The Dodge Caliber Mopar Edition is introduced – in South Africa

The Chrysler press release announcing the new Dodge Caliber Mopar Edition points out that this limited edition package is aimed at lovers of performance hatchbacks, so Mopar has added a handful of items to improve the all-around performance of the versatile compact. Mopar began with a standard 2.0L 4-cylinder hooked up to a manual transmission and front wheel drive configuration. Mopar then went under the hood, adding a cold air intake system, a high flow exhaust manifold and a performance exhaust system. This should add some power to the standard output of the Caliber but Mopar hasn’t listed how much the power is actually improved…these components should also add some sound and attitude.

Next, Mopar turned to the handling capabilities of the Dodge Caliber, adding a suspension setup that drops the cars around two inches and improves the cornering of the sporty hatchback. Mopar has also added a set of 18” black power coated aluminum wheels wrapped in summer performance tires – again adding performance and helping to emphasize the sporty nature of the Caliber Mopar Edition. The package is finished off with a set of bright blue Mopar decals on the front fenders and on the rear gate along with a set of satin dual stripes running across the hood.

The Mopar brand has been responsible for the replacement and performance for all Dodge, Chrysler, Ram and Jeep vehicles for decades but starting last year, the division began offering limited edition vehicles with the Mopar ’10 Dodge Challenger. They followed up that debut with this year’s Mopar ’11 Dodge Charger but while those models are only available in the US and Canada, the Mopar Edition Dodge Caliber appears to be strictly reserved for the South African market.

The Dodge Caliber Mopar Edition carries a price of R259,990 in South Africa – which translates to roughly $37,308 at the current conversion rate from the South African Rand to the US dollar. With that price, those must be some rabid performance hatchback fans but in any case, it is nice to see the Caliber getting a little Mopar love around the world.

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