2013 Dodge Dart Test Drive

2013 Dodge Dart Test Drive

On Sale: Summer 2012

Price: $ 16,750

Competitors: Chevy Cruze, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Elantra, Mazda3, VW Jetta

Powertrain: 2.0-liter inline four, 160 hp, 148 lb-ft; 1.4-liter turbocharged inline four, 160 hp, 184 lb-ft; 2.4-liter inline four, 184 hp, 171 lb-ft; six-speed manual, six-speed dual-clutch automated manual, or six-speed automatic, FWD

Fuel Economy: 25â€"27/36â€"39 (est.)

What's New: Thanks to an infusion of parent company Fiat's Italian small-car know-how, Dodge now has a small sedanâ€"the Dartâ€"largely based on the bones of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta. To make sure there's enough room for us girthy Americans, Chrysler w idened the Giulietta's chassis by about 1.2 inches and lengthened its wheelbase by 2.7 inches over the Alfa. This new chassis is now called the Compact U.S. Wide platform. The Dart uses the same electric power steering system as the Alfa, but to accommodate the added width of the chassis, the tie-rod ends were lengthened on either side.

Additionally, the Alfa's strut front and multilink rear-suspension systems have been retooled for North America. While the front suspension crossmember is a steel structure on the Alfa, it's a high-pressure die-cast aluminum piece on the 3200-pound Dart, saving around 14 pounds. Mike Merlo, Dart chief engineer, says the high-pressure casting procedure produces a dense aluminum that allows Dodge to use thinner, lighter sections. Two of the Dart's three engine blocks are made from this material, as are the front suspension knuckles and the heavier-duty rear spindles. "When we looked at how we were going to use this platform, we realized t hat the Giulietta (rear) bearing's load capability was optimized for its application," Merlo says. "We wanted to make sure we had flexibility (in North America) for different permutations in rear load capacity, so we went with a stronger spindle design." In other words, a Dodge crossover from this platform is a lockâ€"and you can probably expect a Jeep one, too.

Under the hood, base Darts use a 160-hp 2.0-liter Tigershark four-cylinder mated to six-speed manual or six-speed automatic. This is a heavily revamped version of the aluminum four-cylinder "World Engine" that has served Chrysler products since 2006. The optional powerplant is the same turbocharged 1.4-liter Multiair engine that Fiat uses in its 500 Abarth model. Here, the iron-block four-cylinder delivers 160 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque channeled through a six-speed manual or a dual-clutch six-speed manumatic. Dodge says the latter is its "premiere fuel economy configuration." Later this year an aluminum 2.4-liter Tirgershark four-cylinder with 184 hp and 171 lb-ft of torque will come under the hood of the Dart R/T paired to the six-speed manual or six-speed automatic.

In an interesting twist, Dodge has moved away from the recent U.S. trend of offering only a few select options and trim levels on mainstream cars, which limits the number of choices we have at the showroom. Instead, the Dart will use Fiat's European model and come in five trim levels (SE, SXT, Rallye, Limited and R/T), three engine options, three transmissions, six unique wheels, and four interior colors. Dodge says there are 100,000 ways to configure a Dart.

Tech Tidbit: Merlo says that early on, the Dart team had Fiat's Multiair system planned for th e redesign of the aluminum 2.0-liter Tigershark engine. But the cost of the system proved to be prohibitive for an entry-level motor. Instead, that system will come on the larger 2.4-liter engine in the Dart R/T.

Still, the new 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine is significantly better than the old motor. Merlo says 80 percent of the engine is new. The team stared with a new crankshaft and repositioned where the thrust bearings are located to increase crank support. Modifications to the pistons lightened reciprocating weight and helped reduce noise. The team also moved the exhaust manifold to the front side of the engine to isolate much of the engine noise from the cabin. And there is a tuned intake snorkel and plenum to match. The result is a base engine that neither feels nor sounds like the cheap option.

Driving Character: There was a time when Dodge really knew how to build a fun small sedan. The Neon SRT4 was one of the r owdiest cars of the sport compact movement. The new Dart is certainly mellower than that beast, but after spending an afternoon in the Dart, it's clear Dodge has a driver's car in this segment once again. Even on the rain-soaked twisty back roads of northern California, the handsome Dart was well composed. The suspension has just the right amount of compliance over the rough stuff, and it's firm enough to handle hard cornering thanks to the multilink rear suspension.

It's clear too that Fiat and Alfa (and Chrysler) know how to tune an electric power steering system. The Dart's steering felt natural, predictable, and generally wonderful. And unlike some cars in the class, the Dart comes with disc brakes at all four corners. The cars we sampled all wore the 17-inch tires, too (up from the base 16-inchers). So we'd expect the larger 18-inch wheels and tires of the R/T models will be just that much better in the canyons.

We had a chance to sample both the 2.0-liter f our-cylinder and the 1.4-liter turbo motor. The 2.0-liter doesn't pack the personality of the turbocharged Fiat engine, with its snarly exhaust and zippy moves, but it is quiet and smooth. Lug the turbocharged 1.4-liter down below 2000 rpm and not much happens. But as long as you keep the revs up, the 1.4 backed by the six-speed manual is the fun machine of the Dart lineupâ€"until the R/T arrives this summer.

On the freeway, the Dart is a smooth mover. And thanks to aerodynamic details such as the seven underbelly panels, air spats ahead of the tires, and "grill shutters" that electronically close at speed, the Dart should deliver excellent real-world highway fuel economy.

Inside, the Dart, like many small cars today, can be optioned as only a luxury car could be just a few short years ago. You can select leather seats, an optional 8.4-inch-touchscreen navigation system with a backup camera, a heated steering wheel, blind-spot monitoring, and even a reconfigurabl e TFT digital instrument cluster. If you test-drive a Dart loaded with all these features, you'll most certainly want to spring for everything. But if your pocketbook won't allow your car's options list to expand that far, rest assured that every Dart gets a huge glovebox (thanks to Fiat's compact HVAC system) and storage space under the front passenger's seat.

Favorite Detail: The signature element in the Dart's instrument panel is its dimmable "Floating Island Bezel," an illuminated acrylic tube that follows the contour of the dash surrounding the gauges and the center stack where the climate control and audio systems live. But to get the lighting right, the team had to use a unique approach. Initially, they found the ring had dark spots in the corners that just didn't look proper. So the designers used a screen pri nting of small dots on the plastic tube to reflect the light around the bends. In the end, the team only had to use two LEDs to light the entire ring around the dash. For comparison, the optional full-width taillamp array uses 152 LEDs.

Driver's Grievance: As good as the Dodge Dart is, we'd like to see a serious fuel-economy model. Why not bring over one of the diesel engines Alfa uses in the Giulietta? After all, the company's JTD 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo-diesel makes 170 hp and a whopping 253 lb-ft of torque. A Dart diesel with that much torque averaging close to 45 mpg on the freeway? Count us in.

The Bottom Line: The Dart is the first true offspring of the Chrysler-Fiat marriage. And it's a solid competitor against a field of manufacturers that have been perfecting the compact breed for decades. Indeed, the compact-car class has become so competitive in recent years that it 's tough to pick a favorite. But Dodge was so confident in the Dart that it brought along the rest of the pack for us to compare during the test drive event. We won't pick a favorite here, but the Dart is in the running.

Although the Dart R/T will offer a step up in power and performance, we have our fingers crossed for a Dart SRT4. It's time to bring back some serious horsepower.

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