Is Dodge Caliber Concept the Next-Generation Neon

Expect Something Bold from Chrysler Group When SX 2.0 Replaced

If you asked an honest Chrysler Group executive what he or she needed more than anything else in order to be competitive with its rivals, the answer would be the same as what an honest General Motors executive would have said prior to last fall, before the Cobalt offered entry-level buyers a compact GM vehicle with the capability of standing tall next to any car in its class.

Chrysler Groups Dodge division is the only maker, of its three-fold nameplates, to sell a compact car, and its a tad out of date with the Mazda3, for instance, the class performance, quality and styling leader. Honda will soon battle back with an upgraded Civic, helping it to remain a top seller in Americas C-segment, and Toyotas recently face lifted Corolla will continue as a strong performer, due to it being the closest thing to a Lexus in the compact category.

When it comes right down to it, most every manufacturer, including Mitsubishi, Hyundai and Kia, offer greater sophistication than Dodges Neon, a car due to be replaced later this year.

So what will Dodge do to get its new model noticed, when it finally arrives? Flash marketing will help, but Chrysler Group knows better than any rival that theres nothing better to get new car buyers to stand up and take notice than dramatic styling and an aggressively low price.

The price is a given, but what can we expect the new Dodge compact to look like; a mini-Charger or micro-Magnum? Actually, that may be closer to the truth than initially believed.

Previously we reported that the Neon replacement would pull styling cues from the Avenger concept car that debuted at the 2003 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and this hypothesis hasnt changed. One thing has happened since that story aired, however, that being the preview of Dodges made in and for Europe Caliber, developed to ride on DCXs next-generation C-segment architecture, developed and shared with Mitsubishis future Lancer.

The North America compact will also share the same chassis design and Mitsubishi, Hyundai, DaimlerChrysler developed and built 4-cylinder engine, and according to sources at DaimlerChrysler the Caliber seriously hints at the styling expected for at least one variation of the U.S. bound vehicle.

Whether the new Dodge looks exactly like the Caliber, shares design attributes with the Avenger concept, or is styled in a completely unique fashion, expect it to be as dramatic as the brands midsize offerings, allowing the domestic brand to win back customers it has lost to popular import brands.