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New Models
AUTOS: Dart Flies With Italian Flair
First Chrysler/Fiat joint venture produces an enjoyable compact sedan for Dodge with crisp steering and cornering finesse.
The Dodge Dart SXT is dressed in base-model trim but still looks solid and distinctive. (Photo: Bob Golfen)
Dodge’s new compact sedan reprises a famous name from the past and rides on an Italian chassis, the first true amalgam of the Chrysler/Fiat partnership that came out of bankruptcy.
Dodge Dart is built on the lengthened and widened chassis of an Alfa Romeo Guilia, and as expected, the Alfa underpinnings provide steering and suspension that are tight and precise, more so than what we usually experience in sedans at this price range. The rest of the car is pure Dodge.
Dart was Dodge’s popular compact car of the ’60s and early ’70s, although in today’s terms, those Darts would hardly seem compact but closer to full-size.
The latest Dart – and I approve of the reprisal of the vintage name although it leads to painful pun headlines, such as “Dart Hits Bull’s Eye” and “Dart Right On Target” – is set apart from the popular run of Civics, Corollas, Focuses and such by its agile handling and a roomy, well-trimmed interior.
The Dodge styling is also right on, drawing on the brand’s touchstones including a crosshair grille presented in a more horizontal form and a full-width LED taillight bar ala Charger and Challenger, that harks back to the muscle-car era. The rear looks a bit high and chunky, but that’s what happens when you add luggage space to a compact sedan.
As such, Dart has good presence that is sporty and distinctive and, undoubtedly due to its newness and the ongoing hype, turned plenty of heads. I think you’ll soon be seeing these little cars everywhere you look.
Dart was enjoyable to drive on a day trip that included plenty of highway speeds, winding roads and hill climbs, which also did a good job in exposing the car’s strengths and weaknesses.
The strengths: Responsive steering and cornering, as well as a composed ride at high speed.
Its weaknesses: Modest engine power and sluggish shifting from its automatic transmission. Really, as good as this car drives and handles, the base engine and transmission fall short.
The Dart that I drove was the SXT version, one up from the SE base model, equipped with the 2-liter DOHC inline four that generates 160 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque. And it’s the minimal torque that spoils the fun, especially at lower rpm. According to the manufacturer’s specs, the full load of torque doesn’t come on until 4,600 rpm, which seems like a lot of rowing before you get to the sweet spot.
The six-speed automatic was of little help in wringing the most power out of this engine. No doubt the drivetrain would have more spunk with the available six-speed manual. The automatic can be shifted manually, though it lacks the desired snap.
There are two engine upgrades available. A 1.4-liter MultiAir turbocharged four-cylinder produces 160 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque and comes with either stickshift or a six-speed dual-dry-clutch automatic, both of which should be a major improvement. This is the powertrain that powers the limited-edition Fiat 500 Abarth, although tuned differently to provide greater torque.
Coming soon is the Dart R/T that will be motivated by a 2.4-liter MultiAir four-cylinder with 184 horsepower and 171 pound-feet of torque, with either manual or the standard automatic. This would be the hot setup, so far at least. No one is saying just yet, but rumor has it that a high-performance version from Chrysler’s tuner division, SRT, will be up sometime in the near future.
Dodge Dart is built on the lengthened and widened chassis of an Alfa Romeo Guilia, and as expected, the Alfa underpinnings provide steering and suspension that are tight and precise, more so than what we usually experience in sedans at this price range. The rest of the car is pure Dodge.
Dart was Dodge’s popular compact car of the ’60s and early ’70s, although in today’s terms, those Darts would hardly seem compact but closer to full-size.
The latest Dart – and I approve of the reprisal of the vintage name although it leads to painful pun headlines, such as “Dart Hits Bull’s Eye” and “Dart Right On Target” – is set apart from the popular run of Civics, Corollas, Focuses and such by its agile handling and a roomy, well-trimmed interior.
The Dodge styling is also right on, drawing on the brand’s touchstones including a crosshair grille presented in a more horizontal form and a full-width LED taillight bar ala Charger and Challenger, that harks back to the muscle-car era. The rear looks a bit high and chunky, but that’s what happens when you add luggage space to a compact sedan.
As such, Dart has good presence that is sporty and distinctive and, undoubtedly due to its newness and the ongoing hype, turned plenty of heads. I think you’ll soon be seeing these little cars everywhere you look.
Dart was enjoyable to drive on a day trip that included plenty of highway speeds, winding roads and hill climbs, which also did a good job in exposing the car’s strengths and weaknesses.
The strengths: Responsive steering and cornering, as well as a composed ride at high speed.
Its weaknesses: Modest engine power and sluggish shifting from its automatic transmission. Really, as good as this car drives and handles, the base engine and transmission fall short.
The Dart that I drove was the SXT version, one up from the SE base model, equipped with the 2-liter DOHC inline four that generates 160 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque. And it’s the minimal torque that spoils the fun, especially at lower rpm. According to the manufacturer’s specs, the full load of torque doesn’t come on until 4,600 rpm, which seems like a lot of rowing before you get to the sweet spot.
The six-speed automatic was of little help in wringing the most power out of this engine. No doubt the drivetrain would have more spunk with the available six-speed manual. The automatic can be shifted manually, though it lacks the desired snap.
There are two engine upgrades available. A 1.4-liter MultiAir turbocharged four-cylinder produces 160 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque and comes with either stickshift or a six-speed dual-dry-clutch automatic, both of which should be a major improvement. This is the powertrain that powers the limited-edition Fiat 500 Abarth, although tuned differently to provide greater torque.
Coming soon is the Dart R/T that will be motivated by a 2.4-liter MultiAir four-cylinder with 184 horsepower and 171 pound-feet of torque, with either manual or the standard automatic. This would be the hot setup, so far at least. No one is saying just yet, but rumor has it that a high-performance version from Chrysler’s tuner division, SRT, will be up sometime in the near future.
2014 Cadillac CTS
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