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Dodge Reintroduces The Newly Designed Dart
 Dodge recently reintroduced their Dart nameplate to the car world, yet there are drastic differences that set it apart from the original. Built from 1960 to 1976 in North America, the Dart was introduced as a lower-priced, shorter wheelbase, full-size Dodge in 1960 and 1961, became a mid-size car for 1962, and finally was a compact from 1963 to 1976. Chrysler had previously applied the "Dart" name to a Ghia-built show car in 1956. The latest iteration however features Alfa Romeo-based architecture, a roster of personalization options available to a buyer, and other features that make it a thoroughly new vehicle. The 2013 Dodge Dart will be available in five trim levels: SE, SXT, Rallye, Limited, and R/T (available third quarter 2012) with a starting U.S. Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price of $15,995. It will be built in the United States at Chrysler Group's Belvidere Assembly Plant in Belvidere, IL. Production of the 2013 Dodge Dart will begin in the second quarter of 2012. The Fiat Group-based Compact U.S. Wide (CUS-wide) architecture's low, wide, and long dimensions ensured a stable "body-in, wheels-out" stance and coupe-like silhouette. The CUS-wide platform allowed for accentuating the fender formations and pushing the wheels as far out to the corners as possible, creating a very stable look, which gave Dodge designers opportunities for some very dramatic sculpturing. Designers visually stretched the skin of the car over the vehicle framework as if stretching nylon over a surface. Once the basic design was in place, the face of the Dart was styled with the unmistakable Dodge split crosshair grille, but with a modern, sleek look that "floats" in the front fascia, giving the Dart a full-width mask that marks it as a Dodge. The rear view of the Dart features an available Charger-inspired "racetrack" full-width taillamp with 152 indirect glow LEDs, and dual exhausts mounted in the rear fascia. The front of the 2013 Dodge Dart has been designed with a lower radiator close-out panel positioned below the front fascia. This not only contributes to the Dart's lower front-end appearance, but also reduces drag while still allowing for an 8-inch curb clearance. The Dart's layout is designed to put all controls within easy reach of the driver. Customizable displays and comfort-tuned seats are packaged in a spacious interior. The 2013 Dart features the interior roominess of a mid-size sedan, and has comfortable hip and shoulder room. Dodge said that the car will be powered by three fuel-efficient, powerful, state-of-the-art four-cylinder engines. Drivers can select from a new 160 horsepower Tigershark 16-valve 2.0-liter engine, a 160 horsepower 16-valve 1.4-liter MultiAir Intercooled Turbo engine, and a new 184 horsepower Tigershark 16-valve 2.4-liter MultiAir 2 four-cylinder engine (available 3rd quarter 2012). These three engines, combined with three transmission choices — six-speed manual, six-speed automatic or six-speed dual dry clutch (DDCT) transmission (available 3rd quarter 2012) — provide the most diverse powertrain lineup in its class. A 2.0-liter Tigershark engine mated to the six-speed manual transmission has an EPA fuel economy rating of 25 miles per gallon (mpg) City/36 mpg Highway/29 mpg Combined. The 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo engine mated to the six-speed manual transmission has an EPA fuel economy rating of 27 mpg City/39 mpg Highway/29 mpg Combined. Dodge will also introduce a Dodge Dart "Aero" model (available 3rd quarter 2012) that will achieve at least 41 mpg on the highway. The Dodge brand's re-entry into the U.S. compact sedan segment is based off of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta. The Giulietta platform was lengthened and widened, creating a spacious compact sedan that meets the needs of North American consumers. The modular architecture allows multiple models to be built using the same basic underpinnings, resulting in improvements in quality and reliability, as well as reducing cost, development timing and tooling. The body structure of the Dart is comprised of 68 percent high-strength steel – hot stamped, high-strength and ultra-high-strength – resulting in an architecture that is lightweight yet solid. Engineered with more than 60 safety and security features, the Dodge Dart starts with a strong foundation, a body that has a high-strength steel content of sixty-eight percent and then adds both active and passive safety features: ten standard airbags -- dual-stage adaptive venting front driver and passenger air bags, front-seat-mounted driver and passenger pelvic and thorax air bags, two rear-seat-mounted pelvic air bags, front driver and passenger knee air bags, and all-row side-curtain air bags. It also features a reactive head-restraint system; available Blind-spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Path Detection, three-point safety belts in all five seating positions; front driver and passenger dual seat belt pre-tensioners at the anchor and retractor positions and active load limiters. All three rear seat positions feature Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren (LATCH). Additional standard safety features on the 2013 Dodge Dart include:
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