DODGE RESURRECTS DART

Dodge was building the first Darts from back in the hippie 1960s through to the hazy 1970s. Now, that many years later, the Dart name is making a return. In a Fiat body nogal! That’s right, Fiat, which now owns Chrysler, has repackaged its new AlfaRomeo Giulietta as a Dodge Dart for the American public. Whether it will also take it internationally is still an unknown.

From these official teaser pictures it’s quite clear the Dart is going to be one handsome family mover. It will be positioned against market leaders such as the Volkswagen Jetta, Toyota Corolla, Chevrolet Cruze and Hyundai Elantra.

Fiat-shared engines will form the basis for the powertrains, including the 1.4-litre MultiAir. There’s also a 2.0-litre called Tigershark and the 2.4-litre MultiAir. If Europe gets a Dart, it should also expect a sharp diesel as well.

Dodge will introduce the world to the new Dart at the 2012 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit next month.