First drive: Avenger takes Dodge fight to Camry

DODGE’S chunky Caliber hatch might not have set Australia’s small car market alight since single-handedly launching the US-German brand here six months ago but, if anything, that will only make DaimlerChrysler more determined to succeed with Avenger – Dodge’s answer to big-selling mid-size sedans like Toyota’s Camry.

Launched globally last week in Spain and due in late July to bring the number of Dodge models on sale here to three, following the late June arrival of the Nitro medium SUV, Avenger shares its foundations with sister brand Chrysler’s Sebring sedan, which is due on sale Down Under early next month.

Unlike the four-door Sebring, which will spawn a hard-top convertible derivative by late this year, Avenger will be priced at the sharp end of Australia’s medium sedan market and is likely to open its account at under $30,000 to compete directly with the top-selling Camry, which starts from $28,000.

Cut-price Koreans in Kia’s Magentis, Hyundai’s Sonata and this month’s Holden Epica (also to be priced from $25,990) sedans will also be logical rivals for the all-new Avenger, but Chrysler Group Australia (CGA) will be keen to limit pricing overlap with Caliber, which opens at $23,990 for the 1.8 ST manual and $28,490 for the 2.0 SX CVT.

Exactly how CGA will do this, as well as offer "best entry-level pricing" and the "best power-to-price" ratio, as is Avenger’s global mantra, will be interesting. What is certain is that apart from price, Dodge will trade on Avenger’s bold design, surprisingly accomplished ride/handling and performance levels, and innovative features.

To do battle with the base 2.4-litre Sonata (118kW/219Nm) and Magentis (119kW/221Nm), the entry-level Epica’s 105kW/195Nm 2.0-litre inline six and Camry’s sole 117kW/218Nm 2.4, the cheapest Avenger will come powered by a DOHC 16-valve 2.0-litre petrol four from the midrange Caliber, offering the same 115kW at 6300rpm and 190Nm of torque at a revvy 5100rpm.

The all-alloy Euro IV emissions-compliant "World Engine" features dual variable valve timing, dual balance shafts and square cylinder dimensions, and will be mated to five-speed manual and four-speed automatic transmissions.

Matching Sonata, Magentis and Epica’s 115kW/237Nm 2.5-litre six (auto-only) will be the same 2.0-based 2.4-litre four-cylinder World Engine as seen in the Caliber R/T, delivering the same 125kW at 6000rpm and 220Nm at 4500rpm. It will be paired with either a five-speed manual or four-speed auto.

Avenger will also offer diesel power, courtesy of the same 2.0-litre 16-valve DOHC four-cylinder turbo-diesel that powers the Caliber CRD (priced from $28,990) Volkswagen Group’s Golf, Jetta, Passat, Eos, A3 and A4. The cast-iron blocked oil-burner dispenses 103kW at 4000rpm and 310Nm at 1750rpm, and will be available only with a six-speed manual from launch.

Built at the Sterling Heights, Michigan plant, the front-drive five-seat Avenger range will be bolstered in late 2007 by a 2.7-litre alloy DOHC 24-valve V6 that produces 138kW at 6500rpm and 256Nm at 4000rpm – the same powertrain to be offered by the Sebring convertible as standard.

Going up against Sonata’s 173kW/304Nm 3.3-litre V6, the top-shelf Avenger V6 will come as standard with a six-speed adaptive automatic transmission, instead of the four-speed with which it launched in Europe. Later this year a five-speed auto will also become available for the Avenger CRD.

Two Avenger specification levels will be available here: SE and SXT. Australian details are yet to be confirmed but in Europe the base SE offers 17x6.5-inch steel wheels with wheel covers and 215/60-section tyres, along with air-conditioning, power windows/mirrors, well-bolstered front bucket seats, a 60/40-split folding rear seat, a flat-folding passenger seat, Caliber’s “Chill Zone” refrigerated glovebox that holds four cans, heated and cooled cup-holders and "sports-oriented" suspension tune.

Standard Avenger safety features will include ABS, ESP stability/traction control, brake assist, tyre pressure monitoring, seatbelt pretensioners, twin multi-stage front airbags, front seat-mounted side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags. The SXT adds a rear spoiler, 17x6.5-inch alloy wheels with 215/55-section tyres and full leather trim.

Optional Avenger equipment should include stain and odour-resistant Yes Essentials seat fabric, 18-inch alloys, a sunroof, a rear DVD entertainment system and the MyGig infotainment system comprising navigation, i-Pod compatibility and a 20-gig hard-drive that can store up to 100 hours of music (or 1600 songs) and pictures.

Riding on a stretched version of the Chrysler Group’s JS platform that underpins Caliber, (as well as, in GS guise, Mitsubishi’s Outlander and upcoming Lancer), Avenger brings mini-Charger styling via a prominent crosshair grille, quad headlights and muscular rear haunches.

As with Caliber, Avenger features subframe-mounted independent front and rear suspension, comprising MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link IRS. Steering is via a speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion system, which requires three steering wheel turns lock to lock and returns an 11.3-metre turning circle (Caliber: 10.8).

Brakes are also lifted directly from Caliber and include 294x26mm front and 262x10mm rear discs with 57mm front and 35mm rear single-piston callipers.

Avenger rides on a 2765mm wheelbase (Caliber: 3635mm) with 1570mm wheel tracks (1520mm) and measures 4850mm long (4415mm), 1843mm wide (1800mm) and 1497mm high (1535mm).

It offers 1016mm and 972mm of front and rear headroom respectively (Caliber: 1012/988mm), 1077mm and 954mm of front and rear legroom (1062/906mm), 1433mm and 1430mm of front and rear shoulder room (1378/1357mm) and 438 litres of boot space (Caliber: 352 behind the rear seat).

Depending on the variant, Avenger weighs between 75kg and 135kg more than Caliber, with the 2.0-litre spanning 1480-1555kg, the 2.4 ranging between 1510 and 1560kg, the 2.7 opening at 1520kg and closing at 1615kg and the heavyweight CRD straddling between 1560 and 1635kg. Braked towing capacity is 1000kg, or 1500kg for CRD variants.

As you’d expect, the V6 is both the quickest (0-100km.h in a claimed nine seconds), thirstiest (combined EU consumption of 9.7L/100km) and dirtiest (CO2 emissions of 230g/km) of the range, followed by the 2.4 (10.4/8.9/211).

The CRD is almost as quick at 10.5 seconds but uses the least fuel (6.2L/100km) and returns the lowest emissions (170g/km). Avenger 2.0 sprints to 100km/h in a claimed 10.8 seconds, offers 7.8L/100km and produces 185g/km of CO2.

DRIVE IMPRESSIONS:

LOOK beyond the cheap, hard interior plastics of the bold new Avenger, then throw it at a few demanding, poorly surfaced bends, and it’s evident there’s a spacious medium sedan with real substance lurking within.

Somehow, despite sharing its basic underpinnings with the equally striking Caliber small hatch, the Avenger manages to lift itself above the mainstream mediocrity of both its small hatch sibling and many of its three-box Korean-built rivals when it comes to driving dynamics.

No, Avenger’s steering doesn’t match the alacrity of the enduringly capable Mazda6, nor the ride quality of Honda’s sweet Accord Euro. But, at least on the variety of southern Spanish road we sampled it, Avenger comes close on both counts, making it somewhat of a overall handling dark-horse from the born-again Dodge brand.

Of course, Toyota’s underrated Camry is no easy-beat when it comes to agility either and Holden’s upcoming Epica is an unknown quantity in terms of performance and ride/handling, but a close in-the-metal inspection reveals both models are streets ahead of the American-built Avenger when it comes to interior ambience.

Even Sonata and Magentis beat Avenger on that score, with swathes of brittle, hard-to-touch plastic lining the dashboard, doors and centre armrest, relieved only by sumptuous cream-coloured headlining and a large alloy-look centre stack that houses a large, well-positioned (optional) information screen and HVAC controls.

In the 2.7 V6 SXT we drove, there was a fuel/temp gauge in the left-side gauge, a 240km/h speedo in the centre and a 6250rpm-redlined tacho on the right, plus four large and easily directed air-vents. There are electronic door lock buttons on both front doors, plus power window/mirror switches on the driver’s side – including auto up and down front windows.

There’s nothing wrong with the simple, functional layout of the Avenger’s interior – it’s just that material quality is in another league to even the Koreans, let alone the “premium” Japanese, and that oh-so-American details like the green information displays in the instrument gauges look low-rent and are hard to read in direct sunlight.

Cheap and nasty cabin materials aside, Avenger impresses on the road with well-weighted, kick-free steering that’s both responsive and communicative, highly comfortable front bucket seats that are well bolstered yet easy to alight from. A wide range of both rake and reach adjustment for the steering wheel, from which a well-positioned cruise control stalk sprouts, will make a wide variety of body shapes feel right at home in Avenger.

Rear legroom also earns praise, with plenty of kicking space for the longest of back seat passengers, who also get a neat (but easily damaged) flip-up optional DVD screen. There’s also four decent door trim compartments (the rears big enough to house drink bottles), cleverly heated and chilled cup-holders and the Chill Zone four-can cubby sited above a small and unlockable glovebox.

Further aiding amenity is a commodious, fully lined and illuminated boot with a decklid that’s externally hinged. A 60/40-split folding rear seatback makes more flexible, though the rear aperture could be larger. There are no front grabrails, but the one-touch indictors (as seen on Benz, Audi and BMW models, and now Commodore too).

Same goes for the rear side windows, which are a classic case of form over function in that they’re tiny to accommodate Avenger’s Charger-style rear quarter haunches. Combined with three non-folding rear head restraints, the super-thick C-pillars make rear vision a real problem in Avenger.

As stated, ride quality, steering precision and crisp suspension tune are stand-out Avenger hallmarks, but we’re yet to sample either that 2.0-litre version that will open the range here, the 2.4-litre volume seller or the top-shelf V6 with the six-speed auto it will come with in Australia.

Equipped with a four-speed self-shifter, Avenger V6 was reasonably responsive, rarely left wanting for more power and much quieter than the raucous four-cylinder of Mazda6, but four speeds just don’t cut it in a class that’s now predominantly five-speed. We suspect, however, the six-speed ZF (as found in everything from 7 Series to Falcon) will make the sweet V6 even better to drive.

The 2.0 diesel we sampled in both slick five-speed auto and sloppy, long-throw six-speed manual guises offered an abundance of midrange torque, which made for effortless overtaking even from high Autopista speeds. Yes, it’s louder than the V6, but provides a real point of difference in the medium sedan sector, and returned frugal consumption of around 8.5L/100km.

Dodge asks a lot from the Avenger’s styling, which without doubt gives the world’s newest mid-sizer unparalleled road presence in its class. But this alone is not enough to persuade the legions of Camry buyers, many of them user-choosers or fleet customers, away from Toyota showrooms.

Of course, the greatest unknown factor with Avenger is price. If Chrysler Group Australia follows international Dodge pricing policy and gives the entry-level 2.0 a base price to match the Koreans, then Avenger deserves to attract a solid following here – even if its 2.0-litre doesn’t match them.

Not only does it make a convincing dynamics argument against at least the two incumbent Koreans, but Avenger could also draw buyers of large sedan like Commodore, who continue to downsize to accomplished mid-sizers like Mazda6 and Accord.

Dodge also has the conundrum of positioning Avenger beneath the different-bodied Sebring due on sale in May, and of its unique diesel undercutting the vastly better-quality Jetta 2.0 TDI sedan ($35,690), with which its shared its diesel powertrain.

Overall, we were pleasantly surprised by the Avenger’s overriding feeling of solidity and well-executed ride/handling package, but left underwhelmed by its cheap interior. Dodge hopes Australians will warm to its stand-out mini-Charger styling in the same way we’ve embraced Chrysler’s unapologetically American 300C.

Only time and price will tell if Avenger can exceed the popularity of Caliber, which so far has failed to attract half the buyers CGA forecast. One thing’s sure, however: within three months Australians will never have had a bigger choice in the medium sedan market.

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