New Dodge Dart hints of Alfa Romeo DNA [with video]
Alfa Romeo has announced its return to the shores of the United States several times now but fans have also been frustrated after it has pushed back its date of comeback. Somehow we can say now that Alfa Romeo has landed again in the US in the form of the Dodge Dart that was recently unwrapped at the Detroit Motor Show.
The Dodge Dart is the resurrection of the midsize car that became popular back in the ’70s which makes use of the platform that serves as the foundation of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta. The new Dodge compact sedan is the first product of the cooperation between Fiat and Chrysler since the take over of Fiat back in 2009.
The design of the 2013 Dart does not take the lines of its Italian cousin since it is a 4-door sedan and not a 5-door hatchback. The vehicle is also wider and longer compared to the Giulietta. The crosshair grille also shows a very Dodge character plus the rear lights which takes inspiration from the Dodge Charger.
The Dodge Dart is 4,672 mm in length, 1,830 mm in width, and 1,465 mm in height. The wheelbase is pegged at 2,703 mm. Looking at these numbers, this ride is very much similar to the size of the newest 3-Series from BMW.
The interior of the Dodge Dart makes use of soft-touch, high quality materials plus a high tech reconfigurable cluster display of gauges among other features. The seven-inch display can be customized the driver to include a navigation system showing assist for every turn, eco-meter, audio, compass, temperatures, fuel economy, and analog or digital gauges.
It can also be setup with a media center making use of an 8.4 inch Uconnect touch screen that has built in features like radio, iPod control, navigation, blue tooth, weather updates, and other interesting stuff.
Buyers can also choose from twelve body colors, 14 combinations of color and trim for the interior, and seven options for the rims of the vehicle.
The Dart will have three options for the 4-cylinder gas engine ranging from 160 bhp to 184 bhp.
Here is a good video to give you a sneak peek of the 2013 Dodge Dart :
Tags: Alfa Romeo, Alfa Romeo DNA, Dodge Dart
Alfa Romeo 4C set to launch by 2013; tag price below £45,000
Alfa Romeo recently released an update about the ongoing works with the Alfa 4C. The team of engineers is pretty confident that they can bring a prototype out on the asphalt for testing by middle of next year and the final version to roll out on showrooms by 2013. Alfa Romeo is trying to keep the tag price below £45,000.
The build for the Alfa Romeo 4C is actually being handled by a small team formed out of the main product development structure of the company. The management loved the initial design concept that they gave it an immediate go so a car can be displayed during the Geneva show last March.
The concept car presented last March made use of a carbon tub by Dallara, a company which also helped with Alfa 8C, Bugatti Veyron, and the KTM X-bow. The production version of the 4C will use an in-house architecture designed by the team of Alfa Romeo. The final output will make use of a carbon fiber center tub and aluminum frames for the front and tail portion. It will be cheaper but a bit heavier.
The carbon fiber skin is ruled out since it will be very difficult to do production wise plus it will be really expensive. The Alfa 4C will have an SMC skin which is a light form of the GRP.
The design team of Alfa Romeo ensures though that even with the change of materials for the production version, the car will still look very much like the concept car. The interior of the Alfa 4C will also be true to what was presented with the concept vehicle. The Alfa 4C interior will appear simple and lightweight with separation of the driver and passenger and the dial pod.
Alfa Romeo is also working on the down force of the production version to give it a very good grip. The secret though will not be on the aerodynamics but more on the lightness of the car. The engineers want to keep it at around 900 kilograms on the scales and at around 4 meters in length.
Alfa is also looking to install a 230 horsepower engine which gives it a two thumbs up for a very reasonable price.
