The 2013 Dodge Dart is a few months away from hitting the streets, and much has already been said about the car - starting with its name.
This new Dart is a compact sedan that will offer a choice of 4-cylinder engines, including a turbo 1.4L four that will belt out 160 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. Inside, the car will be available with a touchscreen infotainment system, Bluetooth connectivity and 14 interior colour and trim combinations to choose from. Chrysler also announced that more than 150 Mopar accessories and performance add-ons will be available for the car.
Clearly, the 2013 Dodge Dart is aimed at a younger crowd, one that seeks individualism, one that likes technology and one that doesn't want to spend all its hard-earned dollars at the fuel pump.
Here's what the new Dart is not: a re-creation of the Dart some of us remember and, maybe, cherished in the '60s and '70s. Back then, the Dart was involved in the Pony Car breakout, and was equipped with a bunch of Slant-6 and V8 engines. You could get a Dart Swinger or a Dart GTS with a 340-cubic-inch V8, and in certain limited-edition versions, an engine displacing 426 and 440 cubic inches.
Obviously, the decision to revive a "classic" nameplate did spark some negative reactions from fans of the old Dart. Will the new car spoil the old car's reputation and heritage? I don't think so.
A quick survey around the office water cooler and coffee machine confirmed my point of view on the matter; only my older (uh, more experienced) colleagues remember the previous Dodge Dart. And frankly, these people are generally NOT the target audience for the new car. Besides the journalist group of carnuts like Matt and I, the vast majority of co-workers under 40 years of age ignored the existence of the original Dart.
This situation is way different than when Chrysler reintroduced the Dodge Challenger, as the current-generation car is a clear re-creation and tribute to the '70s Challenger.
Chrysler kept the rights to the Dart nameplate, and they've made a good decision to re-use it; it created a buzz, it's sharp and it isn't associated with a horrible product like the Neon and the Caliber nameplates. We'll see if the 2013 Dodge Dart will hit the bull's-eye with its target audience.
This new Dart is a compact sedan that will offer a choice of 4-cylinder engines, including a turbo 1.4L four that will belt out 160 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. Inside, the car will be available with a touchscreen infotainment system, Bluetooth connectivity and 14 interior colour and trim combinations to choose from. Chrysler also announced that more than 150 Mopar accessories and performance add-ons will be available for the car.
Clearly, the 2013 Dodge Dart is aimed at a younger crowd, one that seeks individualism, one that likes technology and one that doesn't want to spend all its hard-earned dollars at the fuel pump.
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| 2013 Dodge Dart (Photo: Chrysler) |
Here's what the new Dart is not: a re-creation of the Dart some of us remember and, maybe, cherished in the '60s and '70s. Back then, the Dart was involved in the Pony Car breakout, and was equipped with a bunch of Slant-6 and V8 engines. You could get a Dart Swinger or a Dart GTS with a 340-cubic-inch V8, and in certain limited-edition versions, an engine displacing 426 and 440 cubic inches.
Obviously, the decision to revive a "classic" nameplate did spark some negative reactions from fans of the old Dart. Will the new car spoil the old car's reputation and heritage? I don't think so.
A quick survey around the office water cooler and coffee machine confirmed my point of view on the matter; only my older (uh, more experienced) colleagues remember the previous Dodge Dart. And frankly, these people are generally NOT the target audience for the new car. Besides the journalist group of carnuts like Matt and I, the vast majority of co-workers under 40 years of age ignored the existence of the original Dart.
This situation is way different than when Chrysler reintroduced the Dodge Challenger, as the current-generation car is a clear re-creation and tribute to the '70s Challenger.
Chrysler kept the rights to the Dart nameplate, and they've made a good decision to re-use it; it created a buzz, it's sharp and it isn't associated with a horrible product like the Neon and the Caliber nameplates. We'll see if the 2013 Dodge Dart will hit the bull's-eye with its target audience.