Official: 2013 Dodge Dart Aero fuel miser priced from $19,295*

Filed under: Sedan, Dodge

Hitting at least 40 miles per gallon is practically a necessity to compete in the compact car segment these days, and the 2013 Dodge Dart has hit this mark with the all-new Aero package. The Dart Aero is Dodge's fuel economy package for the car that starts at $19,295 (not including the $795 destination charge), and while Hyundai has been saving the asterisks since 2010, many other automakers use a similar method to get that magic 40-mpg rating onto the Monroney label.

The Dart Aero receives Fiat's 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo I4 and numerous other changes to hit up to 41 mpg highway with the manual transmission which is an improvement of 2 mpg alone over Chrysler's initial estimates for the car. Opting for the new dual dry clutch transmission will drop the highway number to an even 40 mpg - cars with either transmission are rated at 28 mpg city and 32 mpg combined. These are significant gains over initial Dart models with the 2.0-liter engine that were rated at up to 25 mpg city/36 mpg highway/29 mpg combined. This new engine also delivers the same 160 horsepower as the base engine, but it adds an extra 36 pound-feet of torque rated at 184 lb-ft.

Other than the new engine and the advanced DDCT gearbox, the Dart Aero was able to deliver such an improvement in fuel economy courtesy of a lower profile, active grille shutters, underbody aero kit and low-rolling resistance tires.

Compared to the base 2013 Dart, the Aero package is a $3,300 premium, but cars like the Focus SFE, Civic HF, Cruze Eco, Mazda3 Skyactiv and Jetta TDI all charge a premium for playing in the 40-mpg sandbox. Included in this higher price, the Dart Aero comes standard with some of the Dart's unique features like the 8.4-inch media center, the Dart's seven-inch TFT gauge cluster and one of the car's most stylish elements, the LED "racetrack" taillights.

It isn't clear when the Dart Aero will be on sale, but Chrysler says that the car went into production over the summer. Scroll down to read the full press release on this car.

Continue reading 2013 Dodge Dart Aero fuel miser priced from $19,295*

2013 Dodge Dart Aero fuel miser priced from $19,295* originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Oct 2012 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/05/2013-dodge-dart-aero-fuel-miser-priced-from-19-295/

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