The first time I saw the Dodge Dart was at its unveiling at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It made quite the splash, as the Chrysler Group was going all-in to be competitive in the compact car segment.  Giving the presentation was Reid Bigland, the president and CEO of the Dodge Brand and Chrysler Canada. “Price, fuel economy, reliability are only basics now – we need to do more,” preached Bigland – and after those words the Dart was revealed.

It’s been a long journey for the Chrysler Group as it’s now known after being forced into federal bankruptcy protection during the 2009 economic crisis. But there are high hopes for the Dart, as it’s the first vehicle launched under the new Fiat ownership and architecture. After a seven-year hiatus from the compact sedan segment – the Chrysler Group were focused to not be just another option, but an influential player in a segment that has a 23 percent market share in all automotive sales.

Fast-forward 10 months and I finally got my chance to test out this ground-breaking vehicle. In total the Dart has five trim levels: SE, SXT, Rallye, Limited, and the R/T. I tested the 6-speed automatic Dart SXT at AJAC’s (Automotive Journalist’s Association of Canada) “TestFest” and just recently drove the 6-speed manual Rallye for a week around the streets and highways of Toronto. The Dart’s prices can range from $15,995 all the way to $23,995 with the R/T. The SXT starts at $18,595 ($21,590 for the automatic version tested); while the Rallye starts at $19,495. They’re not too many differences, but the Rallye adds cruise control, steering-wheel audio controls, leather/metal steering wheel, chrome tailpipe, and 17-inch aluminum wheels. 

Rarely do you see the combination of Italian style and American muscle – but that’s the beauty of it when you first glance at the racing red-coloured Dart.  It doesn’t look like a typical Dodge with its inspiration coming from the Alfa Romeo Giulietta with added dynamic lines, curves and a coupe-like look.  But to make it more North American its platform was lengthened and widened creating a unique blend of the two cultures. The Dart is fitted with dual exhausts and Charger-inspired wrap-around tail lamps with 152 LEDs.

The youth of today was definitely at the forefront of the minds of the Chrysler engineers. From the curvaceously-sculpted body to a more subtle version of Dodge’s trademark split crosshair themed grille – the Dart oozes excitement. As you take your seat inside the connectivity takes over. It has all the toys you would want with SIRIUS Satellite radio, navigation, Bluetooth, and multiple USB ports. Furthermore, you are treated to a premium 7-inch Thin Film Transistor (TFT) reconfigurable cluster display. It can display real-time performance information, navigation, and vehicle status that can be configured in various colours and graphics. 

The part I loved about the interior the most is the Dart’s signature “driver-centric” layout.  For me it’s important to be able to quickly locate certain dials and knobs and I find that many of the new vehicle structures have made it more complicated and challenging over the years.  Trust me – I don’t want anything that looks basic, but I want to have all of the latest gadgets placed in a console that just makes sense. The Dart puts all my worries at ease with an entertainment console that’s right in your face and easy to operate with a large touch screen that has structure and order coupled with soft-touch leather and striking colours.

As for the interior space – the Dart looks like and costs like a compact car, but when you sit in the front or back seats it sure doesn’t seem like one.  It’s structured more like a sedan than a compact as you sit back in couchy and perhaps too comfortable front-seats. It almost feels like you have been placed in a movie theatre seat getting ready to see the new Bond movie before you realize you actually have to drive. The back seats are no different with ample amount of rear seat leg room. Accompanying this spacious interior is a soft-leather dash and steering wheel with a nice red and black colour scheme throughout. But like most cars in the compact segment there are always cheap parts to the interior which are most noticeable in some of their knob dials and the plastic that surround the interior of the doors. I also disliked the gear shift as it looked like it took a few too many performance-enhancing drugs as it covers your entire palm as you shift gears.

It’s true that a few additional exciting gadgets can mask how the car performs.  I’m here to tell you that the Dart is bringing some punch to the party to face-off against the usual suspects who have dominated this category over the years: the Ford Focus, Mazda 3, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Nissan Sentra and Hyundai Elantra. Powering my Rallye Dart is a 1.4-litre turbocharged inline-four providing 160 hp and 184 lb.-ft. of torque, but that’s the higher end of two engine options. You can also choose the standard 2.0L, 16-valve, Tigershark I-4 that distributes 160 hp and 148 lb.-ft. of torque. Considering the Dart is geared for the youth, they will love the fact that those base power numbers beat all of its competitors.

The Dart might seem small, but it’s the little engine that could. You give it some throttle and it responds quickly and without much effort. The steering is tight and cornered well with minimal body roll after a few extreme corner tests. The Dart didn’t seem to have much cabin noise as well that seems to be a thorn to many compact cars. 

Dodge made sure that the Dart would be at par with some of the less thirsty gas sippers as well. While driving mostly throughout the city and a few highways in Toronto – the Rallye combined for 8.8L/100 km, which is quite respectable amongst its peers.

The compact market is a tough one to crack, especially after many failings by Dodge in the past, so a lot is hinging on the success of the Dart.  The Dart should see a share of the pie and appease the Fiat and Chrysler Groups, as they’ve finally built a compact car that has a lot of personality and pep and can make their mark amongst their rival veterans. It didn’t win its AJAC category for small car under $21K after all the 80-plus journalists voted, so I guess it didn’t hit a bull’s-eye, but it had my vote for that group and we should be seeing more of the Dart for many years to come. The Dart possesses a powerful combination of flair, options, connectivity, and fuel efficiency which is a perfect package for today’s modern youth.