Report: New Alfa Romeo Platform to Underpin 2012 Dodge Caliber, PT Cruiser
The upcoming Alfa Romeo Giulietta, set to debut at the Geneva Auto Show next month, will likely underpin the next generation Dodge Caliber and Chrysler PT Cruiser. According to a report by Automotive News, Fiat (Alfa’s parent company) is looking to sell one million vehicles based of the Giulietta platform, 700,000 of which it intends to move in the U.S. as Chrysler company products.
The Giulietta will have to be made larger for the North American market and Alfa is reportedly working on a widened version called “Compact Wide,” which will not only underpin the Caliber and PT Cruiser, but five other Chrysler brand products. Both front drive and AWD versions of the platform can be had and yes, that does mean a Jeep version is included in Chrysler’s Fiat’s plans.
Above we have an early design sketch of what an Alfa Romeo Giulietta-based Dodge Caliber would look like, provided by Dodge Brand CEO Ralph Gilles. A gallery of Giulietta images can be found below, including one image of a 1750cc turbocharged Fiat engine, with 200-hp and 236 ft-lbs of torque, which could likely be tweaked further for an SRT4 version. The 2012 Dodge Caliber, at least in base trim, is likely to get the company’s revised 2.4-liter four-cylinder with 190-hp and 175 ft-lbs of torque.
GALLERY: Alfa Romeo Giulietta
[Source: Automotive News and Autoblog]
With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.
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when 2012 PT cruiser will be in dealers and how mpg will be? this car looks wonderful, thank you. Ernesto Ramirez