Body style: Hatchback
Segment: Compact
Production years: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Sharing its platform with the Jeep Patriot and the Jeep Compass, the Caliber was a bold move made by Chrysler into the compact crossover segment.
In 2006, Daimler and Chrysler were still under the same roof, but there were significant troubles in their marriage. Chrysler's sales were plummeting, and it needed a quick fix since its German partner didn't like this. As a result, it used the same platform developed together with Mitsubishi in 2004 that was used to create the Jeep Patriot and the Jeep Compass and made the Caliber. This should have filled the automaker's pockets fast. In addition, it tried to lower the sale price of this hatchback-on-stilts vehicle so it could sell it in large numbers. As a result, Dodge unveiled the new model in 2006 as a 2007.
Dodge's styling was noticeable, especially at the front, where the crosshair grille stood flat and vertical. The retro-design inspiration was obvious since the Caliber featured a taller hood than the car's fenders, an element previously seen on the Durango and on the Ram's first generation. A set of round fog lamps was installed below the bumper, depending on the grade. Dodge sold the car in a few trim levels: the SE, the SXT, and the R/T. Above them was the punchy and powerful SRT4, which many people considered to be a completely different kind of animal from its siblings.
The Caliber came as a replacement for the Dodge Neon and the Crysler PT Cruiser. It carried over some of the ideas from the latter but enhanced well enough to make people like it. First, the enlarged fenders in all corners were less prominent but still had a muscular look. Then, the ascending beltline created a dynamic image for the car. Despite some angular shapes of the Caliber, the greenhouse boasted an arched line sloped down behind the C-pillars and sported a third row of windows behind the rear doors. Dodge provided the vehicle with standard alloy wheels for all grades, and that convinced people to buy it.
Inside, the design was clever, with high-mounted seats and a binocular-styled instrument panel where the dials were integrated into individual clusters. The center stack housed the stereo and the HVAC controls, while Dodge placed the gear stick and a couple of cup holders on the center console. An adjustable armrest concealed a storage underneath it between the front seats. In the back, there was enough room for three adults. Unfortunately, the Caliber's main disadvantage was its interior materials. The hard-plastic areas and the upholstery were below the industry's average.
Under the hood, the automaker installed a choice of gasoline engines. Across the pond, in Europe, the Caliber was available with a turbo-diesel engine supplied by Volkswagen. In the U.S., the automaker installed a CVT for the SXT grade, which was unpleasant to drive. It did its job but was noisy. Dodge sold the Caliber in over 400,000 units worldwide, including in Japan and Australia. But it was too late to save the Daimler-Chrysler marriage.
ENGINE SPECS - 1.8L 5MT FWD (150 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1798 cm3 |
Power: | 110 KW @ 6500 RPM 150 HP @ 6500 RPM 148 BHP @ 6500 RPM |
Torque: | 125 lb-ft @ 5200 RPM 169 Nm @ 5200 RPM |
Fuel System: | Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 13.7 gallons (51.9 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 114 mph (183 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 11.9 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 215/60 R17 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 173.8 in (4415 mm) |
Width: | 68.8 in (1748 mm) |
Height: | 60.4 in (1534 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 59.8/59.8 in (1,519/1,519 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 103.7 in (2634 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 8.2 in (208 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 12.4 cuFT (351 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.37 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 2910 lbs (1320 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 4167 lbs (1890 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 24.5 mpg US (9.6 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 39.2 mpg US (6 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 32.2 mpg US (7.3 L/100Km) |
ENGINE SPECS - 2.0L 5MT FWD (160 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1998 cm3 |
Power: | 117.7 KW @ 6400 RPM 160 HP @ 6400 RPM 158 BHP @ 6400 RPM |
Torque: | 141 lb-ft @ 5000 RPM 191 Nm @ 5000 RPM |
Fuel System: | Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 13.7 gallons (51.9 L) |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 215/60 R17 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 173.8 in (4415 mm) |
Width: | 68.8 in (1748 mm) |
Height: | 60.4 in (1534 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 59.8/59.8 in (1,519/1,519 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 103.7 in (2634 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 8.2 in (208 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 12.4 cuFT (351 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.37 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 2941 lbs (1334 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 23 mpg US (10.2 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 31 mpg US (7.6 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 26 mpg US (9 L/100Km) |
ENGINE SPECS - 2.0L CVT FWD (160 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1998 cm3 |
Power: | 117.7 KW @ 6400 RPM 160 HP @ 6400 RPM 158 BHP @ 6400 RPM |
Torque: | 141 lb-ft @ 5000 RPM 191 Nm @ 5000 RPM |
Fuel System: | Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 13.7 gallons (51.9 L) |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | CVT |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 215/60 R17 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 173.8 in (4415 mm) |
Width: | 68.8 in (1748 mm) |
Height: | 60.4 in (1534 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 59.8/59.8 in (1,519/1,519 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 103.7 in (2634 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 8.2 in (208 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 12.4 cuFT (351 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.37 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 3012 lbs (1366 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 23 mpg US (10.2 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 27 mpg US (8.7 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 25 mpg US (9.4 L/100Km) |
ENGINE SPECS - 2.4L 5MT FWD (170 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 2360 cm3 |
Power: | 125 KW @ 6000 RPM 170 HP @ 6000 RPM 168 BHP @ 6000 RPM |
Torque: | 165 lb-ft @ 4400 RPM 223 Nm @ 4400 RPM |
Fuel System: | Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 13.7 gallons (51.9 L) |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
---|---|
Tire Size: | 215/60 R17 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 173.8 in (4415 mm) |
Width: | 68.8 in (1748 mm) |
Height: | 60.4 in (1534 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 59.8/59.8 in (1,519/1,519 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 103.7 in (2634 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 8.2 in (208 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 12.4 cuFT (351 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.37 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 3086 lbs (1400 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 4255 lbs (1930 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 23.1 mpg US (10.2 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 38.6 mpg US (6.1 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 30.5 mpg US (7.7 L/100Km) |
ENGINE SPECS - 2.0L CRD 6MT FWD (140 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1968 cm3 |
Power: | 103 KW @ 4000 RPM 140 HP @ 4000 RPM 138 BHP @ 4000 RPM |
Torque: | 229 lb-ft @ 1750 RPM 310 Nm @ 1750 RPM |
Fuel System: | Turbocharged Common Rail |
Fuel: | Diesel |
Fuel capacity: | 13.7 gallons (51.9 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 122 mph (196 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 9.3 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 6-speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 205/70 R15 |
DIMENSIONS | |
---|---|
Length: | 173.8 in (4415 mm) |
Width: | 68.8 in (1748 mm) |
Height: | 60.4 in (1534 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 59.8/59.8 in (1,519/1,519 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 103.7 in (2634 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 12.4 cuFT (351 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.39 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 3142 lbs (1425 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 4409 lbs (2000 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 29.8 mpg US (7.9 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 46.1 mpg US (5.1 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 38.6 mpg US (6.1 L/100Km) |
ENGINE SPECS - 2.2L CRD 6MT FWD (163 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 2143 cm3 |
Power: | 119.9 KW @ 3600 RPM 163 HP @ 3600 RPM 161 BHP @ 3600 RPM |
Torque: | 236 lb-ft @ 1400-3600 RPM 320 Nm @ 1400-3600 RPM |
Fuel System: | Turbocharged Common Rail |
Fuel: | Diesel |
Fuel capacity: | 13.7 gallons (51.9 L) |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
---|---|
Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 6-speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
---|---|
Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
---|---|
Tire Size: | 215/60 R17 |
DIMENSIONS | |
---|---|
Length: | 173.8 in (4415 mm) |
Width: | 68.8 in (1748 mm) |
Height: | 60.4 in (1534 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 59.8/59.8 in (1,519/1,519 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 103.7 in (2634 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 8.2 in (208 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 12.4 cuFT (351 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.37 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 3172 lbs (1439 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 4431 lbs (2010 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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Combined: | 40.6 mpg US (5.8 L/100Km) |