Dodge Dart GT Headed for Detroit Auto Show
A more potent Dodge Dart will be introduced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next week. The 2013 Dodge Dart GT will have a 184-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, which is 24 more horsepower than what other Dart models’ engines make.
Dodge says in a statement the new Dart GT will feature a sport-tuned suspension “that delivers ride and handling attributes designed to cater to driving enthusiasts.” A six-speed manual transmission is standard and a six-speed automatic is available.
At $20,995, the Dodge Dart GT will cost $5,000 more than the base Dart SE, and come standard with features like perforated Nappa leather seats, heated front seats, 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, an 8.4-inch touch screen, a rearview camera, remote start and a heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel. On the outside, you’ll find unique GT styling, as well as dual exhaust pipes, 18-inch aluminum wheels and heated side mirrors. Optional features include a power sunroof, rain-sensing wipers, blind spot monitoring system with rear cross path detection, satellite radio, navigation and 10-speaker Alpine audio system.
A high-performance Dart R/T model was slated for the third quarter of 2012, but has not gone on sale yet. Dodge says it “continues to investigate a high-performance R/T model,” though some journalists speculate that the Dart GT is its replacement.
Automobile Magazine reports that “it won’t reach consumers under the Dart R/T name we previously knew it by. Instead, Dodge will sell the very same car as the Dart GT, a nameplate last used in the United States market for the 1969 model year.”
The 2013 Dodge Dart GT is scheduled for production in the second quarter of this year. The 2013 Dart is currently ranked eighth in our affordable small car rankings, tied with the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze and Volkswagen Golf.
