Chrysler unveils 2013 Dodge Dart, company says it gets 40+ mpg

Chrysler is using this year’s Detroit auto show to debut something pretty novel for that company: a compact car.

The Dodge Dart represents Chrysler’s first real foray into the compact market since its effective merger with the Italian automaker Fiat.

Reid Bigland is President of the Dodge brand. He says the Dart represents a true blend of Fiat and Chrysler’s traditional strengths.

“Quite simply, it is groundbreaking. It has a world-class architecture, the DNA of an Alpha-Romeo, with the unmistakable presence of a Dodge,” said Bigland.

Bigland says the Dart will make its debut in showrooms this spring with a price tag of just under $16,000.