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Dodge Dart getting hatchback variant... sort of

In other parts of the world, Fiat builds and sells a version of the Dodge Dart called the Viaggio, and it appears that in addition to the current sedan bodystyle, a new hatchback version of the car is also in the works. Autocar says that the general manager for China's Guangzhou-Fiat joint venture, John Burton, has confirmed that a new Viaggio hatchback will be revealed by the end of this year before it goes on sale in early 2014.
The Viaggio will soon be joined by the 2014 Jeep Cherokee, which in China will be called the Liberty Light, at the Guangzhou-Fiat plant. While the idea of a Dodge Dart hatchback might be enough to enable most of us to forget about the Dodge Caliber, a North American variant doesn't appear to be in the cards. We reached out to Chrysler PR boss Rick Deneau, and he offered a succinct: "No plans at this time."

Dodge Viper to out-Hell the Hellcat with supercharged V10?

The Viper wouldn't be the Viper if it wasn't the most powerful model under the Chrysler umbrella. But with the arrival of the Hellcat engine in the Dodge Charger and Challenger, the Viper has fallen behind in the bragging rights department: where the new supercharged V8 produces 707 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque, the naturally aspirated V10 offers "only" 640 hp and 600 lb-ft - gargantuan output figures by almost any other standard, but crucially behind on the SRT power scale. Conner Avenue is going to have to do something about that.
Although the Hellcat's engine reportedly won't fit under the Viper's hood, SRT is now rumored to have another trick up its sleeve: supercharge the existing V10. According to the Pentastar performance enthusiasts at allpar.com, Chrysler has already taken delivery of the first such prototype engines so that it can begin the process of fitting it into an upgraded Viper.
The spooled ten-pot is tipped to produce around 800 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque. More than that and the Viper's drivetrain, chassis and bodywork would have to be substantially reworked. Though beefier transmissions are available, fitting them would reportedly set off a domino-game of changes required to handle the added torque. Which may be something Chrysler would be prepared to do for the next-generation model, but in the meantime, 800 hp could prove enough to put the Viper back atop the Mopar performance ladder where it belongs, and give it an edge against the new Corvette Z06 to rekindle sales.

Autoblog Minute: 2016 Dodge Charger pursuit vehicle gets Uconnect 12.1

Dodge introduces new tech into its 2016 pursuit vehicles that even Jake and Elwood couldn't outrun. Autoblog's Adam Morath reports on this edition of Autoblog Minute. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] Dodge introduces new tech into its 2016 pursuit vehicles that even Jake and Elwood couldn't outrun. I'm Adam Morath and this is your Autoblog Minute. The 2016 Dodge Charger Pursuit vehicles are getting Uconnect 12.1. The system's new laptop size touch screen will be dash mounted and at 12.1" is 5 times larger than the current Uconnect 5.0 system. Features of Uconnect 12.1 [00:00:30] include an all-new drag and drop menu bar and Siri Eyes Free. No clunky laptops needed because the system is ergonomically located in the dash. The SRT pursuit vehicles will also be getting 370 hp, factory-installed Mopar upfit packages and an advanced all-wheel-drive system for maximum tactical performance, all-weather traction and fuel-efficiency. [00:01:00] It's clear that the new Charger pursuit vehicles have all the best tech available from Dodge but one important question remains: Do these cruisers got S.C.M.O.D.S.? For Autoblog, I'm Adam Morath. Autoblog Minute is a short-form video news series reporting on all things automotive. Each segment offers a quick and clear picture of what's happening in the automotive industry from the perspective of Autoblog's expert editorial staff, auto executives, and industry professionals. Dodge Technology Autoblog Minute Videos viral video