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That was my first reaction when I saw the announcement declaring the return of the Dodge Dart. Researching further I was relieved and a little intrigued to learn that it is in name only.
Depending on your memories the Dart could be anything from dodgy old family cruiser to muscle car. It really was capable of being those two extremes and anything in between. The Dart was sold on US shores from 1970-1976 and the name continued in Mexican produced Chryslers until 1989.
After a 24 year hiatus the new Dodge Dart will be born in a completely new world for Chrysler. For starters Fiat now owns 53.3% of Chrysler and the Dart will be the first Chrysler with Fiat underpinnings. The new Dart will be based on the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, though a little larger in every dimension to make it palatable to Americans who like their cargo space. The Giulietta is a handsome car and is doing well in Europe. More than looks it gives me hope that Chrysler is ready to venture into the world of European allure instead of weird and out there – the PT cruiser and the Dodge Intrepid are dancing in my head with flashing lights as I type this.
This is Chrysler’s first attempt at the sub-compact market in a very long time. Some might remember the Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizons of the mid to late 80’s. There are some like me, whose families actually owned one, who choose to forget them. Then there was the Neon, and finally the Caliber.
The Dart will replace the Caliber which never quite caught the spark Chrysler had hoped for. I never disliked it actually. I just could never figure out what Chrysler was trying to do with the car. Was it a compact? Kinda. Was it a baby SUV? Well, maybe, it was a little tall. Did it attract younger buyers? If loud counts for attracting the young then yes, it was youthful.
There is no denying that Fiat’s first foray back onto US roads with the 500 has been a success so far. It’s a terrific car and a wonderful nod to the original. So I am actually very excited to see what this Alfa based, Fiat underpinned, and Chrysler final touched little compact this car will be. With the promise of 40mpg on the highway it will be competing in a niche where most of the major players have already entered with an existing compact or the introduction of a diesel alternative.
Chrysler has a loyal ownership base and I think existing buyers will be happy to have this as a fuel sipping versus slurping alternative to a Chrysler product they may have purchased in the past. Chrysler hopes that it will attract first time new car buyers and turn them into a returning customer base in the future.
If I had learned that Chrysler was resurrecting the Omni/Horizon or freshening the Caliber I probably would not even have bothered to write this. Given the details we have so far I think the new Dart may turn a few heads and certainly deserves a spot on the consideration list for someone looking in that segment. I will write more as Chrysler gets closer to production.
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