Net Cars Show: Dodge Dart

Showing posts with label Dodge Dart. Show all posts

Consumer Reports Tests Dodge Dart, Says Close Enough, But No Cigar; XTS, MKS & ES Also Rated

The Dodge Dart compact is the first completely new product to come out of the Fiat-Chrysler alliance and it has just been tested by Consumer Reports (CR). While buyers don’t necessarily adhere to what the motoring press has to say, CR’s tests still command enough heft in the U.S. market to make a carmaker dread its verdict.

So, how did the Dart do? The good news is that CR, which tested two versions of the Dart, the US$20,680 2.0-liter SXT and the US$24,490 1.4-liter Rallye, praised their quiet cabin, nimble handling and taut yet compliant ride. The bad news is that, neither of them scored high enough to earn the coveted “recommended” tag.

“The Dart is the first decent compact car from Dodge in decades,” said CR’s Auto Test Center director Jake Fisher. “It has some solid positives. But overall it can’t yet measure up to the best in class.”

While the Chrysler Group doesn't offer a police car version of the new 2013 Dodge Dart, the Detroit carmaker liked the idea proposed by the Belvidere Police Department that wanted to drive a locally made car as an escort today on their way to the Boone County Food Pantry.

The specially-made Dart patrol car, which comes complete with an overhead light bar and Belvidere Police Department graphics on the sides, led a convoy of Chrysler Group vehicles loaded with food for Thanksgiving Day dinners.

With the aftermarket party that is the SEMA Show in Las Vegas approaching our way, the Chrysler Group wanted to give us an early look at some of the cars its Mopar division has prepared for the event.

Following the unveiling of the Fiat 500 Beach Cruiser Concept earlier today, the automaker continued the presentations with the 2013 Dodge Dart Carbon Fire prototype.

The charcoal grey colored Dart sedan has been dressed up appropriately for SEMA with a selection of production and prototype Mopar parts, highlighted by a full carbon fiber hood with a hood scoop that is said to offer significant weight savings, but which is not yet commercially available.

Dodge has released pricing on the newest and the most fuel efficient model in the Dart sedan's range. Named the Aero, it is powered by Fiat’s 1.4-liter MultiAir turbocharged inline-four delivering 160-horses and 184 lb.-ft. of torque.

The new Dart Aero has a starting MSRP of $19,295 excluding a $795 destination (*) destination fee, and returns 41 mpg (5.7 lt/100km) on the highway with the six-speed manual and 40 mpg (5.9 lt/100km) with the six-speed Dual Dry Clutch Transmission (DDCT).

There is no other better place in the world for Chrysler's official tuning arm Mopar to display its goods than the automotive aftermarket bonanza that is the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

At this year's event, which runs from October 30 to November 2, the company plans to bring more than 20 new Moparized Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Fiat and SRT vehicles.

An Italian forum has posted these patent drawings, supposedly revealing the Dodge Dart five-door hatchback model.

However, we're not entirely convinced that they're official for a couple of reasons, the first being that while Fiat has hinted at the development of a five-door version of the China market Viaggio, which is the Dart sedan's Italian cousin, no one at Chrysler has ever mentioned such a body style.

One of the more promising Chrysler Group models created under the leadership of the Fiat Group, the 2013 Dodge Dart compact sedan, began series production on Monday, May 7, at the firm's Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois.

The first vehicle to roll off the assembly line was a red Dodge Dart Rallye with a black and red interior, powered by a 1.4-liter gasoline engine matched to a manual transmission.

It has become something of a ritual for the Chrysler Group to celebrate a significant event or product launch by decorating its 15-story world headquarters’ building in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

The automaker did it when it introduced the latest Jeep Grand Cherokee in 2010, when it won the 2011 Truck of the Year Award and even to display its "Imported from Detroit" tagline for the Chrysler 200.

Now it's time for the all-new and very important from a sales perspective 2013 Dodge Dart to take its place on Chrysler's headquarters via a 116 feet wide and 145 feet tall wrap that reads , “All that matters is what’s ahead,” which is borrowed from the company’s Super Bowl spot, “It’s Halftime in America.”

It's that time of the year again when Ward's Automotive announces its annual 10 Best Interiors list. For 2012, the magazine's editorial staff evaluated 40 vehicles with new or significantly improved interiors for the 2012 or 2013 model years and came up with 10 winners regardless of price (see last year's winners here).

"We saw a tremendously diverse group of interiors this year, and it's obvious to us that auto makers are pushing their design staffs harder than ever for interiors that are beautifully appointed, well equipped and extremely comfortable," commented WardsAuto World Editor-in-Chief Drew Winter.

The heavily populated compact saloon segment will soon welcome a new member in the U.S. in the form of the 2013 Dodge Dart.

Sales of the Chrysler Group's first product to share its DNA with a Fiat Group model, and more specifically, the compact car architecture of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, will start in June.

Prices, not including a $795 destination fee (*), range from $15,995 for the base 160hp model to $22,495 for the 180hp R/T variant that will be available in the third quarter of the year.

We knew that the Fiat Group is planning to introduce a Fiat-branded version of the Dodge Dart named Viaggio at the upcoming Auto China Show 2012 in Beijing later this month, but now we can show you the first teaser images of the compact sedan.

The images, which surfaced on the Italian forum Autopareri, provide us with a glimpse of the Viaggio's front and rear ends as well as its profile.

Even with these pictures, it's not hard to see that Fiat's re-branding of the Dart is limited to the new bumper and headlamp assembly at the front and the new tail lamps and possibly a more pronounced boot lid edge at the back.

The idea of wireless charging smaller or in some cases, even larger devices is nothing new, but the Chrysler Group wants to be the first to offer such a system on cars through its Mopar division.

General Motors had presented a wireless cell phone mat on a Chevrolet Volt at last year's CES in Las Vegas with the intent to begin offering the system on numerous Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac products from the second half of 2012.

However, the Chrysler Group seems bent to be the first to provide an in-vehicle wireless charging pad as it will make the technology available on the all-new 2013 Dodge Dart that arrives in showrooms in the second quarter of this year.

Visitors to the New York Auto Show will have the chance to see Dodge's new Dart Global RallyCross entry in the flesh exhibited on an appropriately decorated stand.

Whereas the standard model makes do with a choice of three four-cylinder engines pushing between 160hp and 184hp to the front wheels, the most exciting Dart of all features a specially prepared 2.0-liter turbo unit delivering a monstrous 600-horsepower and more than 550 lb-ft (745Nm) of torque to all four wheels.

At next month's 2012 Beijing Auto Show, Fiat will whip the covers off a new compact sedan model named the Viaggio before it begins producing the car in China in July, ahead of its market launch later in the year, according to a report from Autonews Europe.

The new sedan, which is named after the Italian word for Journey, will be a rebadged version of the new 2013 Dodge Dart sedan that will reach U.S. dealerships this May with a starting price of $15,995 (€12,100 / GBP 10,100).

The Dart is based on a modified version of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta's platform. It measures 4,672mm (183.9-in. long, 1,830mm (72-in.) wide, 1,465mm (57.7-in.) tall and rides on a 2,703mm (106.4-in.) wheelbase.

There's a new hot Dodge Dart coming out but it's not for you. It's the racing version of the Chrysler Group's new compact sedan that will compete in the 2012 Global RallyCross Championship (GRC) Series this summer.

The motorsports edition of the 2013 Dart will be piloted by none other than four-time Rally America Champion and 17-time X Games Gold Medalist, Travis Pastrana.

Dodge made the announcement on Monday at the Hard Rock Cafe in Detroit.

Around 1,800 new jobs will be added to the Chrysler Group's Belvidere Assembly Plant by the third quarter of 2012, the company's CEO Sergio Marchionne announced on Thursday during a ceremony at the facility with Illinois Governor Pat Quinn.

Included in the 1,800 positions are close to 500 jobs that will be added to launch production of the 2013 Dodge Dart in the second quarter of the year. For this reason, the Detroit automaker will be adding a third shift to the plant, something that hasn't happened since March of 2008 when the Belvidere facility employed around 3,600 workers.

On Tuesday, we brought the news on the 2013 Dodge Dart GTS 210 Tribute that was developed by Mopar both to celebrate its 75th birthday and to preview the performance and styling parts that will be available for customers in the fall as stage kits or á la carte from the brand's catalog.

Today we have live photos of the Dodge Dart GTS 210 Tribute that offer us a better view of the car and the customizations made by Mopar.

On the occasion of its 75th anniversary, the Chrysler Group's parts and service arm Mopar will be displaying four specially crafted models at next month's 2012 Chicago Auto Show including the Dodge Dart "GTS 210 Tribute".

Once it goes on sale later this year, Mopar plans to offer more 150 accessories and parts for the new Dart sedan, improving both its looks and performance.

The "GTS 210 Tribute" comes fitted with two packages. The first stage is all about aesthetics adding a ground effects kit with matte-black trim pieces such as a lower chin spoiler, side sills, rear spoiler and rear-diffuser panel.

Net Cars Show

Consumer Reports Tests Dodge Dart, Says Close Enough, But No Cigar; XTS, MKS & ES Also Rated

New Dodge Dart Dresses Up as a Cop Car to Escort Food Drive Procession

Mopar Shows the Darker Side of the 2013 Dodge Dart with SEMA Study

New 2013 Dodge Dart Aero is the Most Fuel Efficient in the Range at 41MPG HWY, Starts at $19,925*

Chrysler Group Preparing More Than 20 Mopar Concepts for SEMA Show

2013 Dodge Dart Hatchback Patent Drawings: Are They Real?

First Series Production 2013 Dodge Dart Rolls Off the Assembly Line

Chrysler Group Celebrates 2013 Dodge Dart Production Launch with a Giant Wrap

Ward's Automotive Names the 10 Best Car Interiors in the 2012 Class

Dodge Announces Full Pricing Details for 2013 Dart, Starts from $15,995*

Say Ciao to the Dodge Dart's Italian Cousin, the New Fiat Viaggio

Chrysler Introduces Industry-First In-Vehicle Wireless Charging Pad

Dodge Unveils 600HP Dart RallyCross in New York, Watch Pastrana Put it Through its Paces

Fiat to Launch Dodge Dart as the New Viaggio in China, Hatchback Version May Replace Bravo

New Dodge Dart Dresses Up for Global Rallycross with Travis Pastrana, gets 600HP 2.0L Turbo

Chrysler to Add 1,800 New Jobs at Belvidere Plant by the Third Quarter of 2012

Mopar's 2013 Dodge Dart GTS 210 Tribute in the Flesh

2013 Dodge Dart GTS 210 Tribute with a Two Stage Kit by Mopar