Dodge Caliber

Dodge will sell the Caliber in the second week of June. It will have front-wheel drive, three engines, two rates, one manual and one automatic and five levels of equipment. Not all combinations of engine, gearbox and equipment are possible (list of all versions). The caliber affordable cost € 15,750, there is no car on sale in our country of a similar size and power that costs less.

The Caliber is an unusual model. It has some features that resemble a road as they look, others with a minivan, its size, and Dodge will sell five-door as a passenger car, even if a mechanical car-like Jeep Compass, will be sold as all-terrain light. However, the Compass and Caliber are distinguished by the height (1632 mm the first, second 1533) and traction system.

For size, the Dodge Caliber is one of the largest among the models that have their price five-door body. It measures 4417 mm long, a length similar to the family car with a body like the Alfa Romeo Crosswagon The Break Peugeot 307 or Toyota Corolla Wagon. Other cars with this length but not body family are the Mazda3 five-door (4420 mm) or SEAT Toledo (4,458 mm).

In the Caliber, the wheelbase (2,635 mm) and tracks (1.520/1.520 mm) are slightly higher than normal in five-door cars up to 4.5 m in length.

You can carry three engines, two petrol 150 hp or 156 hp and 140 hp diesel, all are placed transversely (comparative table of benefits and consumption).

The diesel engine is a 2.0 liter which gives maximum power of 140 hp and enough to move with the agility that weighs almost 1,500 kg the Caliber. At cold start, it's noisy and vibrates intensely for a few seconds up also heard, but not annoying (more on this engine.) The change from six gears operated smoothly and fast enough for normal driving.

The petrol engines are manufactured Global Engine for some brands of DaimlerChrysler to Mitsubishi and Hyundai. The 150 hp is a 1.8 liter is coupled to a gearbox five-speed manual, the 156 hp is a 2.0 liter engine capacity and is coupled to a continuously variable automatic cash Jatco JF011E (image) and this box can run it manually with six fixed relations, which are selected with the lever (AutoStick "). Its operation in manual mode is good because it changes rapidly and allows a reduction in circumstances where other machines do not. Along come the 2007 Caliber SRT4, with a gasoline engine of 2.4 liter turbocharged giving 304 hp.

The suspension is independent of type on the two axes. In Rapid City or roads is a comfortable car that absorbs bumps well and the bodywork was not swinging much. Roads in slow and flowing at a rate high is soft in extension: if we accelerate sharply in the second or third gear as you exit the curve, the car is easy and nodding slightly to one of the front wheels lose traction.

The owners are a lot of assistance, which facilitates its use in the city but road is excessive. It is also somewhat imprecise, effect of stress on tires have a high profile for what is normal today (the version that we had led some 215/60R17).

The diesel-engined version takes the standard stability control. Those with a gasoline can not have for now.

Some of the items of equipment which may, depending on the version, are curtain airbags, sound system with auxiliary input, rear articulated to hear music outside the car (picture), sujetavasos front lit, power supply, 12 V and Adjustable front armrest with a receptacle for the mobile phone or MP3 player on the cover, backing 60/40 rear split into sections or chilled glove box (image), among others.

The Caliber is made, along with the Jeep Compass, which is in the DaimlerChrysler plant in Belvidere (Illinois, USA), which was the Neon.