Dodge Caliber ruminations
The Dodge Caliber is in production, but, true to its nature, Chrysler can’t seem to decide what the horsepower ratings or gas mileage will be. We have two completely different sets of horsepower and torque ratings (from the press release and from dodge.com) coupled with two sets of figures being tossed around in the press for gas mileage. These aren’t minor differences - well, the horsepower ratings are at most 5 hp apart - but the gas mileage varies by about four miles per gallon. Chrysler still seems like a company that doesn’t quite have its act together… from saying the 6.1 V8 has the highest power output of any engine it’s ever made (amended to the highest power per liter, amended to the highest power per liter of any current V8) to having two “first time” introductions of fly-by-wire (4.7 and then Hemi), to… well, all these odd Caliber ratings. We’d understand if they had made some changes, but they really should update their press releases - and start talking about gas mileage in real terms, if they can.
The Caliber is, like every other vehicle Chrysler makes, a make-or-break, not so much because of the investment, which is in the billions, as because a quality disaster at this time would essentially take any credibility Chrysler has and flush it down the toilet. They need to get it right, because they’re fighting both the perception that they have lousy quality, and the bias against American cars in general. And, of course, if they continue to get it right, all credit will go to Mercedes, which has been unable to match Chrysler’s quality, much less lead the Americans to greater heights.
It’s also a big deal because if the Caliber really takes off, Chrysler might just start making small cars again - smaller and less expensive than the Caliber. Yes, they said they’d do it, but only in conjunction with another automaker, most likely troubled, low-quality Volkswagen (Polo) or old partner Mitsubishi. The big questions are which partner? and how much engineering involvement Chrysler would have. The more successful the Caliber is, the more likely Chrysler would be able to heavily modify the small car, because they’d have the cash and credibility. If the Caliber fails, Stuttgart will almost certainly say there’s not enough interest in small cars for anything more than a rebadged Polo or Colt or Atos. If the Caliber succeeds, we can see real Chrysler engineering. (The same holds true for a compact pickup, if they’re clever enough to actually build one again.)
While the Caliber is neither as slippery as the first-generation Neon (cd = 0.375 vs the Neon’s .0328), nor as light, it has more cargo space, more passenger room, and higher safety and emissions standards. The base model gets lower EPA ratings than the 1995-99 or 2004-05 Neon stick-shift models (29/38), but in real life it may do better, thanks to variable-valve technology (both intake and exhaust) and, for automatic buyers, the continuously variable transmission. By comparison, incidentally, the Toyota Corolla automatic gets 30 city, 38 highway with 126 hp; or 26 city, 34 highway with the 164 hp XRS and a stick, but the Corolla is much lighter (and possibly smaller). The Caliber SRT-4 blasts the XRS out of the water, but is rated at the same acceleration as the Neon SRT-4; it is probably safer and easier to drive, though.
Three World Engines offerings (1.8-, 2.0- and 2.4-liter) provide class-leading horsepower (148 hp, 158 hp and 172 hp, respectively). Chrysler engineers 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.
The 1.8 liter engine is only offered with a five-speed manual transmission, while the larger engines come only with the CVT.
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 percent compared with a traditional 4-speed automatic.
Dodge Caliber is the Chrysler Group’s first compact car with available electromagnetically controlled all-wheel drive with variable torque output, which gives customers year-round assurance, added performance and seamless, automatic operation.
In addition to its global powertrain, Dodge Caliber meets safety, feature and convenience standards in markets around the world. To ensure its success in global volume markets, Caliber will launch outside North America with both right- and left-hand drive models and an available turbo diesel engine. Dodge Caliber also meets and complies with all regulatory requirements, as well as off-set crash tests in Europe and Australia and front-impact compliance for Japan and Australia. Dodge Caliber’s manual and automatic transaxle shifters are packaged in the center stack instead of the floor console, which is more common in Japanese and European markets.
The Caliber is full of clever engineering from different companies, inside and out. Let’s toast its success - and hope that, unlike the first-year Neon (for example), or the UltraDrive minivans, it doesn’t draw new people into the company just to drive them away permanently. The PT Cruiser would be a better model: it showed many an import owner that Chrysler can do quality as well as, or better than, just about any Japanese company, including the vaunted Honda. And, if the Caliber does well, Chrysler might just gain more power within DCX; if it fails, expect to see more Volkswagens with ram horns.
