Dodge Dart

2013 Dodge Dart launch at Detroit Auto Show, Jan 2012

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The Dodge Dart is the first competitive compact sedan offered by the Chrysler Corporation in more than a decade, probably since the last new Dodge Neon. As such, it gives the company a crucial entry in a hotly contested segment long ruled by the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. But their dominance is now under attack by a host of remarkably good new contenders, including the Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus, and Chevrolet Cruze.

The Dart will have to be a good car indeed for it to wrest sales away in a segment that's now as important in the U.S. market as mid-size sedans. That said, the Dart is clearly worlds better than the defunct and unloved Caliber hatchback it replaced, and it's already attracted lots of attention--most of it positive--for Dodge.

Inside, the Dart is roomy; on the outside, its design is almost a halfway blend of Dodge Charger and Dodge Neon. While that may sound like a head-scratcher, it actually works quite well. With its low cowl and wide stance, the compact Dodge is distinctive and visually eye-catching compared to taller, slabbier compact designs from Ford and Toyota.

The Dart can be fitted with one of three engines: a 160-horsepower turbocharged 1.4-liter four that's expected to be the fuel economy champ, a 160-hp 2.0-liter four that will likely be the lowest-cost option, and a 180-hp 2.4-liter four fitted with Fiat's MultiAir valve technology that will provide the best performance.

A six-speed manual transmission can be ordered with any of the three engines, and the larger two also have the option of a six-speed automatic transmission. For customers who don't want to shift themselves but want the highest fuel economy, the 1.4-liter four will be fitted with a six-speed direct-shift gearbox. It functions like an automatic, but is essentially a pair of automatically shifted three-speed manual transmissions.

Inside, high-level Dart models feature a 7-inch color thin-film-transistor (TFT) display between the gauges, designed to appear as a part of the gauge cluster rather than a discrete screen. Other snazzy appearance features include an optional LED ambient lighting system, and 14 combinations of colors and fabrics--including one with red stitching on black upholstery.

Safety equipment includes 10 airbags, the usual array of electronic safety control systems, and a few that are new to the compact class. Those include blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-path detection. It also offers hill-start assist, trailer-sway control, and a rear backup camera.