2013 Dodge Dart to Start at $15,995, 40 MPG Trim Available

Dodge not only unveiled its new compact car, the Dart, today in Detroit, it also enlightened us on the starting price, $15,995 (not including the destination charge).

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This is a competitive price against segment leaders like the Hyundai Elantra, Chevy Cruze and Ford Focus, but it doesn’t top the Elantra, which starts at $15,195 with a manual transmission.

Dodge also announced the Dart will have a trim that gets 40 mpg on the highway. It will be equipped with the turbocharged 1.4-liter engine, with a six-speed dual clutch transmission. In early testing, the high-mileage trim level has seen an EPA unadjusted rating of just over 41 mpg combined, but Dodge only confirms it will be a 40 mpg highway trim. The Cruze, Focus and Honda Civic all have similar trim levels.

2013 Dodge Dart at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show

• Competes with: Chevrolet Cruze, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla
• Looks like: At long last, Dodge makes amends for the Caliber
• Drivetrain: 160-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder, 160-hp, turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder or 184-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder with six-speed manual, six-speed automatic (2.0-liter and 2.4-liter) or six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission(1.4-liter); front-wheel drive
• Hits dealerships: Spring 2012

Dodge hasn't had a small sedan since the Neon, a car it would just as well have you forget. (In 2001, the Neon still had a three-speed automatic. 'Nuff said.) Well, a compact sedan returns to its lineup late this spring, and Dodge dusted off an old nameplate to christen it. The Dart is based is on the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, sold overseas by Chrysler (and Dodge) parent Fiat, and it should match the Hyundai Elantra and Ford Focus for style points.

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The Dart eschews the slab-sided styling from the Avenger and Caliber, choosing Elantra-like curves up front and a much smaller grille than the Dodge norm. The Charger's runaround taillights characterize the Dart's rear, but the whole of it wraps atop a curvier shape to the Charger's boxy tail. Longer and wider than most segment rivals, the Dart boasts a lot of interior room — 97.2 cubic feet, beating the Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Chevrolet Cruze and Hyundai Elantra. The Dart also gets a four-wheel-independent suspension, not the segment norm.

Diesel Jeep Grand Cherokee Coming Next Year

Chrysler announced that not only was it hiring a third shift of workers to build more of its popularly redesigned Jeep Grand Cherokee in Detroit, but that it would also add a diesel version of the SUV to the lineup sometime next year.

There weren’t more details about the vehicle itself in terms of specs or mileage, but the company also confirmed the next SRT Viper sports car — not called a Dodge — will go on sale this year as a 2013 model.

Reader Review of the Week: 2012 Dodge Durango

“Durango Magnet,” from El Paso, Ill., just turned in his relatively new Chevrolet Tahoe for a brand-new 2012 Dodge Durango. As this reader's username would suggest, Durango Magnet was drawn to the SUV's luxurious cabin, ride and its relatively affordable asking price compared to other Chevrolet crossovers and SUVs he's driven. Continue reading the full review to find out more. Once you're done, write a review about your own car here.

Mopar to Show off Dodge Charger Redline, Chrysler 200 Super S in Detroit

At the 2012 Detroit auto show, Mopar will unveil new performance accessory packages for the Dodge Charger and Chrysler 200.

The 2012 Dodge Charger Redline gets a high-performance Hemi crate engine that produces 590 horsepower — 220 more hp than the Charger R/T. The engine is also composed of aluminum instead of cast iron, taking some 100 pounds off the vehicle’s weight compared with the regular crate V-8 that Mopar offers. A high-performance suspension, strut tower brace, throatier exhaust system and beefier brakes accompany the high-powered engine.

Year-End Deal Reality Check: Chrysler Group

Chrysler's had a very successful year overall, with sales up 25% through November. Part of that has to do with the automaker's redesigned and refreshed vehicles, and part of it has to do with Chrysler's seemingly eternal and robust incentive spending. The end of the year is no different. Under Chrysler's cross-branded “Big Finish 2011” sales event, there are plenty of attractive financing and cash-back deals to be had.

Starting with the Chrysler brand — which has the most aggressive incentive offers – there are 0% financing deals on the 2012 Chrysler Town & Country and 2012 Chrysler 200 sedan for 60 months and for 60 to 72 months on all 2011 Chrysler brand models. The Town & Country ($1,250), 200 ($2,500), 300 ($1,500) and 200 convertible ($1,000) also have generous cash-back offers.

Dodge Caliber, Dodge Nitro, Ford Ranger Officially Dead

The oft-forgotten Dodge Caliber and Dodge Nitro are officially dead; both vehicles ceased production this month. The old, but still popular, Ford Ranger compact pickup has also ended production, according to PickupTrucks.com.

The 2012 Caliber officially kicked the bucket this past Friday. The Caliber, which was produced at Chrysler Belvidere Assembly in Illinois, will be replaced by the 2013 Dodge Dart. The new compact sedan will go into production at the plant in August or September. In preparation for the Dart, the plant got a $600 million upgrade.

Which Cars Fit Three Car Seats?

Parents are often searching for the automotive holy grail: a car that's not a minivan and can fit three child-safety seats across the backseat. It's a short list. In the nearly two years that Cars.com editor Kelsey Mays, Cars.com photographer Ian Merritt and I have been installing car seats into test vehicles, we've come across only a handful of cars that can hold three car seats across a backseat.

We recently tested the 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class and it fit three car seats in it. To be considered a fit, there must be enough room between the booster seat and infant-safety seat for a child's hand to reach the seat belt buckle.

2012 Detroit Auto Show: What To Expect, Updated

Twenty-five days separate us from the 2012 Detroit auto show. Of the more than 36 new cars coming to the show, we now can confirm at least 28 vehicles will be there.

Unlike the 2011 L.A. Auto Show, the Detroit show seems to focus heavily on concept cars. The most important production cars we know of now include the 2013 Ford Fusion, 2013 Dodge Dart, 2013 Acura RDX, 2013 Toyota Prius c and the 2013 Cadillac ATS.

This week we learned that the 2013 Fusion will be at the show and a Lincoln MKZ concept, as we previously reported. The Fusion will be introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Jan. 10 and at the Detroit auto show on the same day. The next-generation Mercedes-Benz SL-Class will also be shown off (shown above).

There will be some thinly veiled concepts to look out for, too. They include the Acura ILX Concept, a compact car with a hybrid variant, and, more importantly, the 2013 Honda Accord Coupe Concept. If past Honda concepts are any indication, it will pretty much be the new Accord that will go on sale later next year.

For now, those are the major releases we know about. We’ll have more info once the 2012 Detroit auto show gets under way Jan. 9.

2013 SRT Viper To Arrive in Late 2012

The latest Viper is coming sooner than expected, but when it does go on sale it will no longer be sold as a “Dodge." It will be known as the 2013 SRT Viper, and the super car will go into production in late 2012, Chrysler says.

The car will be built at a specialty shop in Detroit — the same factory where the original Viper was built — employing 150 workers. This marks the return of the Viper nameplate, which was put on hiatus shortly after Chrysler’s bankruptcy and reorganization; Chrysler's previous owners even tried to sell the brand but couldn’t find an appropriate buyer.

The next Viper promises to be more advanced as Chrysler touts it will have “stability control tuning for the first time.”

The SRT group, which creates high-performance variants of Chryslers, Jeeps and, mainly, Dodge cars, was recently reorganized by Chrysler corporate, giving the team more sway. SRT works similarly to BMW’s M brand or Mercedes’ AMG brand. Models like the 2012 Grand Cherokee SRT8 or Chrysler 300 SRT8 feature race-inspired performance parts and exterior/interior looks. People behind the SRT brand were previously responsible for the first Dodge Viper and the Plymouth Prowler in the 1990s.

The fastest SRT ever produced was the now-dead 600-horsepower 2010 Dodge Viper SRT10, which could accelerate from zero to 60 mph in less than four seconds.