It has only been a couple of years since Chrysler LLC entered into its rebirth period fueled by the fire of Fiat, but they are already cleaning house. Now officially thrown away is the brand’s smallest offering, the Caliber. The compact front wheel drive hatchback/wagon was one of the last vehicles to carry with it the engineering of the once borderline bankrupt American company and ever since Fiat took over, there were always plans for a cancellation. According the Detroit News, production of the car has officially ended and its replacement is already in the works to debut as a 2013.
When it debuted in 2006, the Caliber took over for the aging Neon sedan. It was observed as an odd and depressing vehicle that was inexpensive and worthy enough for rental fleets. Chrysler never really saw too much profit because of the car as from January through November of this year, less than 34,000 total Calibers were sold. When Consumer Reports released its annual new car issue for the 2011 model year, the little Dodge ranked at the bottom of the list for compacts. Hopefully, the 2013 Dodge Dart, which will be based on a Fiat design, will earn back some respect for Chrysler among the small car segment.
Source: Detroit News
