Dodge Lineup to Get a High-Mpg Small Car

Chrysler has announced that it is developing a compact car for the Dodge lineup that will be capable of achieving a fuel economy of 40 mpg. The new model will share its platform with a Fiat model and will probably be released at the end of 2011.

It is yet unknown whether Dodge will aim at the B-class subcompacts like the Ford Fiesta or larger C-segment vehicles like the Hyundai Elantra, although with the new Chrysler/Fiat partnership in sight, it will probably be based on the Fiat 500's architecture.

This announcement may come as a surprise to some, but a high-mpg small Chrysler has been in store for ages, well before the Dodge Hornet concept car appeared in 2006. The vehicle was said to enter production a couple of times, yet with no apparent results.

The Dodge Hornet was the company's first take at the small car class and it should have been released in 2008, according to the carmaker. At the time, Dodge planned on using a 1.6 litre 4 cylinder supercharged engine from the Mini Cooper S, that would have provided it with 170 hp and could propel the car to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 7.5 seconds and up to a top speed of over 135 mph (215 km/h). The concept had rear-hinged doors like the Mazda RX8, opening up with ease to reveal a spacious, clean and sporty interior.

That small car may be the key to Chrysler's recovery along with a series of new and revamped products aimed at sustaining sales momentum until the Fiat-based models can be integrated into the lineup.