Dodge Caliber: the hatchback that replaced the Neon

The Dodge Caliber is a compact hatchback that Chrysler’s Dodge division made from the 2007 through 2012 model years. It replaced the Dodge Neon and the Chrysler PT Cruiser and was one of Dodge’s first modern models sold in Europe and Asia.

Dodge Caliber at a glance

Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Dodge Caliber.

History of the Dodge Caliber

The Caliber followed a concept car shown at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show, with the pre-production version appearing at the 2006 North American International Auto Show and the market launch coming in March 2006. It was built at the Belvidere Assembly plant in Illinois, and across its six-year run just over 400,000 were produced. It replaced the Dodge Neon and the Chrysler PT Cruiser in the compact class.

The car was important for Dodge outside North America. It was one of the brand’s first modern offerings in Europe and in Asian markets such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, it was introduced in China in 2008 as Dodge’s second modern vehicle there, and it marked the return of the Dodge brand to Australia since the early 1970s. In Japan it joined the Chrysler PT Cruiser in the local line-up in 2007. The marketing plan for the first year set aside 20 per cent of the budget for online marketing, print advertising and television commercials.

Under the skin the Caliber used a heavily modified Mitsubishi GS platform, called JS or PM by Chrysler, sharing part of its structure with the Mitsubishi Lancer and being most similar to the Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot. It offered a continuously variable transmission called CVT2, sourced from Jatco, which made it the second DaimlerChrysler model to use the technology after the Mercedes-Benz A-Class. The engines were four-cylinder 1.8 to 2.4 litre World units designed jointly by Chrysler, Mitsubishi and Hyundai, and an electronically controlled all-wheel-drive system with variable torque between 25 and 65 mph was optional.

Three models were available at launch, with a fourth arriving in mid-2006. The base SE had a 1.8-litre 148 hp engine and a five-speed manual, with a 2.0-litre 158 hp unit and the CVT2 as an option, but no air conditioning or power windows as standard. The SXT added air conditioning, a Chill Zone beverage cooler, a tachometer, height adjustment for the driver’s seat, a folding passenger seat, reclining rear seats and 17-inch wheels, and in Europe it was sold with a Volkswagen-built 2.0-litre turbodiesel. The R/T used the 2.4-litre 172 hp engine with the CVT2 and an AutoStick mode giving six simulated ratios, with all-wheel drive available until 2009. A high-performance SRT4 version topped the range. For 2011 the SE became Express and the Heat, Uptown and Mainstreet trims appeared, before the range reverted to SE, SXT and SXT Plus for 2012.

Design and features

• World engine: a 1.8-2.4 litre four-cylinder family designed jointly by Chrysler, Mitsubishi and Hyundai.
• CVT2 gearbox: a Jatco continuously variable transmission, the second DaimlerChrysler model to use one.
• Optional all-wheel drive: electronically controlled, with variable torque between 25 and 65 mph.
• Shared platform: a modified Mitsubishi GS base related to the Jeep Compass and Patriot.

Dodge Caliber versions

• SE (Express in 2011): the basic model with a 1.8-litre engine and five-speed manual.
• SXT: better equipped, with the European turbodiesel option.
• R/T: 2.4-litre 172 hp engine, AutoStick and optional all-wheel drive.
• SRT4: the high-performance version of the hatchback.

The Caliber replaced the Dodge Neon and shared its platform with the Dodge Journey range of the same years. More Dodge models are in the Dodge collection.

Sources

• Dodge Caliber, English Wikipedia: production, platform, engines, trims