Performance has historically been a huge touchstone for the Dodge brand. These days, though, this is defined in ways other than pure power and acceleration, with environmental performance at the top of many lists.
The revival of the legacy Dodge Dart nameplate for the 2013 model year aims squarely at this ‘new’ performance. This car looks cool, harkening to its storied past with an array of great styling features that make it look better than we ever remember the original Dart looking back then vis-à-vis its peers, while blending in lots of advanced electronics, safety systems, and of course efficiency.
Three Tigershark powerplant options are offered including a 16-valve, 2.0-liter (160) four-cylinder engine and two four-cylinder MultiAir variants – a 1.4-liter (160 hp) MultiAir turbo and a 2.4-liter (184 hp) MultiAir 2. Fiat’s fuel-efficient MultiAir technology reduces fuel consumption and emissions through precise electro-hydraulic valve control of air and combustion, cylinder by cylinder and stroke by stroke. All engines couple to either six-speed manual or automatic transmissions.
The 2.0-liter and 1.4-liter engines with six-speed manual achieve EPA ratings of 25 city/36 highway and 27 city/39 highway mpg, respectively. The 2.4-liter MultiAir 2 engine will debut in the Dodge Dart Aero model coming this fall and offer at least 41 mpg on the highway.