Fiat Viaggio Hatchback
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Still testing in China.
Where the sister car to our Dodge Dart will be offered as a hatchback.
I hope Chrysler is considering this for the US as well, where the Dart seems to need help.
They need to ditch the DSG type transmission people are complaining about and replace it with a proper automatic.
And offer the hatchback. The decade old excuse “Americans don’t buy hatchback” doesn’t work anymore. Our street are populated with hathback versions of the Focus, Fiseta, Mazda3, Elantra, Rio, Forte etc…
Maybe this will be the Chrysler 100
It's not the transmission. The DSG is only offered with the Turbo engine, other versions get a Hyundai-sourced conventional (torque converter) auto.
Here's what's really wrong with the Dart:
"Diesel grey" interior with fake vinyl stitching out of a Neon. Every competing car looks like 30 years in the future.
Too many versions/options. It's not a Porsche. People are shopping off the dealer's lot. You won't get the version you want, and that makes you feel like crap. May as well lease a Kia.
Bait and switch: they start cheap, but the first model with standard Bluetooth/touchscreen is $8,000 over base in Canada! Can't sell that BS to the smartphone generation.
Too many model/powertrain combinations (bears repeating). Three would do it: base, "the one people buy," and SRT. Give the base Bluetooth and AC, cause it's not 1975. The base Jetta has AC, and it outsells the Dart 2 to 1.