I like the interior too. As a driver, it’s a nice place to be. The dashboard and door trims are nicely contoured and have nice materials, I appreciated the red accenting. The leather on the seats might not be the highest grade, but it is leather. The black is a little too plain and simple which gives it a “cheap limo” vibe. The lighter shades are far more pleasant and welcoming but sadly aren’t available on the GT.

But it’s the instrument cluster that will likely turn Dart drivers into fanatics. Not only are the graphics awesome, but the entire display is customizable and all via steering wheel controls. This is the “See? Look what my car can do?!” style of stuff that I think will resonate with young buyers in particular. And while the old guard might not understand the impact of interior features on new, driving-ambivalent buyers, it’s tech like this that will draw the new folk in and be a key part of their driving experience.

The other differentiator? Size. At 1,436 kg, 1,829 mm wide and 4,671 mm long the Dart is some 100 kg heavier than the Elantra, plus over 20 mm longer and 50 mm wider than the Civic – the closest in size of the top three sellers.

The Civic bests the Dart with passenger volume with 2,761 L to Dodge’s 2,752. And the Elantra sedan has more cargo volume with 420 L to the Dart’s 371 L. Like so many domestics, the Dart’s exterior size goes missing somehow once you pass through the doors.

To go with the extra heft, Dodge fitted this GT trim tester out with one of the most powerful motors in the class too, a 184 hp/174 lb-ft 2.4L ‘MultiAir’ engine. Though the engine is designed to take boosting or blowing, MultiAir is not a turbo engine. Rather, MultiAir refers to the valve timing and closing mechanism, it’s variable via oil flow to the openers and on MultiAir 2 engines like this one, the closers too. The variable valve timing helps the Dart to a new five-cycle test rating of 10.2/7.0 L/100 km city/highway – I averaged 8.5 L/100 km over the course of testing.

This engine feels willing and strong, I enjoyed the off-the-line speed and even highway passing. It’s a loud engine from outside the car at idle, and seems to idle a little roughly – but this might be because it’s a press car and has seen a few hands before mine. For driving enthusiasts, Dodge had fitted this GT trim not only with the willing engine, but a six-speed manual transmission too.

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