Caliber to Spearhead Dodge's Australian Market Launch

Motoring Channel Staff - 17/Jan/2006

The Dodge Caliber was unveiled at the 2006 Detroit Motor Show as the company's new highly versatile small car.

But the big news for Australian readers is that the new Caliber will be launching the Dodge brand in Australia in the third quarter of 2006, when it arrives for mass consumption.

Chrysler already has a growing presence in Australia, with a number of Jeep models, not to mention the new Chrysler 300C, and now Dodge wants some Aussie action too.

According to Dodge, the Caliber redefines the compact car category by combining high value with bold styling and a flexible interior.

It has been designed to appeal to owners who want 'Dodge attitude' packaged with the capability and versatility of a sport-utility vehicle and the affordability and fuel-efficiency of a compact car.

With a sporty coupe-like profile, the Caliber has a distinctive crossbar grille front end and will be available with a range of fuel efficient four cylinder engines.

"The Dodge Caliber is not your typical small car," said Gerry Jenkins, managing director, Chrysler Jeep Australia.

"Caliber will appeal to owners looking for a compact car that stands out from the crowd and gives them the flexibility to do more in terms of seating friends and gear.

"The compact car segment is competitive, but our research tells us that customers are tired of the bland offerings in this segment. The Dodge Caliber is boldly designed but will also deliver with affordable pricing, European-style handling and fuel-efficient engines," said Jenkins.

Dodge assures us that the 2007 Caliber will arrive in Chrysler dealerships around Australia in the third quarter of 2006, and pricing will be confirmed closer to launch.

In America, the 2007 Caliber asks $US13,985, which is about $A18,566 if you do the currency exchange.

Dodge expects the Caliber to draw buyers from both the small and mid-size car segments, and cites the booming small car segment for its decision to introduce the Dodge brand and the Caliber into Australia: the small car segment has been consistently growing in recent years and is expected to continue to do so. With 215,324 registrations in 2005, the small car segment grew by 19 per cent year-over-year accounting for over 35 per cent of total passenger cars sales in Australia.

Dodge explains that the Caliber is a 5-door vehicle that combines a sporty coupe-like profile with the strength, stance and functionality of an SUV. "With its bold styling and clever packaging, Caliber is pure Dodge," said Trevor Creed, the senior vice president [for design] at the Chrysler Group.

Strong, sculpted wheel arches, broad shoulders and a distinctive hood give the Caliber its confident stance. Large, crystal headlamps and available fog lamps complement the 'crosshair' Dodge grille and create an integrated look that completes the Caliber's sporty appearance.

At the rear, the Dodge Caliber gets a black roof spoiler with integrated centre high-mounted stop lamp and large modular crystal brake lights fill it's rear corners and provide distinct focal points of the Caliber's rear-view design.

Customer demand for a compact vehicle with a lot of interior flexibility and utility had a big influence on the Dodge Caliber's interior, which the company says provides comfortable seating for the driver and up to four passengers, plus room for gear.

"Dodge Caliber's spacious interior also is very versatile," said Matt Liddane, the chief engineer for dodge Caliber. "We combined style and comfort with innovative features and clever packaging to create a vehicle that gives new meaning to functionality in the compact car market."

Some of the Caliber's interior features include:

MusicGate Power: 9-speaker Boston Acoustics premium sound system with subwoofer that includes two articulating speakers packaged in the liftgate. When the liftgate is open, the speakers can swing down from the trim panel to face rearward for outdoor picnics and other activities

Self-recharging removable flashlight: Mounted in the headliner above the cargo area, can snap out of the holder to serve as a flashlight

Chill Zone: Cooled beverage storage bin that can hold up to four 590ml bottles or cans

Illuminated front cup holders rings that glow blue-green to match other centre stack lighting

A front passenger seat that folds forward to create a table-like surface for versatility

A washable and removable vinyl load floor in the rear cargo area

Dodge explains that the Caliber was created from the beginning as a car destined for global markets, so the 2007 Dodge Caliber features innovative new engines and transaxles to deliver world-class performance, fuel economy and refinement.

The American car maker explains that the Caliber's powertrain and drive systems offer many Chrysler Group firsts in the compact car market (Dodge is a subsidiary of Chrysler). Whilst the exact engine line-up for Australia is yet to be confirmed, Dodge Caliber offers a range of petrol World Engines and a second-generation Continuously Variable Transaxle (CVT2).

A 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine is being considered for Australian release, while the rest of the range includes 1.8-litre, 2.0-litre and 2.4-litre 4-cylinder petrol engines that provide class-leading power: 103kW, 110kW and 125kW respectively.

Chrysler has revealed that its engineering department met aggressive performance and fuel economy targets through advanced cylinder head port and intake manifold design. Technologies in the Chrysler Group World Engine include dual Variable Valve Timing (VVT) and intake manifold design with flow control valves, firsts for a Chrysler Group compact car. Combined, these features produce more power, better fuel economy and smoother, quieter operation than engines without them.

Dodge Caliber's CVT2 is a second-generation CVT that Chrysler Group engineers have calibrated for pleasing engine response, precise ratio control and an AutoStick feature that allows for manual control with the simulation of six stepped gears. CVT2 contributes to a fuel economy improvement of 6-8 per cent compared with a traditional 4-speed automatic.

All told, the Dodge Caliber will be available in close to 100 countries outside North America, which led designers and engineers to consider global market demands when developing this all-new compact car. Production of the Dodge Caliber will take place at the newly refurbished Belvidere (Illinois) Assembly Plant. The new 4-cylinder World Engines for this vehicle are built in the state-of-the art Global Engine Manufacturing Assembly (GEMA) plant in Dundee, Michigan.

The World Engine is family of world-class 4-cylinder engines produced by GEMA in Dundee, Michigan, delivering an exceptional combination of quality, fuel efficiency, refinement and performance. GEMA is owned equally by DaimlerChrysler Corp., Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and Hyundai Motor Company. By optimising the three joint venture partners' strengths, global economies of scale and the latest practices in flexible teams and machines, GEMA aims to set a new benchmark in engine plant productivity.