Dodging Bullets
Dodge is on a testosterone high the likes of which we have not
seen since the previous heyday of the Hemi back in the '60s and '70s. Coincidence? I don't think so. The domestic brand is more than happy trying to pigeon-hole itself into "man" brand status: big, bold, unadulterated muscle with plenty of mojo. No offense, but no "chick cars" in this lineup, at least not anymore.
After years of hanging the Dodge flag on powder blue Neons, as well as soft shouldered Stratus and Intrepid sedans, which even seemed tame in their gaseous light and wispy cloud names, except for the fearless Intrepid that is, the Magnum and Charger have ushered in an era of powerful cars with powerful names, and anyone shying away from the gun-toting designations had better just get out of the line of fire.
Not
only is Dodge experiencing an image revival, they are also riding the wave of sales success after sales success. But really, I'm not much of a numbers guy. No, what really gets my engine cranking is a company that takes aggressive, stylish concepts and puts them into production, with more voice given to the designers than the accountants and marketing mediators.
Considering Dodge's willingness to stick to its guns with the likes of the Charger and Magnum, it should come as no surprise that the brand's execs have kept the Caliber true to the concept that preceded it. Dodge's recent spate of introductions and consequent sales successes are, as Senior Designer Greg Howell termed it, "the light at the end of the tunnel" after many years of diluted designs and middling market presence. You show me a wagon that can stand grille to grille with a Magnum and I'll show you my apologetic side. Chrysler Group's product offensive has driven its 2005 fortunes to the tune of a five percent increase in overall sales, the only North-American based manufacturer to do so (let's not quibble about Chrysler's Teutonic connection just now).
Anyhow, this is one more production car that is surprisingly true to concept form. Aside from little tweaks like scaling back the Caliber concept's 19-inch alloy wheels and a bit of softening to the edges of the front fenders, the production Caliber looks nearly identical to the prototype. In fact, I can't spot any major differences aside from a functional interior that is so filled with clever little features that it will knock you on your tailgate.
Big, intimidating grilles, big flared fenders, big knobs and big shiny wheels, that's what Dodge is all about. The Caliber is a practical city car treading that fine line between hatchback, wagon and SUV - can anyone say crossover? I particularly like the term CUV (Crossover Utility Vehicle) that has been circulating lately to describe wagonish SUVs, compact vans, sporty utes, etc. It's one of those catch-alls that saves us the effort of contradicting the manufacturer when they try to claim their wagon is a sport tourer or sport activity vehicle.
Dodge is on a testosterone high the likes of which we have not
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| The Caliber is bigger, bolder and more aggressive than the Neon could ever be. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) |
After years of hanging the Dodge flag on powder blue Neons, as well as soft shouldered Stratus and Intrepid sedans, which even seemed tame in their gaseous light and wispy cloud names, except for the fearless Intrepid that is, the Magnum and Charger have ushered in an era of powerful cars with powerful names, and anyone shying away from the gun-toting designations had better just get out of the line of fire.
Not
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| Caliber's name and styling are in line with its larger brother, the Magnum wagon. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler) |
Considering Dodge's willingness to stick to its guns with the likes of the Charger and Magnum, it should come as no surprise that the brand's execs have kept the Caliber true to the concept that preceded it. Dodge's recent spate of introductions and consequent sales successes are, as Senior Designer Greg Howell termed it, "the light at the end of the tunnel" after many years of diluted designs and middling market presence. You show me a wagon that can stand grille to grille with a Magnum and I'll show you my apologetic side. Chrysler Group's product offensive has driven its 2005 fortunes to the tune of a five percent increase in overall sales, the only North-American based manufacturer to do so (let's not quibble about Chrysler's Teutonic connection just now).
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| As you can see, the production Caliber is closely in tune with the Caliber Concept, pictured here. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler) |
Big, intimidating grilles, big flared fenders, big knobs and big shiny wheels, that's what Dodge is all about. The Caliber is a practical city car treading that fine line between hatchback, wagon and SUV - can anyone say crossover? I particularly like the term CUV (Crossover Utility Vehicle) that has been circulating lately to describe wagonish SUVs, compact vans, sporty utes, etc. It's one of those catch-alls that saves us the effort of contradicting the manufacturer when they try to claim their wagon is a sport tourer or sport activity vehicle.