2011MY Dodge Caliber: Retuned Steering System and Equipment Upgrades

Continuing to chart the changes on the Chrysler Group's 2011MY cars, the Dodge Caliber has received some modest enhancements for the new model year, the most noteworthy being the re-tuned steering system which, according to the automaker, provides in a "more direct and precise feel". Other than that, you'll find new available exterior colors and some trim and equipment upgrades on certain models, which you can check in detail in the list after the break.

Here's what's new for the 2011 Dodge Caliber:

- Six new color options: Redline 2 Pearl Coat, Mango Tango Pearl Coat, Blackberry Pearl Coat, Dark Charcoal Pearl Coat, Bright White Clear Coat, Tungsten Metallic Pearl Coat (late availability)

- 18-in. chrome-clad aluminum wheel now available with the Uptown model

- Red and blue accent stitching added to leather seats with Rush model

- Six-way power driver's seat standard with Mainstreet model

- Electronic stability control (ESC) now standard with Mainstreet, Heat, Uptown and Rush models

- New navigation radio with SIRIUS Travel Link

- Steering retuned for a more direct and precise feel

FEV to Show Dodge Caliber Hybrid with 1.0-Liter Engine at SAE Congress

The proposals for extended-range electric vehicles just keep coming in. The latest company to announce new developments in the field of hybrid cars is FEV, a powertrain and vehicle engineering firm headquarted in Aachen, Germany. The firm announced that it will show a range-extended electric vehicle (ReEV) with plug-in capability based on the Dodge Caliber platform at the 2009 SAE World Congress in Detroit (April 20-23, 2009).

The Caliber ReEV's propulsion system employs a 1.0-liter, 3-cylinder, 4 valve engine mated to a UQM PP75 generator that provides 41kW of continuous power in extended-range mode, with a peak power of 75kW.

The energy generated is stored in a 20 kW-h liquid-cooled Lithium Ion battery pack that operates at 346V, with a Delphi DC/DC converter. FEV said that the batteries provide enough power for the car to cover a distance of 40 miles or 64 kilometers which seems to be the magic number for most vehicles of the sort... The Caliber ReEV can accelerate from zero to 60mph (96km/h) in 8.3 seconds and has a top speed of 84mph or 135 km/h.

For the record, the Caliber pictured above is a standard model as FEV has not releases any photos of the ReEV prototype.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

Dodge Readying Newly Styled Interior for 2010MY Caliber?

A member of the Caliber Forums has posted what looks to be a computer generated image along with some specific details on the changes that Dodge is supposedly working on for the 2010 Caliber's interior. We can't vouch for the photo's authenticity, but just like the Jeep Patriot and Compass, if there's one thing that the Chrysler Group needs to fix on the Caliber ASAP, is the poor choice of materials in the cabin.

If we are to believe the forum poster, the 2010MY Caliber will receive a more contemporary styled dashboard with better materials and new HAVOC controls on the center stack along with restyled door panels with soft-touch plastics on the armrests and vinyl-wrapped upper sections.

Source: Caliber-Forums , Via: Le Blog Auto