Autoblog

Dodge stops selling Nitro, Caliber in UK

Dan Roth — Wed, 19 May 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Budget, SUV, Europe, Crossover, Hatchback, UK

2010 Dodge Caliber - click above for high-res image gallery

Here in their homeland, the Dodge Caliber and Nitro can't get much lovin' from critics, but parent Chrysler has gone and kicked the two models right out of the UK altogether. Hitting up Dodge.co.uk shows but a single vehicle, the Journey, for sale in Blighty. Even the seven-passenger MPV, seemingly well suited to the UK market, has been struggling to find buyers, and the model has had its lineup rejiggered with more standard equipment added to entice addtional prospects.

Try as it might, Chrysler just hasn't been able to close enough sales of the Nitro and Caliber in the UK. Things must be slightly better on The Continent, as consumers can still find the two exiles available on Dodge's websites for such far-flung locales as Russia, France, and our favorite, Italy's Dodge.it. Company officials tell Autoblog that the "Caliber [is] still sold in most all continental European markets, Nitro [is] for sale in most major markets there."

Gallery: 2010 Dodge Caliber

[Source: Autocar]

Dodge stops selling Nitro, Caliber in UK originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 May 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dodge Caliber SRT4, we hardly knew ye?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:29:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Hatchback, Dodge

Dodge Caliber SRT4 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Today, we mourn the passing of a fallen pint-sized performer. If reports from Inside Line's Straightline blog are accurate, it seems that the Dodge Caliber SRT4 will no longer be offered after the 2009 model year draws to a close, and that's something of a shame.

As we've already covered, the 2010 Caliber is blessed with a significantly improved interior that brings the car much closer to its intended competition, a development that could have put the SRT4 on a few more shopping lists. Plus, if the Caliber is going to be filling Dodge showrooms anyway, enthusiasts and brand loyalists would surely prefer the option of a performance model. Of course, we're not sure how good a business case the small-volume SRT4 ever made for itself, so perhaps it's been a money loser from the get-go and Dodge didn't want to risk investing in any further model-specific interior updates. We'll probably never know.

Unfortunately, this news means that the 285-horsepower turbocharged engine and six-speed manual transmission from the SRT4 will never be mated up with the interior the Pentastar should have put in the Caliber from the very beginning. Oh well, hot hatch fans still have a few good options to choose from here in the States, including the brand new 263-horsepower 2010 Mazdaspeed3 that we recently sampled for the first time. Rest in peace, SRT4.

Gallery: Dodge Caliber SRT4

[Source: Straightline]

Dodge Caliber SRT4, we hardly knew ye? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Dodge Caliber gets new interior, Europe gets new diesel

Sam Abuelsamid — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:05:00 EST

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Dodge, Diesel

2010 Dodge Caliber interior - Click above for high-res image gallery

Chrysler doesn't really have anything in the way of all-new vehicles for the 2010 model year as it works out how to get Fiat derived cars onto American roads as soon as possible. That doesn't mean the engineers and designers in Auburn Hills have been sitting on their hands, however. They have attacked at least one major sore point by giving the Caliber a much-needed interior makeover. We haven't seen it in person yet, but at least in these photos it certainly looks much better than the one it replaces. We'll have to wait to get our hands on for final judgment.

The inside isn't the only thing that changes. Under the hood, European Caliber buyers will be able to opt for a new 2.2-liter diesel engine with 163 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque. That version gets a combined mileage rating of 40.6 mpg (U.S.). Back here in the home country, we are still stuck with the much unloved 2.0- and 2.4-liter gasoline World engines.

Come on, Chrysler give Americans a chance at an affordable diesel - and not just in the (overpriced) Jeep Grand Cherokee. The Caliber will be on the Chrysler/Fiat stand in Frankfurt later this month - in the meantime, check out the press release after the jump and our high-res gallery below.

Gallery: 2010 Dodge Caliber

[Source: Chrysler]

Continue reading 2010 Dodge Caliber gets new interior, Europe gets new diesel

2010 Dodge Caliber gets new interior, Europe gets new diesel originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Dodge Caliber gets reworked interior for 2010?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 10:58:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Hatchback, Dodge

According to a post on Caliber Forums, Dodge's hatchback is finally getting some love from the Pentastar in the form of a revised interior. Since it first went on sale in 2006, one of the biggest complaints from owners and reviewers alike has been the expansive black plastic surfaces covering every square inch of the car's dash, center console, armrest and door panels. Having spent plenty of time in a multitude of Calibers over the years, we can say with confidence that its interior has a decidedly low-rent look and is thoroughly uncomfortable to the touch - especially the bits where elbows often come into contact with hard plastic.

Included in the 2010 Caliber interior refresh are a new instrument panel, soft-touch center armrest, restyled vinyl-wrapped door panels and revised HVAC controls. It also appears that the A/C vents have been relocated to the upper dash panel and are now round. Click here for a glimpse at the current interior. Overall, this upgrade looks to be quite an improvement, and one sorely needed if Chrysler expects the Caliber to last for a few more years on the market before its (likely Fiat-based) replacement is ready. Thanks for the tip, Glenn!

[Source: Caliber Forums]

Spy Shots: Dodge Caliber gets reworked interior for 2010? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Jul 2009 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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