Picking up where the Neon (rather than the really quite rubbish Caliber) left off, the Dart follows convention. No hatchback-cum SUV with tailgate disco silliness here then, just a compact four-door saloon with neat lines, a decent interior finish and some familiar Dodge trim. There'll be SE, SXT, Rallye, Limited and R/T versions to choose from, the entry-level cars getting a base 2.0-litre petrol unit, with 2.4-litre naturally aspirated and a 1.4-litre turbocharged MultiAir engine also offered. There'll be a choice of two automatics - a twin clutch on the 1.4 MultiAir - and a six-speed manual as standard in the line-up.
Cabin quality is certain to wow, with even Europe's worst interiors better than the best of most US brands'. Being based on the Giulietta's cockpit is a good thing then, with quality light years ahead of the not-good-enough-for-Christmas-cracker-toys plastics that featured in the Caliber and Neon.
Sadly, there are no plans to resurrect the Dodge brand in Ireland.
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