Dodge: Caliber news **Gas Pedal Issue (page 5)**
05-16-2005, 12:57 PM
#41
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Originally Posted by runnerX
I shot these from Ohio past Wed (my business trip), somewhere near Dodge Ohio facility. The Dodge RAM in the 3rd photo tried to block me from taking pic. Can some one guess what this vehicle is?
05-16-2005, 01:18 PM
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Originally Posted by Moog-Type-S
How is that car in the spy pic in the same category as a golf???
Looks like an SUV crossover...not a hatchback.
Looks like an SUV crossover...not a hatchback.
Originally Posted by SJ Silver Type-S
Your "RAM" looks like a Durango to me....
hahaha... Yeah.. I meant to write Durango..
Uhh...yeah...it's...uhh...umm...
05-16-2005, 04:40 PM
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Originally Posted by Moog-Type-S
How is that car in the spy pic in the same category as a golf???
Looks like an SUV crossover...not a hatchback.
Looks like an SUV crossover...not a hatchback.
05-16-2005, 04:41 PM
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Originally Posted by chef chris
Damn, they covered it up well.
Can't tell what the heck it is.
Can't tell what the heck it is.
06-07-2005, 11:03 AM
#47
Senior Moderator
More pics.
Compass Heading: We spy crossovers from Jeep and Dodge
AUTOWEEK
Posted Date: 6/7/05
Jeep and Dodge will share a small crossover chassis when these two vehicles—one for Dodge, one for Jeep—make their debut as 2007 or 2008 models. The Dodge is dubbed Caliber, foreshadowed by the concept shown earlier this year at Geneva, while the Jeep takes on the Compass (above and below) moniker we’ve also seen in concept form.
Both vehicles share the same chassis, meaning for the first time a Jeep will be based on a front-wheel-drive vehicle. While the two crossovers will share major body and chassis parts, look for the Jeep to offer some type of four-wheel drive.
The Pontiac Vibe-sized vehicles will be identical in dimensions and wheelbase, with major differences coming in grille design—bold crossbars for the Dodge, vertical slots for the Jeep—and rear end designs, including unique hatch covers and roof profiles.
Since the Caliber (below) replaces the Neon, expect four-cylinder engines with turbocharger options. Also look for independent rear suspensions and a wide range of model choices and prices in the sub- to high-$20,000 range.
AUTOWEEK
Posted Date: 6/7/05
Jeep and Dodge will share a small crossover chassis when these two vehicles—one for Dodge, one for Jeep—make their debut as 2007 or 2008 models. The Dodge is dubbed Caliber, foreshadowed by the concept shown earlier this year at Geneva, while the Jeep takes on the Compass (above and below) moniker we’ve also seen in concept form.
Both vehicles share the same chassis, meaning for the first time a Jeep will be based on a front-wheel-drive vehicle. While the two crossovers will share major body and chassis parts, look for the Jeep to offer some type of four-wheel drive.
The Pontiac Vibe-sized vehicles will be identical in dimensions and wheelbase, with major differences coming in grille design—bold crossbars for the Dodge, vertical slots for the Jeep—and rear end designs, including unique hatch covers and roof profiles.
Since the Caliber (below) replaces the Neon, expect four-cylinder engines with turbocharger options. Also look for independent rear suspensions and a wide range of model choices and prices in the sub- to high-$20,000 range.
08-08-2005, 10:39 AM
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New 4-cyl. engines
Future Products: Chrysler group -- New four-cylinders to power Caliber, other models - - Source: Autoweek
Dodge’s upcoming 2007 Caliber, the replacement for the aging Neon, will be powered by DaimlerChrysler’s newly-developed four-cylinder engine family.
On the Caliber, the new engines will be mated to a continuously variable transmission and an electronic all-wheel drive system.
Engine choices for the U.S. market will include: a 1.8-liter rated at 140 hp, a 2.0-liter producing 150 hp and the top-of-the-line 2.4-liter generating 170 hp. A 2.0-liter turbodiesel has also been developed, but it will not initially be available for the U.S. The result of a joint venture between DCX, Hyundai and Mitsubishi, the engines feature dual variable valve timing and are more fuel efficient, the automaker says.
All displacement options will be available for the Caliber and will also power other next-generation DCX vehicles. Turbocharged variants are rumored to be in development.
In addition to the new engines, an all-new continuously variable transmission, dubbed CVT2, will shift the Caliber. The CVT will offer an autostick option which will allow drivers to manually select the six simulated gears. DCX says the new transmission will help improve Caliber’s performance (especially in the 30-60 mph area) and fuel economy over a traditional automatic.
The CVT will transmit the power to an electronic all-wheel drive system. The system drives the front wheels unless it determines the rear wheels need grip. Then the torque output will vary automatically based on traction conditions via an electronically controlled coupling. The system is fully active from 25-65 mph to help ensure optimum handling. --AUTOMOTIVE NEWS CONTRIBUTED
On the Caliber, the new engines will be mated to a continuously variable transmission and an electronic all-wheel drive system.
Engine choices for the U.S. market will include: a 1.8-liter rated at 140 hp, a 2.0-liter producing 150 hp and the top-of-the-line 2.4-liter generating 170 hp. A 2.0-liter turbodiesel has also been developed, but it will not initially be available for the U.S. The result of a joint venture between DCX, Hyundai and Mitsubishi, the engines feature dual variable valve timing and are more fuel efficient, the automaker says.
All displacement options will be available for the Caliber and will also power other next-generation DCX vehicles. Turbocharged variants are rumored to be in development.
In addition to the new engines, an all-new continuously variable transmission, dubbed CVT2, will shift the Caliber. The CVT will offer an autostick option which will allow drivers to manually select the six simulated gears. DCX says the new transmission will help improve Caliber’s performance (especially in the 30-60 mph area) and fuel economy over a traditional automatic.
The CVT will transmit the power to an electronic all-wheel drive system. The system drives the front wheels unless it determines the rear wheels need grip. Then the torque output will vary automatically based on traction conditions via an electronically controlled coupling. The system is fully active from 25-65 mph to help ensure optimum handling. --AUTOMOTIVE NEWS CONTRIBUTED
08-08-2005, 11:54 AM
#50
Race Director
Originally Posted by Dan Martin
I thought CVT's were going the way of the dodo? 
That's a lot of engine choices for a US econobox.
08-08-2005, 12:13 PM
#51
Photography Nerd
The one thing I hate about CVT implementations thus far is manufacturers have all coded in "simulated gears" which basically nullifies the advantage of going to CVT in the first place. I guess the motorboat sound is just too weird for consumers to grasp.
I think they should call this setup a PVT for Partially Variable Transmission.
I think they should call this setup a PVT for Partially Variable Transmission.
08-08-2005, 12:22 PM
#53
Photography Nerd
The concept of a CVT is good, but as you mentioned they haven't proved to be very reliable. Combined with my gripe of them not being actual CVT's, they also can't handle any extra power over what they're designed to use. Don't expect to see any boosted 4-cyl Dodge Calibers anytime soon. 
08-08-2005, 12:46 PM
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Originally Posted by heyitsme
Don't really understand the point of having a 140hp engine and 150hp engine.
08-08-2005, 12:48 PM
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The 1.8-liter version will produce 140 horsepower with 125 pound-feet of torque.
The 2.0-liter version will produce 150 horsepower and 140 lb-ft of torque, and the 2.4-liter version will deliver 170 horsepower with 165 lb-ft of torque.
The 2.0-liter version will produce 150 horsepower and 140 lb-ft of torque, and the 2.4-liter version will deliver 170 horsepower with 165 lb-ft of torque.
08-11-2005, 06:32 PM
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Originally Posted by http://www.detnews.com
By Jeff Green / Bloomberg News
http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosins...C06-274094.htm
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DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group will use a transmission created by Nissan Motor Co. and a diesel engine supplied by Volkswagen AG in a new Dodge car, as part of efforts to cut the time and cost of vehicle development.
The 2007 Dodge Caliber, set to debut next year, will be available with a so-called continuously variable transmission developed by Nissan's Jatco Ltd. unit and a diesel engine for outside of the United States from Volkswagen, Chrysler engineering chief Eric Ridenour said last week. The car will use an all-wheel drive system developed with Mitsubishi Motors Corp., he said.
Chrysler, the third-largest U.S. automaker, is using partnerships with Japanese and European companies and parts borrowed from other units within DaimlerChrysler to streamline vehicle development. Chrysler has cut annual product development costs to about $6 billion from $8.4 billion since 2000, even as the automaker has added more models.
"If you don't have to invest in the technology and you can find someone with excess capacity to supply it, it's a good deal for both sides," David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, said. "There's lots of horse trading like this that's going to go on. It's a good example of the new business model."
The Jatco continuously variable transmission, which uses pulleys instead of gears to distribute power, cuts fuel economy by as much as 8 percent, said Ridenour, who takes over as Chrysler chief operating officer in January. The current chief operating officer, Tom LaSorda, will become chief executive.
Chrysler will get the transmissions from a Jatco plant that opens next year in Mexico. They are used on Nissan Lafesta models in Japan, Ridenour said.
To address complaints that transmissions sound different when they shift than a traditional automatic system with gears, Chrysler helped develop software that simulates the sound and feel of gear changes, he said.
The all-wheel drive system, which includes parts made by Mitsubishi in Japan, shifts from front- to rear-wheel-drive, depending on the situation.
At speeds between 30 and 60 mph, the system mostly uses rear-wheel drive to improve handling, Ridenour said. At slower speeds or when roads are slippery, it uses front-wheel drive.
The 2-liter Volkswagen direct-injection turbo diesel uses a higher-pressure fuel system to increase fuel efficiency and reduce pollutant emissions, he said. The engine, used in VW's Touareg sport-utility vehicle and planned for its new Golf cars, will be installed in Caliber models sold outside the United States, where diesels are more popular, Ridenour said.
"Nobody can afford to build everything they need anymore," Cole said, citing General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. cooperating to build transmissions and GM and DaimlerChrysler teaming up on engines. "Just about everybody's parts are for sale now."
http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosins...C06-274094.htm
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DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group will use a transmission created by Nissan Motor Co. and a diesel engine supplied by Volkswagen AG in a new Dodge car, as part of efforts to cut the time and cost of vehicle development.
The 2007 Dodge Caliber, set to debut next year, will be available with a so-called continuously variable transmission developed by Nissan's Jatco Ltd. unit and a diesel engine for outside of the United States from Volkswagen, Chrysler engineering chief Eric Ridenour said last week. The car will use an all-wheel drive system developed with Mitsubishi Motors Corp., he said.
Chrysler, the third-largest U.S. automaker, is using partnerships with Japanese and European companies and parts borrowed from other units within DaimlerChrysler to streamline vehicle development. Chrysler has cut annual product development costs to about $6 billion from $8.4 billion since 2000, even as the automaker has added more models.
"If you don't have to invest in the technology and you can find someone with excess capacity to supply it, it's a good deal for both sides," David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, said. "There's lots of horse trading like this that's going to go on. It's a good example of the new business model."
The Jatco continuously variable transmission, which uses pulleys instead of gears to distribute power, cuts fuel economy by as much as 8 percent, said Ridenour, who takes over as Chrysler chief operating officer in January. The current chief operating officer, Tom LaSorda, will become chief executive.
Chrysler will get the transmissions from a Jatco plant that opens next year in Mexico. They are used on Nissan Lafesta models in Japan, Ridenour said.
To address complaints that transmissions sound different when they shift than a traditional automatic system with gears, Chrysler helped develop software that simulates the sound and feel of gear changes, he said.
The all-wheel drive system, which includes parts made by Mitsubishi in Japan, shifts from front- to rear-wheel-drive, depending on the situation.
At speeds between 30 and 60 mph, the system mostly uses rear-wheel drive to improve handling, Ridenour said. At slower speeds or when roads are slippery, it uses front-wheel drive.
The 2-liter Volkswagen direct-injection turbo diesel uses a higher-pressure fuel system to increase fuel efficiency and reduce pollutant emissions, he said. The engine, used in VW's Touareg sport-utility vehicle and planned for its new Golf cars, will be installed in Caliber models sold outside the United States, where diesels are more popular, Ridenour said.
"Nobody can afford to build everything they need anymore," Cole said, citing General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. cooperating to build transmissions and GM and DaimlerChrysler teaming up on engines. "Just about everybody's parts are for sale now."
08-11-2005, 06:46 PM
#59
The sizzle in the Steak
08-11-2005, 07:58 PM
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The Jatco continuously variable transmission, which uses pulleys instead of gears to distribute power, cuts fuel economy by as much as 8 percent
08-11-2005, 08:44 PM
#61
Photography Nerd
I'm calling it right now: This thing is going to be a nightmare for quality.
It's a Chrysler that uses a VW engine, a chain-driven Nissan transmission built in Mexico, and a Mitsubishi AWD system. How the hell are the mechanics supposed to work on this thing? Unless they happened to work at 4 different dealerships before they came to Chrysler, every part of this car will be foreign to them.
On the positive side, I like the styling.
It's a Chrysler that uses a VW engine, a chain-driven Nissan transmission built in Mexico, and a Mitsubishi AWD system. How the hell are the mechanics supposed to work on this thing? Unless they happened to work at 4 different dealerships before they came to Chrysler, every part of this car will be foreign to them.
On the positive side, I like the styling.
08-12-2005, 05:24 AM
#62
Race Director
It looked pretty good on its pedestal at the Geneva auto show, but this cobbling together off all the different parts from different makers. 
It's pretty weird to have an AWD system change the bias depending on speed. How is RWD bias better at 30MPH+ yet FWD bias at under that? I thought you'd want it the other way around - or just leave it RWD bias until things get slippery.
It's pretty weird to have an AWD system change the bias depending on speed. How is RWD bias better at 30MPH+ yet FWD bias at under that? I thought you'd want it the other way around - or just leave it RWD bias until things get slippery.
08-13-2005, 11:17 AM
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Originally Posted by Dan Martin
I'm calling it right now: This thing is going to be a nightmare for quality.
It's a Chrysler that uses a VW engine, a chain-driven Nissan transmission built in Mexico, and a Mitsubishi AWD system. How the hell are the mechanics supposed to work on this thing? Unless they happened to work at 4 different dealerships before they came to Chrysler, every part of this car will be foreign to them.
On the positive side, I like the styling.
It's a Chrysler that uses a VW engine, a chain-driven Nissan transmission built in Mexico, and a Mitsubishi AWD system. How the hell are the mechanics supposed to work on this thing? Unless they happened to work at 4 different dealerships before they came to Chrysler, every part of this car will be foreign to them.
On the positive side, I like the styling.
08-13-2005, 02:23 PM
#65
Race Director
Originally Posted by gavriil
However, if there are no serious reliability issues, this may be one of the smartest business decisions made by any auto manufacturer. Ever.
08-25-2005, 01:07 AM
#71
Registered Abuser of VTEC
It's ugly, I don't like it. It's performance > looks for awhile, but there comes a point when looks > performance, and I think this thing crossed that line by a little too much to the performance side (although you can easily have both, just fire the lame designers). Whose idea was it for this thing to be a wagon-like thing? Look at the inside and quirky placement of the shifter (or the encroachment of the dash into that area). 
08-25-2005, 09:13 PM
#75
Registered Abuser of VTEC
Originally Posted by biker
It's got that weird half way up the center console shifter. Not feeling it.
08-26-2005, 03:13 AM
#76
Race Director
Originally Posted by youngTL
Do you remember Honda's Civic Si-R (the Canadian version) I think it was called Si in the USA? Well that thing had a weird shifter in that position. I hated it.
Anyway, as usual as the car gets closer to production it starts losing some of the appeal from the concept shown on the auto show circuit.
10-28-2005, 12:38 AM
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Dodge says upcoming Caliber won't compete with entry-level cars - - MARY CONNELLY | Automotive News - - Source: Autoweek
DETROIT -- Dodge's target audience for the 2007 Dodge Caliber will be second-time car buyers.
The Caliber will not go head-to-head with cheap, entry-level models. That marks a change from the Neon, which it replaces.
"Caliber is bigger than your typical small car," Steven Landry, Dodge vice president of marketing and product planning, told Automotive News. "It has a lot of standard features you typically wouldn't find on a small car.
"We are focusing on a demographic of people that it is not their first car. It is probably their second vehicle."
The Caliber, a five-door hatchback, will go on sale in the first quarter of 2006, Landry says.
Dodge is in the final stages of pricing the vehicle, Landry says.
The Caliber likely will be priced around $17,000. The 2005 Neon starts at $14,295, including shipping.
The Caliber will be the first vehicle equipped with the Chrysler group's new generation of 1.8-liter, 2.0-liter and 2.4-liter four-cylinder engines.
A continuously variable transmission will improve fuel economy over a conventional four-speed automatic, the company says. An AutoStick feature allows manual driving and the simulation of six gears.
The Caliber also will offer electronically controlled all-wheel drive. The system works on demand, driving only the front wheels until power to the rear wheels is needed.
The Caliber's primary domestic competitor is the Pontiac Vibe, and its import rival is the Mazda3, Landry says. College-educated 25-to-35-year olds with an annual household income of $40,000 are the primary target, he says.
Given the Caliber's demographic, the Internet will play a huge role in selling it, Landry says.
"We are going to use the Internet a lot on Caliber, maybe more than any launch we have done," he says.
Consumers who bought a Neon within the last four years and still own the vehicle will be targeted through direct mail.
The Caliber will not go head-to-head with cheap, entry-level models. That marks a change from the Neon, which it replaces.
"Caliber is bigger than your typical small car," Steven Landry, Dodge vice president of marketing and product planning, told Automotive News. "It has a lot of standard features you typically wouldn't find on a small car.
"We are focusing on a demographic of people that it is not their first car. It is probably their second vehicle."
The Caliber, a five-door hatchback, will go on sale in the first quarter of 2006, Landry says.
Dodge is in the final stages of pricing the vehicle, Landry says.
The Caliber likely will be priced around $17,000. The 2005 Neon starts at $14,295, including shipping.
The Caliber will be the first vehicle equipped with the Chrysler group's new generation of 1.8-liter, 2.0-liter and 2.4-liter four-cylinder engines.
A continuously variable transmission will improve fuel economy over a conventional four-speed automatic, the company says. An AutoStick feature allows manual driving and the simulation of six gears.
The Caliber also will offer electronically controlled all-wheel drive. The system works on demand, driving only the front wheels until power to the rear wheels is needed.
The Caliber's primary domestic competitor is the Pontiac Vibe, and its import rival is the Mazda3, Landry says. College-educated 25-to-35-year olds with an annual household income of $40,000 are the primary target, he says.
Given the Caliber's demographic, the Internet will play a huge role in selling it, Landry says.
"We are going to use the Internet a lot on Caliber, maybe more than any launch we have done," he says.
Consumers who bought a Neon within the last four years and still own the vehicle will be targeted through direct mail.
