Dodge Caliber SRT4 test drive since 2007 Hatchback

SRT -hard caliber

Dodge Caliber anomaly in the automotive market. Only in the States could such a spit be born in the face of a European car classification. Most likely, the responsibility for this must be assigned to the American love of gigantomania, which is sewn on the subcorta of any representative of the United Start.
 
The machine, which in appearance and size corresponds to the class of compact crossovers, is presented with a calm and unperturbed look as a hatch of a golf class. Caliber SRT4 anomaly is doubly. The degeneration believed in his golf-inferiority and, in accordance with the unwritten charter, acquired a top modification, which tried on a turbine, a body kit, large wheels. Another variation on the topic of hot hatchs turned out to be so very American. Alas, I was not lucky, and I did not travel on the civil version of this car. I had to get acquainted with the family through the most unbridled representative. In this you can easily see a plus, there is a real chance to evaluate the maximum capabilities of the car.
The sensations from Hatch's contemplation are only positive. American rough aesthetics is a proportional addition, clean and pleasant to the eye of the line. From this you can easily create a hot car. Or Dregster with a terrifying air intake in the hood. But Caliber was modified according to other recipes for street racing technology! SRT (Street and Racing Technology) focuses on the public, which made its choice in favor of neon backlighting of the bottom, evil body kit, huge pipes of exhaust systems and healthy wheels with wide tires. Here, for example, Caliber SRT4 hood. What does he look like? For me, this is on Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII. In the arches, chrome 19-inch wheels with tires dimension 225/45 (on Hatche golf class in the database!).
 
We go behind the enormous regiment of anti-wing on the fifth door and a bumper pipe with a diameter of 90 mm. Terrible front bumper, body kit in a circle. And also the whistle of a turbine with sighs of the bypass valve. This is the soundtrack of the street-and-and-case theater. To it, you can, if desired, add a squeal of tires. At the exit - Head -Turner. Large original and street sculp. Almost all modern Dodge models are good in appearance, they have this clan lamb assertiveness. But they are all invariably disappointed when you find yourself inside. It was difficult to expect miracles from Caliber, even if he is in a special version. The salon resembling a reduced crossover in size and landing was met with branded gray oak plastic.
 
The dullness of the furniture was slightly compensated by new leather chairs with inexpressive lateral support, a steering wheel, a gearbox lever with a brilliant metal knob. It became, of course, more fun. But when looking at the front panel, indicating the absence of imagination in a person who painted it, on a black central console with flimsy plastic steel twisters (there is no climate even as an option), I want to howl. Fortunately, this is still a SRT4, and such a caliber can offer classes more interesting than the howl.
An aluminum 2.4-liter global engine children from SRT turned inside out, replaced most of the details with new ones, screwed the turbine, attached a large intercooler, and stuffed it all back into the motor compartment. Even in the atmospheric version, the motor has established itself as peppy and alive, and even after an additional large injection of the greenhouses, it acquired a combat character. He willingly gaining momentum, and he significantly awakes in the upper scale, beast closer to the limiter. It is a pleasure to twist him!
The guys from SRT and the exhaust set up as it should. In the heating mode, he invitingly and promisingly bakes, sings well in marginal regimes. In general, the brick begins to slowly place it. Before the test, I tried to imagine how this mysterious Caliber would be? Still, 295 horses are serious. Having experience communicating with other models modified by SRT (300C SRT8, Grand Cherokee SRT8, Dodge Nitro R/T), I suspected that it would be another shell for a wild bullet in a straight line with a characteristic American handling. Now I had to verify the correctness of my assumption.
SRT approached homework thoroughly. Specifically fraught the equipment and brought it into line with the capabilities of the motor. The evil Caliber was running in on the Firebird Raceway racing tracks (Phoenix), Texas Motorsports Ranch (Fort Urte, Texas) and Nelson Ledges (Garretsville, Ohio). The concept of the machine was a compromise between everyday use in the city and worthy running qualities on the track. The test Caliber SRT4 drove to the installation of 2,000,000 miles on the conveyor. The results of this work are waiting when, finally, I will drown the accelerator.
Under the turbine whistling brick, she famously breaks off. The first is twisted in the blink of an eye, and a clear switching mechanism allows you to immediately stick the second so as not to fall into the turbo -bribe. The speed set is very energetic! And this is the fact that the transfer of the car is long. On the second, he rides to almost 120 km/h! It would be even more fun with the box. But with such an almost three -hundredth car surprises everyone. At the speed of sports bellows in appearance, one can not be noticed, and the appearance wildly accelerating caliber makes the mouth open.
The car confidently falls in all programs, quickly overcomes a two hundred -kilometer mark. The nature of the acceleration falls well on the appearance, it is as rude and assertive. If you turn off the anti -wings system that imitates the operation of an inter -somedean differential differential, you begin to feel how huge wheels are raging with your fingers, when the power is falling on them and the moment of the motor carries from side to side, you have to tightly compress the steering wheel and constantly steal.
 
I turned on the trax-control, and the parasites on the steering wheel became smaller, and in the turns the car does not slip with an unloaded wheel. The stabilization system does not completely turn off here, but it allows you to cheat with small slides. For city races, this is enough. Well, for those who want to put Caliber into drift, you can recommend pulling out the appropriate fuse.
 
Hefty hatch turned out to be assembled! The suspension is elastic, but with the extinguishing of the unsharged masses, everything is not so smooth when you go along the broken asphalt, they begin to strain the suspension, it can not cope and vibrations go to the body. Of the entire SRT Caliber line, the most understandable and easy to drive a car. This is just explained by a light 4-cylinder engine, front-wheel drive, not the largest dimensions. But if you put Caliber on a par with European and Japanese competitors, it will become obvious that his behavior lacks gloss, sophistication. It is big and a little clumsy. But does someone expect exquisite manners from this impudent type? Yes, and it is not needed here and in the form presented a car megaburger is delicious and chosen.
He is rude, and he must drive him accordingly. Puff and forgive. In the maximum turn, the bunny slides out the nose, and does not even show a hint of skids under the discharge of gas. Forget about slipping. Here you have to savor something else! The rolls are small, and the information on the steering wheel is sufficient in order to clearly pass the turn along the trajectory, and even at the exit to add fuel into the cylinders. The bundles of turns are not the habitat of this machine also because the seats are enough for lateral support (especially in the legs). But I appreciated the ardent performance, which Caliber arranged on the highway!
Honestly, even a little sorry for that guy on the new Opel Vectra OPC. It is probably very annoying when you are driving a beautiful blue 280-horsepower car with a turbo-V6 for no reason, it begins to methodically make some kind of Caliber! Yes, SRT4 dispels the myth that this Dodge model does not know how to ride quickly. On an even highway, the exchange rate stability is excellent, the suspension confidently holds a high body during rebuilding, and the steering wheel flooded with feedback allows you to set the trajectory quite accurately. The machine is stable even at very high speed, and regular slowdown does not kill the possibilities of the brake system. And only when the track is under the wheels, Caliber again makes you concentrate. Well, on the smooth highway of American racing tracks at the wheel of Caliber SRT4, you can probably enjoy it.
Well, in the city, God himself ordered. Especially considering what all these notorious street races look like. This is a typical drag-racing in civil conditions for the barrel and recitables of youth RNB. Acceleration is important for the drag, and here, according to the numbers, only srymes such as Ford Focus RS, Mazda3 MPS or Opel Astra OPC are better than our patient. I also wanted to say BMW 130i, but I felt ridiculous from such a comparison. Although formally it is appropriate here. One class, but such different approaches.
In the approach, the strong side of Caliber SRT is hidden. It is original for the originals. I can assume that few buy such a car, but this does not mean that it cannot be loved. You can love him for two things with the charisma of brick and the nonsense of the motor. American hot hatch. What is not a challenge to old -Soviet foundations?
Street and Racing Technology
Chrysler's portable department was created in 2002. Over the past six years, the department sprinkled well, preparing a number of extraordinary machines, a distinctive feature of which should first be recognized as accelerating dynamics. The most striking SRT samples are Dodge Viper SRT-10, Chrysler Crossfire SRT6, ChrySler 300C SRT8, Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, Dodge Charger SRT8. SRT not only prepares charged versions of serial machines, but also produces a variety of tuning accessories for them, and also teaches ordinary mortals to drive their multi -liter monsters

Engine
Having met the turbine, the 2-liter aluminum World Engine has changed a lot. Forged connecting rods, a new oil pump, valves, withstanding higher temperatures, and injecting high performance, appeared. The degree of compression, settings of the VVT \u200b\u200bgas distribution system were changed and a number of other related improvements were carried out. Factory tuning!
SRT set
Caliber SRT4 is seriously different from the basic version. He has his own body kit, aluminum cast discs, large anti -winged, wheels, steering wheel, gearbox lever, pedals, a point of boost pressure, armchairs and a number of other details both inside and outside.
Leonty Tyutelev
 
 

 

Source: Motor magazine [October 2008]