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| A look inside the inner workings of the Dodge Caliber Continuously Variable Transmission. |
Anyone who had a '70s style minibike as a kid will remember the centrifugal clutch setup attached to the engine. As you twisted the throttle the engine would rev, and away you went -- with any luck not into a tree with your little brother on the back, or down the hill into a barbed wire fence.
While the 2.0 L version of the Chrysler group's world engine under the hood of our rental fleet Mighty Duster support vehicle was infinitely more refined than a minibike from the Sears catalog equipped with the latest from Briggs and Stratton, the principle is the same. Engine revs are smoothly and continuously transferred into power to the ground without gears ever shifting. The Caliber is also available with a 5-speed manual for those who like to row through their own gears.
Caliber engine choices include a 1.8, 2.0, and 2.4 liter version of the Chrysler World Engine with HP ratings of 148, 158, and 172 as they go. The World Engine is a product of Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance, and while that sounds like something that Superman might be involved in, it is in reality an alliance of DaimlerChrysler, Mitsubishi, and Hyundai right here in Dundee, Michigan.
The engine under the hood of our rented test vehicle was the 2.0L version with variable valve timing or, VVT. The engine in concert with the CVT2 was smooth, got up on ramps from the In and Out Burger, and over the Rocky Mountains with no complaint. We did notice a small amount of ignition knock at severe altitude but it was only temporary and may have been due to crummy fuel. The turbo-diesel version of the Caliber is unfortunately not available in the US.
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| The World Engine is available in three flavors of displacement, and produced right here in Michigan. |
When it comes to taming the road, the Caliber rolls right over all but the most offensive of crumbling infrastructure yet still transmits decent feedback to the driver in case the need arises to stuff the little car into the twisties. The ABS brakes worked so well that we never thought about them, even on long grades, and thankfully never had to use the emergency truck turnouts.
Stuffing the interior of the Caliber full of flotsam and jetsam is also a breeze thanks to the fold-down split-seat arrangement. We crammed a week's worth of gear for two people in with room to spare, and had more space for the stuff we picked up along the way. The front seats are better than the usual economy offerings, but started to wear a bit thin after 14 solid hours of driving. Then again, after that long it may have been us that were worn. The rear will remind you that this is an economy car, but features plenty of room for full-size adults.
