But it definitely doesn't look good
And it will get more like 26/34 EPA MPG, not any 40 MPG combined.
This press release error has been highlighted previously
If they sell more than 80k, I'll be impressed
BD
bestjinjo says:
04:31 PM, 01/ 7/12
gloss & subytrojan => The Dart IS a hatchback
http://image.motortrend.com/f/36123313+w786+ar1/2013-Dodge-Dart-side-view.jpg
It's like the Mazda 6 style hatchback. I think what you guys want are more of a wagon-like styling I presume? Like the Mazda 3 hatch?
bestjinjo says:
04:36 PM, 01/ 7/12
"I really like it, but no hatch = no interest. Humor me, Dodge."
The Dodge Dart is ONLY a hatchback (i..e, like the pervious generation Mazda 6 hatchback version). Since in America most people hate wagons, cars like Mazda 3 "hatchback" are called that for marketing reasons. But really those are wagons. What you want then is a wagon not a hatchback...in a traditional sense.
roar02ram says:
04:52 PM, 01/ 7/12
Definitely one of the better looking entries in this segment. Kudos to Dodge for not overdoing it. I am curious to see what the steelies & black trim bucket model looks like.
firstwagon says:
09:42 PM, 01/ 7/12
I think it looks great but the real question is how does it drive? The Alfa connection is interesting and am really looking forward to some real road tests.
zxe says:
09:56 PM, 01/ 7/12
damn, this is really cool
i'm not sure about the back b/c it is not shown in angles that you can tell if it looks good or not
(i do like it on the Charger)
this car looks epic from the front, but i think that with the white one where it replaces the black plastic with white instead it looks pretty dumb and weak.
mostly because the black on the red car looks like it's part of the grille.
also the wheels on the red one are a lot more taseful.
dunno why they made the white one look like that...
threemopars says:
12:31 AM, 01/ 8/12
"And it will get more like 26/34 EPA MPG, not any 40 MPG combined.
This press release error has been highlighted previously"
UNADJUSTED
Can you not READ?????????????????
It was made VERY clear in the press release. Your the ONLY one who can't understand.
cr_driver says:
10:40 AM, 01/ 8/12
The front reminds me too much of a 2011 Focus.
revn says:
11:03 AM, 01/ 8/12
This is gonna be horribly picky of me, but for some reason I really don't like the Dodge// badge on the front. Looks like it should be an SRT# badge. Not a fan of the low profile tires, but that could just be for press shots and is easily fixed anyway.
Not a bad looking car overall, and certainly leaps and bounds better than the Caliber it's replacing. I'm still not sold on calling it a Dart, though. Plus I have a friend who's working on restoring a `67 Dart who hates this thing. Still, I would have much rather bought one of these than the Caliber I had.
Now give us an SRT4/6!
jdubbs19 says:
11:12 AM, 01/ 8/12
Ditto to the evolutionary Neon comments, only I'll add that I think it looks pretty good. I'm curious to see what the base models or the volume selling models will look like.
firstwagon says:
06:12 PM, 01/ 8/12
"Plus I have a friend who's working on restoring a `67 Dart who hates this thing."
Hopefully he's not old enough to remember the Dart was just a cheap economy car in it's day. He might start to wonder why he's restoring it.
revn says:
05:58 AM, 01/ 9/12
@firstwagon
He's only 35, but he does know the original Dart wasn't exactly the fastest thing on the road. I think he just misses the V8. Something tells me he wasn't about to go buy one even if it did come with one, though.
transpower says:
08:17 AM, 01/ 9/12
I think the styling is great; I've generally preferred the styling of Chrysler Corp. over that of Ford. But: why is there no CVT available? A 9-speed transmission--are you kidding me?