- Dodge brand arrives in Australia
- Caliber to start Dodge product offensive
- Approximately one new model, every six months, for the next three years
Melbourne - Dodge is set to ignite the Australian automotive market,
unleashing a raft of all-new vehicles over the next three years starting with
the segment busting Dodge Caliber compact vehicle mid year.
Dodge is the Chrysler Group’s best selling global brand and will become the
Group’s third marque in Australia alongside Jeep® and Chrysler.
“We can’t wait to unleash Dodge in the marketplace,” said Gerry Jenkins,
managing director, Chrysler Group Australia.
“Dodge is very unique – it is bold and in your face, edgy, unapologetically
masculine and unapologetically American and it’s for those with a real zest for
life.
“From mid 2006, customers will be able to take delivery of the first Dodge
product, the Dodge Caliber, through the network of Chrysler Group dealerships
around the country,” said Jenkins.
The Dodge marketing offensive kicks off this Thursday, February 9, at the
Melbourne International Motor Show where the company will preview a concept
version of the Caliber to the Australian public.
An Australian Dodge website will also be launched to coincide with the
inaugural public preview (www.dodge.com.au), providing customers with a wide
range of information from model line-up details and brand heritage, to dealer
locations and facilitating factory contact.
“The Dodge Caliber is not your typical compact car,” said Jenkins
“And with fuel efficient cars booming in Australia it is a perfect time to be
entering this segment.
“The Caliber will appeal to owners looking for a compact car that stands out
from the crowd and gives them the flexibility to do more in terms of seating
friends and storing gear.
“The Dodge Nitro mid-sized SUV will follow in early 2007, spicing up the
mid-sized SUV market.
“With brawny styling and features like 20-inch alloys and performance
suspension the Dodge Nitro delivers more than the competition; that little
something, mid-size four-wheel drive buyers are still searching for - attitude.
“But Dodge isn’t just about Caliber and Nitro, it’s much more than that. “We
have an aggressive product plan over the next three years and the brand will
continue to grow.
“While we can’t confirm any other products at this stage, we can tell you
that a new vehicle will arrive approximately every six months for the next three
years – all with the same bold, powerful styling and all built for customers who
want to express themselves differently,” said Jenkins.
With the arrival of Dodge in 2006 the Chrysler Group expects total sales for
its three brands to increase by 20 per cent to new heights of 9,000 units.
This is a significant increase considering the company already lifted sales
by 13 per cent in 2005 to a record 7,500 units.
In 2007, with better availability of Dodge products, the company plans to
further increase sales to over 10,000 units.
Dodge Caliber
With a sporty coupe-like profile, the Dodge Caliber has a distinctive
crossbar grille front end and will be available with a range of fuel efficient
four cylinder engines.
At launch two petrol engines will be available, a 1.8-litre (106 kW) and
2.0-litre (110 kW), and the company also plans to make available a 2.4-litre
petrol engine (128kW) and 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine soon after.
“The compact car segment is competitive, but our research tells us that
customers are tired of the bland offerings in this segment,” said Jenkins.
“The Dodge Caliber is boldly designed and will deliver with European-style
handling, fuel-efficient engines and affordable pricing from around the
twenty-five thousand dollar mark,” said Jenkins.
Unique available features are offered on the Caliber, further differentiating
the product from the ‘vanilla’ offerings currently in the market place,
including:
MusicGate Power® - a nine-speaker Boston Acoustics premium sound system
with subwoofer that includes two articulating speakers packaged in the liftgate.
When the liftgate is open, the speakers can swing down from the trim panel to
face rearward for outdoor picnics and other activities;
Chill Zone® - a cooled beverage storage bin that can hold up to four
standard bottles or cans;
60/40 reclining rear seat that both fold flat and a front passenger seat
that folds forward to create a table-like surface for versatility;
And a dual purpose, self-recharging removable flashlight, which is mounted
in the headliner above the cargo area.
Production of the Dodge Caliber will take place at DaimlerChrysler Belvidere
(Ill.) Assembly Plant, Illinois.
Dodge Nitro
No stranger to creating innovative automotive products and features Dodge
will also spice up the mid-size SUV segment with the 2007 Dodge Nitro, a new
sport-utility vehicle whose bold and aggressive styling matches its dynamic
performance.
Dodge Nitro personifies the bold, powerful and street-smart attitude of
Dodge.
While the local engine line-up will be confirmed closer to the launch date,
it is likely to include a 3.7-litre V6 powertrain.
Like the Dodge Caliber, the Nitro will be available with many features that
are not typically found in the segment in which it competes. Features such as
20-inch chrome clad alloy wheels, performance suspension and an available new
Chrysler Group innovation, the LOAD ’N GO
TM
cargo floor that slides 45
centimetres rearward for easy and convenient loading and unloading of packages.
The 2007 Dodge Nitro will be built at the Toledo (Ohio) North Assembly.
Dodge brand
Dodge is the second oldest brand in the DaimlerChrysler portfolio, with more
than 90 years of heritage.
With 1.2 million sales last year, Dodge is the Chrysler Group’s leading brand
in North America, the fifth most popular brand in the US and the eighth-largest
brand in the global market.
Chrysler Group product offensive
2006 will be the Chrysler Group’s biggest ever year in Australia with no less
than seven new vehicles going on sale, together with the launch of the new Dodge
brand.
The Chrysler Group has started 2006 strongly with January sales increasing an
impressive 13 per cent over the January 2005 performance.
On sale dates:
Chrysler 300C SRT-8 - April
Chrysler PT Cabrio -
second quarter
Chrysler 300C Touring - mid year
Chrysler 300C 3.0-litre
CRD – third quarter
Jeep Commander - mid year
Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 - fourth quarter
Dodge Caliber – mid year
Dodge Nitro – early 2007
Australian pricing yet to be confirmed.
Melbourne International Motor Show
The Melbourne Motor Show takes
place from February 9-19 at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.
Dodge Caliber preliminary specifications
The information below is preliminary and based on data available at the time
of publication. All dimensions are in millimeters unless stated, at curb weight
with standard wheels and tires unless otherwise noted.
Dimensions and capacities
| Wheelbase: |
2635 |
| Track, Front: |
1520 |
| Track, Rear: |
1520 |
| Overall Length: |
4413.9 |
| Overall Width: |
1747.2 |
| Overall Height: |
1533.1 |
| Ground Clearance: |
178 |
| Frontal Area, sq. m: |
2.28 |
| Drag Coefficient Cd: |
0.375 |
| Fuel Tank Capacity, L: |
51.5 |
Accommodations
| Seating Capacity, F/R: |
2-Mar |
|
|
| Front Seat |
|
| Headroom without sunroof: |
1015.6 |
| Leg Room: |
1061.5 |
| Shoulder Room: |
1377.8 |
| Hip Room: |
1325.3 |
| SAE Front Volume Index, cu. M: |
1.485 |
|
|
| Rear Seat |
|
| Headroom: |
989.3 |
| Leg Room: |
905.1 |
| Knee Clearance: |
21.8 |
| Shoulder Room: |
1357.2 |
| Hip Room: |
1260.8 |
| SAE Rear Seat Volume Index, cu. M: |
1.212 |
| SAE Interior Volume, cu. M: |
2.697 |
|
|
| Cargo Volume Indexes |
|
| Rear Seats Up, cu m: |
0.525 |
| Rear Seats Folded, cu. M: |
1.36 |
| EPA Interior Volume Index, cu. M: |
3.225 |
Dodge Nitro preliminary specifications
The information below is preliminary and based on data available at the time
of publication. All dimensions are in millimeters unless stated, at curb weight
with standard wheels and tires unless otherwise noted.
Dimensions and capacities
| Wheelbase: |
2763 |
| Track, Front: |
549.4 |
| Track, Rear: |
1549.4 |
| Overall Length: |
4544 |
| Overall Width: |
1856.9 |
| Overall Height : |
1775.8 |
| Approach Angle, degrees: |
25.6 |
| Breakover Angle, degrees: |
22 |
| Departure Angle, degrees: |
26.7 |
| Aero CdA: |
11.7 |
| Aero Cd: |
0.39 |
| Fuel Tank Capacity: |
74.0L |
Accommodations
| Seating Capacity – F/R: |
2-Mar |
|
|
| Front Row |
|
| Head Room: |
1032.1 |
| Leg Room: |
1036.4 |
| Shoulder Room: |
1452.2 |
| Hip Room: |
1443.9 |
| Seat Travel: |
229.1 |
| Recliner Range: |
6.6° to 51.6° |
|
|
| Second Row |
|
| Head Room: |
1036.5 |
| Leg Room: |
946.3 |
| Shoulder Room: |
1433.4 |
| Hip Room: |
1202.9 |
|
|
| Cargo Volume, cu. m |
|
| Behind Rear Seat: |
0.9 |
| With Rear Seat Folded: |
1.8 |
| With Front Passenger and Rear Seats Folded: |
2.1 |
Suspension
Front
Upper and lower “A” arms, coil springs, low-pressure gas-charged
shock absorbers, stabilizer bar
Rear
Live axle, upper and lower trailing arms, track bar, coil springs,
stabilizer bar, low-pressure gas-charged shock absorbers
Steering
Type: Power rack-and-pinion
Overall Ratio: 17.36:1
Turning Diameter
(curb-to-curb) : 11.1 m
Steering Turns (lock-to-lock) : 3.42
Brakes
Power Assist Type: 254 single-diaphragm vacuum
Four-Wheel Anti-Lock (ABS):
Standard on all
Electronic Stability Program (ESP): Standard on
all
Parking Brake Type: Drum-in-hat
Front
Size and Type: .302 x 28 vented rotor with 66 single-piston floating
caliper Swept Area (total front) 1231.0 sq. cm
Rear
Size and Type: 316 x 12 solid rotor with 48 single-piston floating
caliper Swept Area (total rear) 357.6 sq. cm
|
