The Dodge Caliber is one of those cars that are more about substance than about style. It is no secret that the Caliber won’t win any style contests, but what it doesn’t have in looks it tries to make up for in functionality. One of those functional upgrades for 2011 includes the steering on all models except the Express. Express, you say? Yes, if you missed the news for 2010, Dodge has renamed all of the Caliber models as the following: Express, Mainstreet, Uptown, Heat and Rush. Make sure you write those down, there will be a quiz later.
The model name changes in 2010 weren’t the only changes; the 2010 Dodge Caliber receives an interior redo and they dropped the SRT4. For 2011, we have mentioned the steering change, but in addition to that the Heat and Rush models will receive a thicker rear anti-roll bar and retuned shocks. The engines will remain unchanged with the base model, Express, getting the 2.0-liter 158 hp four-cylinder engine. Rush comes standard with the more powerful 2.4-liter 172 hp four-cylinder.
As we said before, the Caliber won’t win a beauty contest, but it does have a lot of functional space, redesigned interior, lift gate for easy rear access and optional 18-inch wheels for new uptown models in 2011. Of course, if you believe industry speculation, you could always wait a year or two and see what is being lined up to replace the Caliber. It is that age old question, style or substance.
[Source: Car and Driver]
