The NEW 2013 DODGE DART

It's been a full generation in car years since Dodge offered a compact sedan and even longer since the brand offered a truly competitive model in the segment. Considering that sedans represent about 85 percent of all retail compact-car purchases, the gap in Chrysler's lineup has been particularly glaring, the five-door hatchback Caliber notwithstanding.

All of that changes this spring, with the debut of the 2013 Dodge Dart, which had its coming-out party at the Detroit auto show.

The Dart is based on the Alfa Romeo Giulietta from Chrysler parent company Fiat, which is already winning praise in Europe for its sleek design and sporty driving character. The Dart loses none of the good stuff while gaining buff Dodge sheetmetal that takes full advantage of the car's proportions.

Most prominent is the car's face, which combines a floating Dodge crosshair grille in a full-width mask fitted with an active shutter system that closes at speed to reduce aerodynamic drag. Subtle Coke-bottle sports-car toning carries through the side panels, while an unmistakable Dodge wraparound 152-LED tail-lamp treatment completes the look.

Interior appointments pick up on the theme, including ambient lighting, an available seven-inch reconfigurable gauge cluster and optional light pipes surrounding the floating instrument panel and 8.4-inch touch-screen media center.

All Dart models benefit from taut Euro-tuned underpinnings, relying on high-strength steel for more than two-thirds of the structure.

The front-drive Dart will be offered with three four-cylinder engines: a 160-hp, 145-lb-ft 2.0-liter; a 160-hp, 184-lb-ft turbo 1.4-liter; and a 184-hp, 171-lb-ft 2.4-liter-the latter two with Fiat's MultiAir variable intake and combustion timing. Three six-speed transmissions will be available: a dual-clutch gearbox, an automatic and a manual. The manual will be offered with all three engines, while the automatic will be limited to the 2.0-liter and the 2.4-liter. The dual-clutch will be paired exclusively with the 1.4-liter engine.


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