Will 'Fast and Furious' Accelerate Dodge Dart Sales?

The return of Michelle Rodriguez as the ostensibly back-from-the-dead Letty Ortiz in "Fast & Furious 6," roaring into theaters May 24, has been a key element in the film's prerelease marketing. Similarly, the resurrected-for-2013 Dodge Dart is ready for its close-up in the latest edition of the immensely popular Vin Diesel-fronted street-racing saga. But will the movie spark sales of the slow-selling compact?

While "Fast & Furious 6" is likely to be quick off the line on its way to box-office success — its predecessor, 2011's "Fast Five," bowed to a reported $86 million — early sales of the 2013 Dart have proved neither fast nor furious in its crowded segment. The automaker is no doubt hoping the Dart's prominence in both the film and a cross-marketing campaign will help raise its public profile, as similar product placement in "Fast Five" did for the Dodge Charger two years ago. A fleet of Chargers will return for some more screen time in the new film, along with the current SRT Challenger and a vintage Charger Daytona, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Recall Alert: Approximately 215,000 Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram Vehicles

The Chrysler Group issued six separate recalls affecting around 215,000 vehicles in the U.S. According to the automaker, the following vehicles are affected:

• 61,400 model-year 2007-08 Dodge Nitro and Jeep Liberty SUVs. Chrysler has stated that it's recalling two-wheel-drive versions of these vehicles in order to brace a heat shield that can loosen and contact the driveshaft, causing wear and possible breakage over time. "Chrysler Group is unaware of any collisions or injuries associated with the condition," the automaker said in a statement.

2013 Dodge Charger: Car Seat Check

The 2013 Dodge Charger isn't the typical family car, but its wide, roomy backseat means it can easily handle hauling kids in their child-safety seats. Although this is a full-size family sedan, its bolstered seats hampered its ability to fit three child-safety seats across the back. If you're looking for some parent cred, though, this car will deliver it in spades.

For the Car Seat Check, we use a Graco SnugRide 30 rear-facing infant-safety seat, a Britax Roundabout convertible child-safety seat and Graco high-back TurboBooster seat.

New SRT8 'Core' Models Drop Features, Price

Dodge's and Chrysler's high-performance SRT8 models receive a substantial price drop courtesy of a new breed of high-performance trim levels called the Core models. Challenger SRT8 and 300 SRT8 Core models strip convenience features like leather, moonroof, high-power stereo and fog lights in search of a lower price discounted as much as $4,780 than their full-featured regular models.
 
The trend started with Dodge's special edition Charger SRT8 Super Bee that — compared to the regular SRT8 — used the less-expensive radio, standard hood, cloth interior instead of leather and ditched the adaptive adjustable suspension in favor of a fixed firmness suspension.

More 2013 Chicago Auto Show Coverage

2013 Dodge Charger Daytona at the 2012 L.A. Auto Show

• Competes with: Chevrolet SS, Ford Taurus SHO, Chrysler 300C
• Looks like: A Charger R/T with matte-black stickers
• Drivetrain: Same as Charger R/T — 370-hp, 5.7-liter V-8 with five-speed automatic transmission
• Hits dealerships: First quarter of 2013

Dodge revives the classic Daytona name for an appearance package on the 2013 Charger R/T, available in early 2013. For $2,995 on base R/T trims and $2,500 on R/T Road and Track models, the Daytona Package layers on matte-black vinyl graphics and adds unique wheels and specific interior trim.

More 2012 L.A. Auto Show Coverage

The mostly ornamental package doesn’t include any performance enhancements to the R/T that you can’t already get without the package; just the optional 3.06 rear end gear. The only added item under the hood is a blue engine cover — it doesn’t add horsepower.

Cars.com Family Reviews the 2012 Dodge Charger

The 2012 Dodge Charger is more than a muscle car, says Cars.com Family reviewer BreAnn Ahara. This five-seat sedan is also a family car that can easily handle child-safety seats and double jogging strollers. The Charger’s chiseled looks and tough-guy styling were bonuses for BreAnn, who loved that the car didn’t scream, “I have kids in the backseat.”

2012 Dodge Charger Review

Cars.com Reviews the 2012 Dodge Charger

Dodge's large sedan was redesigned for 2011, but something was still missing, according to Cars.com Editor Joe Bruzek. The addition of an eight-speed automatic transmission fills that hole and makes the engine feel livelier while also boosting fuel economy, Bruzek says. A high-quality interior and plenty of passenger room also appeal, but watch out for a buggy navigation system, Bruzek warns.

2012 Dodge Charger Review

Put an iPad in Your Cupholder

Who says a cupholder has to hold only cups? We use them to hold smartphones, change, gas receipts, sunglasses and just about anything else there isn't a cubby for. But car-accessory maker Bracketron sells the Universal Tablet Cupholder Mount for those who just can't get enough of their tablet computers.

We've seen other tablet holders that mount to the back of the front-seat head restraints, but this one secures the device in a cupholder. If you live in a state that prohibits mounting any devices on your windshield, this could be a nice alternative if you want to use your 3G iPad as a GPS device, but it opens a can of worms in terms of who will use it — the driver or passengers.

Despite Slew of Upcoming Models, Large Family Sedans Are an Endangered Species

With the announcement of more sophisticated, technology-laden versions of the Toyota Avalon, Ford Taurus and Chevrolet Impala, you'd think the state of large, non-luxury family sedans was pretty sound, but think again.

Over just the past five years, the full-size family sedan market has seen its relevance halved, according to R.L. Polk & Co. The segment used to have 15 models, but in recent years that number has dwindled to just seven, says Polk. Subsequently, market share has dropped from slightly above 5% of all vehicles sold to just 2.3% in the first three months of the year, Polk reports. Today, the segment is only one-third the size of the minivan market, a segment long derided as "dead" and already abandoned by big movers and shakers like GM and Ford.

Lapping Road America With Chrysler's Design Chief

Ralph Gilles tapped the drivetrain's Sport button and held down an adjacent key to deactivate the electronic stability system. We were in a 470-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT8 — Gilles at the wheel, me riding shotgun — about to hug the best four miles of asphalt anywhere in the Midwest: Wisconsin's Road America racetrack.

"Now we're in full 'oh s—t' mode," Gilles smiled.

I figured Chrysler's chief designer could careen around a racetrack in his own cars any way he liked, and it seemed like a good way to pass time after the 20-year company veteran spoke to journalists at the Midwest Automotive Media Association's Spring Rally last week. Careen we did, nearing 140 mph down the half-mile Kettle Bottoms, between the 11th and 12th of Road America's 14 turns. Gilles is a better track driver than me, but that's not saying much: My apexes are messy, my drifts fleeting. Any weekend enthusiast would show me taillights.

Gilles has also navigated Chrysler's own twists and turns. The 42-year-old designer jokes of still having nightmares of former CEO Bob Nardelli, whose tenure lasted all of 21 months, and he calls his current boss, Sergio Marchionne, a "globally minded" car guy. Gilles has led the automaker's design for three years, overseeing cars from the Dodge Dart to the SRT Viper. A year ago, Marchionne appointed Gilles the CEO of Chrysler's SRT performance brand.