08 Aug 05 13:58
Dodge Caliber
Chrysler is warming up for the launch of its Dodge brand in Europe, and its C-sector small family car is to be previewed at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month. The Caliber - a name used on the initial concept car which will probably be also used for the production version - is the Dodge entrant into Golf/Focus/Astra territory, and it has been co-developed with Mitsubishi, which will shortly unveil its own new Lancer family on the same basic underpinnings. The car on show in Frankfurt is still a prototype - the final interior design has not yet been signed off - but it will be nearer to the production version than earlier show cars. The first sight of the real thing will be at the Detroit Motor Show in January 2006, with the European launch at the Geneva Motor Show in March.
Chrysler has, however, confirmed details of the Caliber's powertrain: the range will showcase technology new to the Chrysler Group, and the first four-wheel drive system in a Chrysler passenger car. The optional four-wheel drive system is a torque-on-demand set-up; it works in front-wheel drive mode at low speeds unless a loss of traction is detected, but torque is distributed to the rear wheels from 25mph-65mph and when drive to the rear axle is needed. Six-speed continuously-variable transmission (CVT) will be offered, with manually-selectable sequential shifts.
A new family of four-cylinder petrol engines, co-developed in the now-defunct joint venture with Mitsubishi, will be launched in the Caliber: 1.8-litre (140bhp), 2.0-litre (150bhp) and 2.4-litre (170bhp) units with variable valve timing. An all-new 2.0-litre turbodiesel will also be offered, developing 134bhp and 229lb ft of torque. Chrysler Product Development chief Eric Ridenour said: "We focussed on customer benefits during the selection and development of the Dodge Caliber engines and transmissions, targeting the hottest issues in the C segment: fuel economy, reliability, performance and value."
Chrysler will also unveil two Jeep show cars in Frankfurt, the Patriot and the Compass Rallye. They are both proposals for new compact SUVs - for the Freelander/RAV4 sector - but are very different in character. They are "Jeep 4x4s that would deliver fun, freedom, utility, capability, as well as the potential for exceptional fuel economy and interior flexibility-all at a great value", says Chrysler.
Jeep design is splitting into two distinct camps, which the company has dubbed 'Rugged' and 'Modern'. The Patriot is, like the huge seven-seat Commander also to be shown in Frankfurt, a Rugged product, with upright grille, boxy outline and a no-compromises character. It's not a hint at the next-generation Cherokee, however, though it is nearer in size to this than to the other concept, the Compass Rallye: the next Cherokee, a sister model to the Dodge Nitro, will be more luxury-oriented. The Patriot, should it go into production, will be targeted at a younger, trendier audience, and will be more accessibly priced.
Artist's impression of the Patriot
The 'Modern' Compass Rallye, meanwhile, is a development of the earlier three-door Compass concept; now with five doors and a more car-like profile, it is more of a crossover wagon than an all-out 4x4, though Chrysler promises that it will have true Jeep off-roading ability nonetheless. Although there are styling cues common to all Jeeps, it is more in the vein of the Cherokee and Grand Cherokee than the Wrangler and Commander. The company won't yet confirm its underpinnings, but it's likely that the Compass Rallye is based upon the roadgoing Caliber platform and chassis. It "broadens the global appeal of the Jeep brand", says Chrysler. "It's a contemporary-styled Jeep concept that targets new buyers who might not have previously considered the brand. Compact and nimble, (it) is designed to offer a fun-to-drive experience, performance and fuel economy unexpected in the highly-competitive compact SUV segment."
Both concepts - and the Commander, which goes on sale shortly - demonstrate Chrysler's plans to expand the Jeep brand worldwide, and to increase the variety of models in the Jeep line-up. And of course, should the Compass Rallye and Patriot go into production, we can expect to see Dodge- and Chrysler-branded sister models as well.
