Dodge Caliber Tested Feb 2006

Rating Quick Summary Average. It's a Dodge - but not as we know it. The American company's first Europe-focussed effort has styling that's likely to divide opinion, a clever interior and a thoroughly inoffensive driving experience.

Full Road Test

Despite being big in America for decades, the Caliber is Dodge's first global car, with the company reckoning it's been designed around the needs of picky European consumers.

It certainly looks different. As a five-door family hatchback it's competing against cars like the Ford Focus and VW Golf. But Dodge's radical styling direction makes it look more like a mini-SUV thanks to big headlamps and Dodge's "crosshair" radiator grille. It certainly won't appeal to everyone, although it looks like it will age better than the excessively retro Chrysler PT Cruiser.

If you can live with the design then, against expectations, the Caliber has a lot to recommend it. The well thought-out interior is simple and functional, with switchgear in easily-anticipated places and neat design details like a built-in torch and illuminated cup holder lips. It's roomy too, with plenty of space for both front and rear seat passengers and a decently sized boot too. Trim quality is reasonable, too - far better than you would expect from an American market car.

On the road it drives well with a comfortable, pliant ride and reasonably agile behaviour in the corners. It's not sporty - but it is more than responsive enough to meet the requirements of its utility-seeking core audience.

The base 1.8 litre 148 bhp petrol model comes with a manual gearbox as standard, although it feels strained when worked too hard. Buyers can also opt for a more powerful 2.0 litre 158 bhp petrol engine (which comes with a standard autobox) and a 2.0 litre 136 bhp turbodiesel. The range-topping 300 bhp turbocharged 2.4 litre SRT4 is a rocketship.

The Caliber is specifically designed to offer something different from the mainstream volume offerings in the crowded hatchback segment. It's certainly a head-turner and packs a lot of punch for the money.