Dodge Chief Talks 40-MPG Darts, Reliability

The 40-mpg figure is all the rage these days, but it's not as clear-cut as it may sound.

Marketing last year from Hyundai takes on some of the new compacts from Ford and GM, whose 40-mpg EPA highway ratings apply only to certain drivetrain variations. For example, only about 1% of Ford Focus or Fiesta listings on Cars.com's national inventory carry the 40-mpg SFE designation. Could the 2013 Dodge Dart, whose 40-mpg variant comes with Fiat's 1.4-liter turbo four-cylinder and a dual-clutch automatic, have the same problem?

Reid Bigland says no. Bigland, head of Chrysler's U.S. sales and president of the Dodge division, says the 40-mpg Dart will be "findable" at dealerships. The first Darts arrive this spring. Dodge will offer three engines and three transmissions, but Bigland says he doesn't expect shoppers to have a problem finding 40-mpg versions of the Dart once production ramps up.

Other versions of the Focus — and the Honda Civic — hit close to the 40-mpg EPA highway mark, and Bigland expects "very competitive" figures for the other Dart drivetrains.

Chrysler President: "If It's Political To Say I'm Proud To Be American, So Be It"

The 2012 election season leaves nothing untouched — even cars. Chrysler's two-minute-long Super Bowl XLVI spot starring actor Clint Eastwood had conservative pundits crying foul, while Obama's administration was quick to praise the ad and defend the 2009 auto bailout. In response to questions about the ad's political nature, Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne told Detroit's WJR-AM radio station on Monday that Chrysler is "as apolitical as you can make us" — and Eastwood, incidentally, doesn't even support Obama.

Chrysler division President Saad Chehab, who has lived in Detroit for more than 25 years, said the ad was just about being "damn proud" of the automaker's Detroit heritage. Chehab characterizes the automaker's current "Imported from Detroit" tagline as a "love letter" to the city.

"We're proud of this city of Detroit, and we want to go to the highest mountain and say it," he told Cars.com at this week's Chicago Auto Show. "If it's political to say I'm proud to be American, so be it."

2012 Dodge Charger, Kia Sportage Earn Five-Star Safety Rating

The 2012 Dodge Charger and 2012 Kia Sportage garnered the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's top safety rating. Dodge's midsize sedan and Kia’s compact SUV are the latest vehicles to earn an overall five stars out of five in NHTSA's crash tests. 

Chrysler's Mopar Dart, 500, 300C and Compass: Up Close

Chrysler celebrated the 75th anniversary of its Mopar accessories division by bringing four custom vehicles to the Chicago Auto Show: a 2012 Chrysler 300C, 2013 Dodge Dart, 2012 Fiat 500 and 2012 Jeep Compass. The Mopar-accessorized, rear-wheel-drive 300C will be available from the factory this summer for around $49,000 -- about $3,000 more than a loaded rear-drive 300C. The others are available with assorted parts from Mopar’s catalog, and I checked out all four.

More 2012 Chicago Auto Show Coverage

True to its factory-rollout status, the Mopar 300C looks like the sleeper of the bunch, with subtle blue stripes and matching wheels. Pop the hood, and Chrysler's 5.7-liter V-8 has blue etching. Thanks to a 3.91 rear axle ratio -- compared with 3.06 for the standard 300C -- the Mopar car should hit 60 mph in close to 5 seconds, Chrysler says. The automaker doesn't cite an exact zero-to-60 time on the regular 300C, except to say it’s "under 6 seconds." The tradeoff is the engine running at higher, mileage-killing rpm on the interstate, but I doubt any Mopar owner will care. I'm not as wild about the custom interior. It gets a cool, palm-sized automatic shifter but trades the 300's upscale Nappa leather for blue-accented Katzkin leather seats. They feel like too much aftermarket cowhide: shiny and, well, cheap.

Dodge Dart Adds Thousands of Jobs Near Chicago

Chrysler's two-minute Super Bowl XLVI commercial had actor Clint Eastwood declaring America's "second half's about to begin." In Belvidere, Ill., that second half could include nearly 3,000 auto jobs.

Most of them will come to Chrysler's Belvidere Assembly Plant, where the automaker announced last Thursday it would hire 1,800 employees to help build the soon-to-be-released Dodge Dart. George Welitschinsky, president at one of Belvidere's two United Auto Workers' locals, estimated the plant's nine local suppliers would add another 1,000 employees to support the extra capacity.

Chrysler currently employs 2,714 at its 280-acre assembly and stamping plants in Belvidere, which is some 70 miles northwest of downtown Chicago. The extra jobs would mean a third shift, bringing total plant employment to more than 4,500. That's the most ever employed at the plant, Chrysler spokeswoman Jodi Tinson said.

SRT (Sort of) Teases New Viper

After a lot of hype, Chrysler's SRT Viper reveal turned out to be a dud. The group announced a Viper sneak peek on its Facebook page and then unveiled just a partial sketch of the forthcoming 2013 SRT Viper. 

The drawing doesn't say too much about the new performance car, but we do know that the Viper trades the Dodge name in for the SRT brand for 2013. It's going into production later this year in Detroit.

The new Viper will meet the public at the 2012 New York auto show in April.

Dodge Dart Shines Light on Future Chrysler-Fiat Vehicles

The 2013 Dodge Dart is the first compact sedan from Chrysler in nearly seven years. That in itself is a milestone, but the car also looks competitive against the likes of the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic and Chevrolet Cruze.

Chrysler's compact car plans are thanks to its new partner, Fiat. In the Dart we get the first real-world example of what to expect from upcoming replacement vehicles for the Jeep Liberty, Chrysler 200 and others in the future.

Chrysler has stated that the Dart's underpinnings are based off a new basic platform originally used to design and produce the Alfa Romeo Giulietta in Europe. Chrysler says the Dart platform — called Compact U.S. Wide — will also underpin most of its upcoming midsize and large sedans, crossovers, SUVs and minivans. The exceptions are the Jeep Wrangler, which will remain body-on-frame, Ram's trucks and the 2013 SRT Viper.

Recall Alert: 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8, Dodge Charger SRT8

Dodge is recalling certain versions of its performance-oriented SRT8 sedans because of a glitch in the tire pressure monitoring system, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The systems in 303 SRT8 versions of the 2012 Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger don't warn drivers when tire pressure falls 25% below the recommended level. The affected vehicles notify drivers when the pressure reaches 22 pounds per square inch instead of the required 24 psi. Underinflated tires could result in tire overloading and overheating, leading to a possible blowout or crash.

Vehicles in the recall were manufactured from May 2 through Nov. 17, 2011. (You can find the vehicle's build date on a label affixed to the driver-side doorjamb.) Dealers will reprogram the TPMS for free. Owners will be notified next month. For more info, owners can call Chrysler at 800-853-1403 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236.

2013 Dodge Dart Video

For the 2013 model year, Dodge resurrects an old nameplate for a fairly novel concept for the carmaker: a competitively priced and optioned compact sedan. The model features swoopy, curvy styling, which is uncharacteristic for Dodge. However, there are cues, like a continuous rear taillight, that help tie the Dart back to familiar models like the Charger and Challenger. Overall, the car has a lot of unique bright spots, including a spacious rear seat, massive glove box and touch-screen display, says Cars.com Industry Analyst Kelsey Mays.

2013 Dodge Dart: Up Close

It's not a Neon. It's not a Caliber either. Dodge's new Dart abandons the oversized crosshairs across Dodge's lineup to good effect. Viewed from all angles, it could beat the Hyundai Elantra and Ford Focus for best-looking small car. The nose looks sharp with the R/T’s black bumper treatment, and the Rallye and Limited — both scattered about the auto show — maintain a similar presence. The continuous band of taillights suggests the Charger, and the show cars' bumpers have clean tailpipe integration. Nice, and not the norm among small cars.

More 2012 Detroit Auto Show Coverage

You pay a small price for it in visibility, but it’s one a lot of shoppers will accept. The thick C-pillars inhibit a lot of over-the-shoulder sightlines, with useless rear-quarter portholes; for a commuter car, the side mirrors are too small. Storage options abound inside, with a clever well under the passenger-seat cushion to stash something. The glove box, meanwhile, is deep enough to go spelunking.