Dodge revealed the Caliber "concept car"
in Geneva, firmly stating its intentions to break into the European marketplace. According to Dodge, the "Dodge Caliber concept brings emotion to the C-segment sea of sameness", which I'm sure the established players would have a thing or two to say about.
There is no getting away from the chunky, sculpted styling though, and the imposing Dodge face certainly does stand out from any crowd. The "Sunburst Orange" paintwork helps. In the metal, the Caliber feels like a mid-size MPV, with high sides and good use of space inside. Dodge reckons the Caliber mixes coupe looks with SUV functionality. Admittedly, from the side, if you squint a little, the shape appears to taper in a coupe-like fashion, thanks to the blackened roof and rear spoiler, though it looks closer to the Lexus RX SUV than to any coupe on the market.
Unusually, very few technical details have been provided for the Caliber. We expect a production version to surface before the end of the year, perhaps at the
Frankfurt Motor Show. At this stage we can but speculate at its engine line-up, though it would be suicide for there not to be diesel options. Being part of the DaimlerChrysler family, Dodge has easy access to Mercedes' line-up of state-of-the-art diesel units. Being the sporty brand of the group we would expect emphasis on V6 petrol and perhaps even the "Hemi" V8s currently making a come back in the States.
Shane O' Donoghue - 15 Mar 2005