Segment: Compact
Production years: 2003, 2004, 2005
The Neon was introduced in 1995 to fight against the massive import market in the compact sedan segment. Still, its poor sales made Chrysler ax it from the assembly line in 2005.
After five years into production, the sales for the Dodge/Chrysler/Plymouth Neon didn't go well. Even if it was offered with sporty packages, the vehicle's sales were low. In 2000, Dodge claimed that it changed more than 1000 parts of the car and advertised it as a new generation. Just three years later, in 2003, it was the final refresh of the car.
From the outside, the biggest change was for the front fascia. A new, cross-hair grille design was adopted. The bumper was changed as well, but the headlights remained the same. For specific markets, such as Canada, Dodge ditched the Neon name and sold it as 2.0 SXT only. It featured aluminum wheels, a deck-spoiler, and a sunroof as the only options available for the exterior look.
Inside, the Dodge wish to offer the car at the lowest possible price was obvious. The cheap materials could have been seen all over the place. But Dodge did that to offer a sports compact car under USD 20.000, which was way cheaper than most of its competitors. The air-conditioning was offered as an option.
Under the hood, Dodge installed a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated engine. It was paired to a 5-speed manual as standard, but a 4-speed automatic transmission was on the options list.
ENGINE SPECS - 2.0L 5MT FWD (152 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1995 cm3 |
Power: | 112 KW @ 6600 RPM 152 HP @ 6600 RPM 150 BHP @ 6600 RPM |
Torque: | 135 lb-ft @ 4800 RPM 183 Nm @ 4800 RPM |
Fuel System: | Electronic Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 12.4 gallons (46.9 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 111.9 mph (180 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 8 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: | 185/60/R15 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 174.4 in (4430 mm) |
Width: | 67.4 in (1712 mm) |
Height: | 55.9 in (1420 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 58/58.1 in (1,473/1,476 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 105 in (2667 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 13 cuFT (368 L) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 2626.2 lbs (1191 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 27 mpg US (8.7 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 33.1 mpg US (7.1 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 30.5 mpg US (7.7 L/100Km) |
ENGINE SPECS - 2.0L SMPI 5AT FWD (133 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1996 cm3 |
Power: | 98 KW @ 5600 RPM 133 HP @ 5600 RPM 131 BHP @ 5600 RPM |
Torque: | 131 lb-ft @ 4600 RPM 178 Nm @ 4600 RPM |
Fuel System: | Electronic Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 12.4 gallons (46.9 L) |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 4 speed automatic |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 185/65/R14 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 174.4 in (4430 mm) |
Width: | 67.4 in (1712 mm) |
Height: | 55.9 in (1420 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 58/58.1 in (1,473/1,476 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 105 in (2667 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 6.1 in (155 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 13 cuFT (368 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.34 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 2712 lbs (1230 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 24 mpg US (9.8 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 31 mpg US (7.6 L/100Km) |
ENGINE SPECS - 2.0L SMPI 5MT FWD (133 HP) | |
---|---|
Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1996 cm3 |
Power: | 98 KW @ 5600 RPM 133 HP @ 5600 RPM 131 BHP @ 5600 RPM |
Torque: | 131 lb-ft @ 4600 RPM 178 Nm @ 4600 RPM |
Fuel System: | Electronic Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 12.4 gallons (46.9 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 124.3 mph (200 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 9 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
---|---|
Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
---|---|
Tire Size: | 185/65/R14 |
DIMENSIONS | |
---|---|
Length: | 174.4 in (4430 mm) |
Width: | 67.4 in (1712 mm) |
Height: | 55.9 in (1420 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 58/58.1 in (1,473/1,476 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 105 in (2667 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 6.1 in (155 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 13 cuFT (368 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.34 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 2582 lbs (1171 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 27 mpg US (8.7 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 33 mpg US (7.1 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 30 mpg US (7.8 L/100Km) |