Chrysler recently held a ride-and-drive event near our El Segundo headquarters, and allowed us to sample some of its newest wares. Present were arguably the three biggest vehicle launches for the Pentastar this year: the 2013 Ram 1500, the 2013 Dodge Dart, and the 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth — and I got to take each of them for a spin.
The first vehicle I hopped into was the new 2013 Ram 1500 4×2 with the new 305-hp, 269-lb-ft 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6, eight-speed automatic transmission, and air suspension. Though it may technically just be a mid-cycle refresh, the 2013 1500 feels like an all-new model – almost everything under the skin has been changed in some way. Out on our short drive loop, made up mostly of surface streets and a quick highway jaunt, the V-6-powered Ram drove well. The new Pentastar and eight-speed auto combo is world’s better than the old 3.7-liter V-6 it replaces. It accelerates well, the transmission shifts smartly, and it’s more economical than before, though if we’re honest it could use a bit more oomph for the full-size truck. But then again, that’s what the Hemi is for.
After my spin in the Hemi- and eight-speed-equipped 1500, I got a chance to poke around the new Rams a bit more. The cabin is much nicer than before with a great mix of higher-quality materials (including real unfinished wood), and thoughtful touches, like turning the column shifter into an easy-to-use knob, putting suspension, tow, and other vehicle settings together, and putting things like the USB and auxiliary input ports into the center console to avoid a spider web of cables over the center stack.
I also got a chance to toy with the air suspension. The Ram’s new air suspension is very similar to that of the Jeep Grand Cherokee’s in that it includes two off-road settings, an entry-and-exit setting, and an aerodynamic setting. It’s also load-leveling; as the Ram representatives demonstrated, once the suspension senses a load in the bed (in this case three dudes sitting on the tailgate) the truck will wait 30 seconds for the load to stabilize before adjusting the rear suspension and leveling it off. It was a pretty cool trick.
After driving the two trucks I hopped into one of the 2013 Dodge Darts that Chrysler brought to the event. Having already experienced the base 2.0-liter I-4 and six-speed auto combination, I went straight for a Dart with the Fiat 500 Abarth-sourced 1.4-liter turbocharged I-4 and six-speed dual-clutch transmission. As it does in the Abarth, the Dart’s turbo-4 makes 160 hp, though it makes a smidgen more torque. While the little turbocharged engine sounds great (think 500 Abarth-lite) it still felt – well — slow. The dual-clutch didn’t shift quickly, seemed to hang revs, and felt more like a CVT than the fast-shifting tranny it’s supposed to be.
The manual, too, was a bit of a disappointment. Having just driven the 500 Abarth to refresh my memory of how fun that powertrain could be, I was hoping a turbocharged Dart with a manual transmission would be just as good. Unfortunately, it just isn’t. The Dart handles well enough, but that engine just doesn’t feel like it’s enough for the car, and the transmission is a letdown – the shifter has a rubbery feel to it, and the pedals are too widely spaced for heel-toeing. While the interior of the new Dart may be fantastic, the driving experience doesn’t yet live up to its sporty looks.
All in all, it was a pretty informative morning. First impressions go a long way, but I won’t pass final judgment on the Ram or Dart until we have them in for our Car of the Year and Truck of the Year programs. While some vehicles may not have been as fun as others, driving things like the Hemi Ram 1500 gave me a glimpse at what we can expect in the coming year from the Pentastar brand — and overall, the future looks promising.
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