Chrysler Canada president and Dodge brand CEO Reid Bigland confirmed in an interview recently that Dodge offers only a sedan version of its upcoming Dart compact, even though the best-selling compact vehicles in this country offer multiple body styles.

In an interview on the floor of the Canadian International Auto Show, Bigland said sedans represent 90 per cent of the compact segment, and 25 per cent of the overall Canadian new-car (not including truck) marketplace, so the company wants to focus on one mainstream product to launch itself back into the compact car game.

“We’re going to go right up the middle of where the demand is,” said Bigland, although he acknowledged that hatchbacks and two-door coupes have helped the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra and Mazda3 become the best-selling cars in Canada. “Right now, the evidence is overwhelmingly on a four-door sedan.”

However, the new Dart will offer one uniquely practical option at launch: the industry’s first cordless recharger for one’s cellphone. There will be a pad and sleeve setup offered as an accessory through Mopar – it will be available first on the Dart – and will cost about $200, said Mopar president Pietro Gorlier. It will then roll out into other pricier Chrysler products such as the Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee, Gorlier said at the show.

Via The Globe and Mail

Sure, we’ve seen digital instrument panels before, but the one outfitted for the upcoming Dodge Dart re-birth caught our eye. Instead of a regular ol’ speedometer in the center of the driver side dash, you’ll encounter a 7-inch instrument cluster that you’ll be able to customize based on your specific auto info needs. This of course will be the second screen on the dash, as the vehicle will also feature Chrysler’s 8.4-inch Uconnect infotainment system in the center. Just how useful is the new feature? We took it for a test drive of sorts, and hopped out with a few thoughts.
To see the video, head on over to the Engadget site
2013 Dodge Dart Digital Dash Video on Engadget

The 2013 Dart, unveiled at the 2012 Detroit auto show, is a compact sedan that is longer and wider than some key rivals. The wheelbase (distance between front and rear wheels) is 106.4 inches, overall length is 184 inches, and overall width is 72 inches. That makes the Dart larger in each dimension than the Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus, Honda Civic or Hyundai Elantra.

Dodge also claims more passenger space than those competitors, 97.2 cubic feet. For example, the Elantra has a wheelbase of 106.3 inches, length of 178.3 inches, width of 70 inches and 95.6 cubic feet of passenger space.

Original story at the Chicago Tribune

Considering the buzz Dodge has generated in recent years by mining its past with models like the Challenger and Charger, the return of the Dart name is no shock. (We’re hoping Polara is next.) It will serve duty on the automaker’s newest compact model. Ensuring that the modern Dart’s Dodge-ness remains fully intact are recent key exterior-design elements—full-width taillamps, a chunky mini “flying buttress” C-pillar, and a split-crosshair grille.

But the Dart will need more than an old name and a familial resemblance to make its mark: While Chrysler was biding its time in killing off this car’s predecessor, the awful Dodge Caliber, a bevy of refined competitors like the Chevrolet Cruze and the multiple-comparo-winning Ford Focus have launched and raised expectations for the compact-car class.

The first Chrysler vehicle to be based on Fiat Group architecture, the front-wheel-drive Dart utilizes lengthened and widened Alfa Romeo Giulietta underpinnings; they’re referred to internally as the “Compact U.S. Wide (CUS-Wide)” platform. The proper ’Merican-sized architecture features MacPherson struts up front (specifically tuned, Dodge says, to minimize camber loss for more responsive steering) and an independent suspension in the rear. Both front and rear suspension cradles are of a high-pressure, die-cast aluminum construction. The Dart, which is to be offered only as a sedan, rides on a 106.4-inch wheelbase and is 183.9 inches long and 72.0 inches wide.

Original Article on Car and Driver

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Jan. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –

• Dodge Dart’s bold styling, Alfa Romeo Giulietta-based chassis and attention to interior detail were key elements in the Dart being named the “Most Significant Vehicle” at the North American International Auto Show
• The all-new Dodge Dart offers drivers the perfect combination of style, power, fuel-efficiency, interior roominess and exceptional value in a compact car
•  Winners of Autoweek Editors’ Choice Awards announced today at Autoweek Design Forum

The all-new 2013 Dodge Dart, revealed at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) on Jan. 9, is hitting its mark with journalists, winning the Autoweek Editors’ Choice Award as the “Most Significant Vehicle” of the auto show.

“We think the Dodge Dart drills the target dead center,” said Bob Gritzinger, Autoweek Executive Editor. “The bold Dodge styling, sport-tuned Alfa Romeo Giulietta chassis and attention to interior detail will draw buyers into the showroom, while the strong fuel economy and $15,995 starting price should close the deal.”

The 2013 Dodge Dart redefines performance with Alfa Romeo DNA, fuel-efficient powertrains and Dodge’s passion for performance. The all-new Dodge Dart is a thoroughly modern vehicle that’s beautifully designed and crafted, agile and fun-to-drive. Loaded with useful, easy-to-use technology, class-leading safety features including an unsurpassed 10 air bags and clever functionality, the 2013 Dodge Dart offers unmatched personalization, roominess, style, functionality and fun-to-drive dynamics.

“We’re very proud of this award and think the editors at AutoWeek have hit the bullseye by naming the Dart ‘Most Significant Vehicle,’ at the North American International Auto show,” said Reid Bigland, President and CEO—Dodge Brand. “With the compact car segment comprising 15 percent of U.S. new car sales and close to 25 percent of new car sales in Canada, we hope many people in both countries looking for a fuel-efficient, powerful, fun-to-drive car loaded with all the latest technology and safety features soon find it a significant part of their lives, too.”

“The Dart gives Dodge a highly competitive entry in the crucial small sedan segment where it hasn’t been a player since the middle of the last decade,” Gritzinger added.

The 2013 Dodge Dart will have a starting U.S. Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $15,995 and will be available in five trim levels: SE, SXT, Rallye, Limited and R/T. It will be built in the United States at Chrysler Group’s Belvidere Assembly Plant in Belvidere, Ill. Production of the 2013 Dodge Dart will begin in the second quarter of 2012.

The all-new Dodge Dart has been engineered with great levels of refinement, craftsmanship and engaging driving dynamics.

About the 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.

SOURCE Chrysler Group LLC

By Grace Macaluso, Postmedia News

“Ground-breaking” high-tech interior and safety features as well as competitive pricing will set the 2013 Dodge Dart apart from its rivals in the hyper-competitive compact car segment, Reid Bigland, head of the Dodge brand and CEO of Chrysler Canada, said at the car’s unveiling at the North American International Auto Show.

The Dodge Dart “will shatter consumers’ perceptions of what a compact car is capable of,” Bigland said.

“From a technical standpoint, this is start of the art architecture, said Chrysler Group CEO Sergio Marchionne. “We’re setting a new benchmark for the C segment in the U.S. and Canada. I’m looking forward to a long run with this car.”

Three years in the making and built on the Alfa Romeo platform with the “unmistakable presence” of its big brother the Dodge Charger, the Dart is the first vehicle conceived from the Fiat-Chrysler merger.

U.S. pricing starts at $15,995; Canadian pricing has yet to be announced.

Read the full article at: http://www.calgaryherald.com/cars/2013+Dodge+Dart/5987138/story.html#ixzz1jN3RU9lZ

At a Detroit Auto Show press conference earlier this week, Chrysler rolled out its upcoming 2013 Dodge Dart. Set to replace the Dodge Caliber and slotting right along more mainstream compact sedans like the Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cruze, Hyundai Elantra, and Honda Civic, the new Dart looks like a return to form, picking up where the Neon left off—or, perhaps more appropriately, promising us what the Neon only teased.

Small cars (like most of those we mentioned above), in addition to offering many of the tech and convenience features of larger and more expensive cars, are becoming increasingly refined. The Neon, which was loved for its perky driving feel and impressive handling, was disliked for its lack of refinement and a body structure that left lots to be desired. Likewise, the Caliber was sold short with subpar interior materials and unnecessarily noisy and coarse powertrains.

Based on what we see in the cabin of the Dart models shown at Detroit, cabin appointments appear to overcompensate for the Caliber’s woes. But with the new Tigershark engines that are standard under the hood of all Dart models (2.0-liter, or 2.4-liter in the R/T, although a Fiat 1.4T is optional) what of noise, vibration, and harshness? That’s what we asked Dart chief engineer Mike Merlo at the show this week. And if the revised Charger and Journey aren’t evidence enough, it sounds like much has changed in the way that Chrysler engineers vehicles.

Here are six reasons why the Dart will be much more refined than former Chrysler small cars—as well as, possibly, many other cars in its class:

1) A Better World (Engine). The new 2.0-liter and 2.4-liter Tigershark in-line four-cylinder engines are derived from what was formerly called the World Engine. And while they share some block architecture and other pieces, there are actually few carry-over parts, the automaker insists. “The displacement is still basically the same, but we’ve changed bore and stroke a bit, in an effort to improve the overall noise and vibration characteristics,” said Merlo. That also includes an all-new forged crankshaft, said Menlo, and they’ve changed the bearing locations for better stability (and less vibration).

2) Moving Exhaust Noise Away From The Driver. The most important change, perhaps, is that engineers rotated the way the engine is installed and mounted 180 degrees, to put the intake in front. “By positioning the exhaust in the front side of the engine, we’re really moving most of the noise away from the passenger compartment,” explained Merlo.

3) More Noise Treatment Everywhere Else. “And we’ve changed the head around dramatically, obviously, because of the front exhaust and rear intake,” said Merlo. To match the new orientation, Chrysler designed a new, long-runner intake manifolds for these engines, with various noise treatments and a bi-metal noise and heat shields for both intake and exhaust.

4) Better, Smoother Breathing. The 2.0-liter version that the 2013 Dodge Dart SE, SXT, Rallye, and Limited models will come with standard maintains the same basic DOHC arrangement that the World Engine had, but with some improvements for upcoming emissions regulations. The 2.4-liter is a different story; it’s getting an all-new cylinder head, along with a MultiAir2 version of Fiat’s variable valve timing and lift system.
“The 2.4-liter really gets bumped up in torque versus the World Engine,” said Merlo. “That MultiAir technology really allows us on a cylinder by cylinder basis to be able to vary the exhaust and intake strokes independently; so we get with a solenoid control a very fast and responsive changes in needs to both torque and throttle.”

Noise and vibration can just as well come from the intake side, Merlo pointed out, so they had to really work at that, too. “We spent a lot of time designing the intake system for this car, and we have five or six quarter and eighth-wave tuning elements that are part of the intake manifold,” he said, adding that the Dart has “a very interesting route that air flows through as it goes through the intake, meant to smooth out the sound as well as provide a very smooth flow.”
5) Top-Notch Aerodynamics. The engineering team also spent a lot of time on aerodynamics. “We have eight or nine belly pans in different locations, and they’re really helping the flow of air at the back of the car,” said Merlo. “Also, we have automatic grille shutters (they’ll be included on almost all models, though some of the lower trims will offer an aerodynamic option package), and we spent a lot of time managing air flow around the car.”

That meant completely redesigning the side mirrors, which are a big improvement. “And we laser welded the roof to the body-side apertures…That gets rid of the whole ‘ditch molding appearance’ and it yields a very smooth laminar airflow around the car,” said Merlo.

“The ceiling on this car has gone through significant evolution to the point that we have triple-lipped seals nearly everywhere,” he added. “Then we’ve looked at sound quality and closing efforts, because as you add seals you tend to set up a situation that can fight those kinds of things.”

6) The More Rigid Body Structure Helps, Too. “As you noise-isolate your intakes and your exhausts, all of those things together really help create a much smoother and free-running—and a less deflecting engine.” Merlo summed, leading to a final point: that body structure and engine structure play a huge role as well. With the Dart’s much more rigid body structure, combined with the engine changes, there’s less movement in general.

“As you get deflection, you get drag on the engine, and you get things that can create noise. So having something that’s very rigid, very solid, allows the engine to turn freely and feel smoother.”

Moving from the Neon into the Caliber and World Engine, Chrysler modernized to an all-aluminum block, which often brings new vibration issues, Merlo said. “A lot of those things are lessons learned, related to the new design,”

Original at The Washington Post

Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep have just finished an impressive comeback year. They grew their market share, and paid off government loans early, the company boasts. And thanks to the introduction of the all-new 2013 Dodge Dart compact sedan to the media, here at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, there should be plenty to boast about this year as well.
[Read more...]