2013 Dodge Dart: European Engineering Meets Its American Cousin

When you've been out of the compact sedan game as long as Dodge has (the Caliber crossover replaced the Neon almost half a decade ago), it's natural to assume that there would be some rust to shake off upon returning to the market. Fortunately, thanks to the wonderful world of inter-continental platform sharing, the Dodge was able to snatch a well-regarded small car platform from Alfa Romeo (like Dodge, one of Fiat's captive brands) and present a fresh face to Canadian shoppers in the form of the 2013 Dodge Dart, a car that suffers from none of the growing pains one might expect from a brand new model.

Does this mean that the 2013 Dodge Dart is perfect? Of course not - no car is - but it does indicate that Dodge has found a way to take advantage of Fiat's compact expertise and present it to North Americans in a package that is both appealing and affordable, instead of formulaic. The Dart has enough of its own personality to avoid any spurious accusations of re-badging, and finally gives the brand the competitive compact entry that has been missing from its lineup for so many years.

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A European Dodge

Recognizing that Americans and Canadians tend to like small cars that aren't actually all that small, the 2013 Dodge Dart rides on a platform that has been poked, prodded, and stretched to be bigger in every important dimension when compared to the Alfa Romeo Giulietta sedan that it originates from. Stylistically, the Dart is also all-Dodge: a crosshair grille serves as the focal point for the sedan's front fascia, while Charger-inspired end-to-end taillights and a sloped roof give it aggressive looks without resorting to caricature.

Inside, the Dodge Dart falls squarely into the middle of the compact car segment when it comes to passenger room. Although some sedans offer more rear leg room and a bit more headroom, neither of the Dart's four primar seating positions could be described as anything other than comfortable. The car also offers a ride quality that absorbs asphalt insults with remarkable skill, giving off the impression that the Dart is actually more hefty than its relatively modest curb weight would suggest.

Beautiful Interior Despite Affordable Pricing

On top of being comfy, the Dodge Dart's cockpit comes across as one of the more elegantly styled entries amongst its compact rivals. Although available with an impressive TFT LCD gauge display, our Rallye edition of the car came with traditional analog gauges, as well as a Uconnect navigation, communications, and entertainment interface sitting at the center of the vehicle's dash. At night, a strip of soft red light surrounds the two central clusters in perhaps the most attractive use of LEDs to have yet made its way inside the interior of a passenger car. The color matched those found on our test vehicle's door panel inserts and fabric seat striping, giving the entire arrangement a pleasing sense of stylistic unity.

The Chrysler Uconnect system is deserving of every bit of praise that it gets in terms of being easy to use without cutting any corners when it comes to features. The voice command system in the Dart is also notable, as we had little trouble getting it to recognize our phone book commands using Android devices via Bluetooth.

A Trio Of Engine Possibilities

The 2013 Dodge Dart Rallye that we drove came with the sedan's mid-range engine option: a 1.4-liter, four-cylinder that makes use of a turbocharger to produce 160 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. The thriftiest member of the Dart drivetrain family (with a rating of up to 4.8 l/100 km on the highway), the turbo was linked to a six-speed manual transmission rather than the available dual-clutch automated manual unit. A traditional six-speed automatic can be had (alongside the six-speed manual) when ordering the 160 horsepower, 2.0-liter base four-cylinder, or the soon-to-be-available 2.4-liter, 184 horsepower four-cylinder attached to the Dart R/T.

Despite its small displacement, the MultiAir turbo (which can also be found in the Fiat 500 Abarth) turned in commendable performance in most driving situations. Yes, we were forced to stay on the ball and select exactly the right forward gear in order to keep the motor from bogging - more so, perhaps, than with many of its competitors - but the sedan never felt underpowered. Handling was composed, but uninspiring, and the Dart's chassis did not suggest that we would be rewarded should we push it hard. That's just fine for a compact sedan in the Dart's price range, and when the R/T model hits the market it will undoubtedly address the desires of enthusiasts for a more visceral cornering experience.

A Compact Stand-Out

The 2013 Dodge Dart Rallye is in a different class when compared against less refined rivals like the Honda Civic, and it comes with a nicer interior than popular compact sedans such as the Hyundai Elantra. While it might not display the crisp handing of the Mazda MAZDA3, its excellent fuel efficiency figures elevate it above comparatively ancient best-sellers like the Toyota Corolla.

In short, the Dart is exactly the right vehicle at exactly the right time for Dodge: a compact sedan that embraces the changing times with a high-tech drivetrain, an upscale passenger compartment, and a multimedia / navigation interface that doesn't make you want to set the dashboard of your car on fire. All it took was a little bit of coaching from its new-found European engineering staff for Dodge to hit this first compact car pitch well above the bleachers.