SPECIFICATIONS |
1. GT Model uses a 2.4-liter four cylinder with 184 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque.
2. A base 2.0-liter and a 1.4-liter turbo four-cylinder both offer 160 hp.
3. An entry-level Dart costs about $17,000 or $24,625 as tested.
4. The Dart GT stickers at 21 mpg city, 30 highway and 24 combined.
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It’s been a long time since Chrysler’s offered a competitive small car. Early in its lifecycle the bubbly Neon was a pretty compelling choice with some powerful engines and friendly styling, but it quickly fell behind the field in its second generation. After the company’s experiment with noble gases came the star-crossed Caliber, a product that went nowhere faster than Detroit’s People Mover, a circular monorail of depression. But now the reinvigorated Pentastar brand is aiming for the consumer bull’s-eye with Dodge’s stylish new Dart. Did they hit the target or is this just another lamentable Chrysler compact (and another bad pun)
EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR
You can decide for yourself if you like the way this car looks, we happen to find the Dart GT quite attractive with its vivid LED tail-lamps and smooth, tastefully designed exterior body panels. This is a sedan that will probably still look fresh a decade from now.
But one area where the Dart really surprises is with its color palate. Drivers can opt for several unusually bright hues. Our test car was dripping in a shade called “Header Orange” and we loved it. Other colors include a distinctive powder blue as well as “Citrus Peel Pearl Coat,” a yellow that’s brighter than the flash of an atomic bomb.
Beyond this, GT models feature special black-out trim on the front bumper; they also benefit from a sport-tuned suspension, 18-inch aluminum wheels and integrated dual exhaust that barks more than you might expect.
Likewise the car’s interior is attractively designed and constructed of nice materials. When it comes to cockpit quality the Dart isn’t going to school the likes of Audi, but it’s well executed for its class, with an abundance of soft, low-sheen plastics and smooth leather. The days of chintzy Chrysler interiors are (thankfully) gone. The company is turning out some truly nice cockpits. If you don’t believe me just slide behind the wheel or a new Jeep Cherokee or the Dodge Charger.
Beyond its overall look and feel, the Dart’s interior also features some useful electronics. The company’s Uconnect 8.4 system is about the easiest infotainment technology on the market to use, though it looks a bit too cartoonish with puffy icons and silly drop shadows. Design notwithstanding, this system is a winner.
Beyond the main screen, which handles functions ranging from entertainment, to navigation, to HVAC and beyond, there’s also a secondary display buried in the center of the Dart GT’s instrument cluster. It’s massive and it’s reconfigurable. Don’t like an analogue speedometer? Great, you can have a digital counter instead. Prefer P-R-N-D-L for the gear indicator rather than having “Park,” “Reverse,” “Neutral,” “Drive” and “Low” spelled out? You can change that as well. The customizations available are dizzying.
You can decide for yourself if you like the way this car looks, we happen to find the Dart GT quite attractive with its vivid LED tail-lamps and smooth, tastefully designed exterior body panels. This is a sedan that will probably still look fresh a decade from now.
But one area where the Dart really surprises is with its color palate. Drivers can opt for several unusually bright hues. Our test car was dripping in a shade called “Header Orange” and we loved it. Other colors include a distinctive powder blue as well as “Citrus Peel Pearl Coat,” a yellow that’s brighter than the flash of an atomic bomb.
Beyond this, GT models feature special black-out trim on the front bumper; they also benefit from a sport-tuned suspension, 18-inch aluminum wheels and integrated dual exhaust that barks more than you might expect.
Likewise the car’s interior is attractively designed and constructed of nice materials. When it comes to cockpit quality the Dart isn’t going to school the likes of Audi, but it’s well executed for its class, with an abundance of soft, low-sheen plastics and smooth leather. The days of chintzy Chrysler interiors are (thankfully) gone. The company is turning out some truly nice cockpits. If you don’t believe me just slide behind the wheel or a new Jeep Cherokee or the Dodge Charger.
Beyond its overall look and feel, the Dart’s interior also features some useful electronics. The company’s Uconnect 8.4 system is about the easiest infotainment technology on the market to use, though it looks a bit too cartoonish with puffy icons and silly drop shadows. Design notwithstanding, this system is a winner.
Beyond the main screen, which handles functions ranging from entertainment, to navigation, to HVAC and beyond, there’s also a secondary display buried in the center of the Dart GT’s instrument cluster. It’s massive and it’s reconfigurable. Don’t like an analogue speedometer? Great, you can have a digital counter instead. Prefer P-R-N-D-L for the gear indicator rather than having “Park,” “Reverse,” “Neutral,” “Drive” and “Low” spelled out? You can change that as well. The customizations available are dizzying.
UNDER THE HOOD
Dart drivers have a choice; three different engines are available under this compact car’s hood, though according to number-crunchers at the EPA it’s technically a midsize model, if only just. The base engine is a forgettable 2.0-liter four-banger. It cranks out 160 horsepower with 148 lb-ft of torque. It’ll get the job done but it’s no fun. Consider this the car’s least enjoyable powertrain option.
Stepping up from there is a 1.4-liter turbocharged and intercooled unit. Fitted with Fiat’s fancy MultiAir variable valve lift technology it delivers 160 ponies with a substantial 184 units of twist.
Sitting like a star atop Chrysler’s Dart Christmas tree is a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated four, which is standard in the GT model. Like the little-turbo-that-can it also features MultiAir. Output totals 184 horsepower with 174 lb-ft of torque.
All three engines will happily run on 87-octane regular-grade gasoline, though the 1.4 prefers premium. Curiously none of these powerplants feature direct fuel injection. Perhaps engineers are holding this addition back to give the Dart a boost in future years.
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