R.I.P. DODGE CALIBER AND NITRO

Chrysler Group has put the final nails on coffins made especially for two Dodge vehicles. The Caliber and Nitro sold their last examples over the past few days and will be replaced by two new Fiat/ Alfa Romeo-based models during the 2012 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) that’s coming to Detroit in a couple of weeks.

Replacing the Caliber will be the new Dart, but the Nitro has yet to name a successor. It’s possible that Nitro will not be replaced at all as Chrysler/ Fiat CEO Sergio Marchione was quoted as saying it should never have been made.

We had mixed feelings about these two cars when we drove them here. Calibre was segment-busting, providing a family hatchback with a higher ride than competitors. Prices were also reasonable, but performance and build quality were not at all up to scratch. The Nitro we liked for its brave and unusual face, but again, ride quality and performance were just not competitive. As a result, we believe, neither car sold well since their Mzansi introduction either, although Caliber, just like Mazda3, somehow became very popular with black female consumers.