The all new 2007 Dodge Caliber combines the exterior styling cues of an SUV with the apparent roof profile of a sport coupe. It is a five door hatchback that avoids looking like a station wagon or economy car. It works in real life, much better than in pictures. The aggressive look has presence that competitors lack. It does not look boring. It isn't an economy penalty box, nor does it drive or ride like one, despite returning respectable EPA fuel economy ratings (low 30s highway depending upon engine size).

This is Dodge's "small" car, replacing the Neon in the line-up. The Neon was the last of the cab forward designs of the last generation of Chrysler design. Distinctive when introduced in 1998, the Neon is no longer competitive with newer designs. The Caliber is.

The Caliber offers three engines from a common platform, designed and built in cooperation with Mitsubishi and Hyundai. All three automakers will use these engines in future products, saving design, tooling and manufacturing costs by spreading them over more units than any of the partners could accomplish with a single car or solo effort. The same basic engine is available as a 1.8 liter, 2.0 liter or 2.4 liter. All offer modern continuously variable valve timing and electronic port fuel injection. The two larger engines get balance shafts to counteract the shaking inherent in larger four-cylinder engines. The result is a smooth, efficient thoroughly modern power plant. For instance, the Caliber's 2.4 liter produces 172 horsepower, the same as the similar 2.4 in Chevy's HHR, but considerably more than the Honda Element 2.4 that delivers only 158 horsepower.

I drove a 2.0 liter Caliber SXT with 158 horses, the front-wheel drive mid-line model, expected to comprise the bulk of sales in the sweet point of price and features. The 1.8 liter 5-speed manual is the economy and price leader with 148 horses. The 2.4 liter R/T is the top of the line, but is initially available only with all-wheel drive.

The Caliber sells itself to a lot of prospective buyers when they slide into an interior that feels bigger than it is and offers features unique to the Caliber.

The chair height, upright seats, are more truck or SUV like (or for those with experience in Volkswagens, Audis and Mercedes -- more German in character). I'm 6' 1" and found the seats and driving position excellent.

The glove box is huge, offering a section chilled by the air conditioning system for beverage bottles or cans.

A center console offers a flip-out holder perfect for an iPod or cell phone. The radio matches with an audio-in port to connect an iPod or any other source using a mini-jack cable.

Options include a unique flip down "Music Gate" speaker system that hangs from the rear hatch when open and projects music to the party outside the car. Mid and up-line versions get a rear seat back with adjustable rake that reclines more like we've come to expect from front seats.

The interior follows the plain and angular design theme from the Magnum and Charger. The center stack can be highlighted with a panel the same color as the exterior sheet metal. Three round large white-faced gauges reside in the deeply sculpted instrument binnacle. It doesn't look as rich as a Honda Accord's interior. It isn't supposed to do so. It's supposed to look edgier and younger. It does. My eighteen-year old daughter was sold before she even started the engine. Dodge (and parent company DaimlerChrysler) knows their market. Auto reviewers love Toyotas and Hondas. For a lot of younger drivers, these icons of automotive virtues are their parent's boring vanilla cars. As a consequence of market insight, Chrysler and Dodge are succeeding by designing unique cars, not clones of competitors. The Caliber is satisfyingly different in styling and features. It will skew younger than the competition because the Caliber has attitude.

The interior is a little short of leg room for the rear seat, but otherwise stellar in accommodations compared to similarly-sized competitors.

Now comes the hard part of the review, the driving.

The Caliber also features a relatively uncommon transmission for the United States, where continuously variable transmissions (CVT) are still unusual. This car is meant to be a world car for DaimlerChrysler, to be sold in more than 90 countries. And using a CVT instead of a conventional four or five-speed automatic transmission offers fewer interior parts (less complexity) and greater fuel economy (around 5% more). A CVT uses a series of belts and pulleys to change drive ratios as speed increases and driving demands change. What it doesn't do is deliver the same immediacy of acceleration at low speeds. It offers very good passing power at highway speeds, but rewards smooth driving in town. This may not be what the Hemi Charger tradition leads buyers to expect from a Dodge. With the CVT it doesn't feel as aggressive as it looks. (You can always learn to drive a 5-speed manual, but most Americans don't.)

The ride is compliant and well-controlled with struts in front and a compact multi-link rear suspension in back. Again, it rides and feels bigger than its exterior dimensions suggest.

Key safety features include standard side curtain airbags. Options include: seat mounted side torso airbags; anti-lock brakes (ABS); and electronic stability control.

Major competitors include:
Pontiac Vibe/Matrix twins on the Corolla platform. The Vibe is better styled of these two, but is under-powered in any of the automatic transmission versions. The Vibe offers Toyota's bullet-proof reliability but falls behind on interior features.

Chrysler PT Cruiser uses older engines from the same parent, but for the time being the 2.2 liter Turbo model offers more power at 238 horsepower than the top of the line R/T 2.4 liter Caliber at 172 horsepower. Expect a later arriving blown version of the Caliber to slay all comers. The PT Cruiser's retro-style just won't appeal to the same group that will love the Caliber's more truck-like crossover styling.

Chevrolet HHR (Heritage High Roof) offers retro-styling conceptually similar to the PT Cruiser, but more truck-like in inspiration. The 2.4 liter four-speed automatic HHR is more directly comparable to the Caliber than the PT. The HHR is not as innovative in interior features, but seems quieter and smoother while delivering similar fuel economy, power and more back seat room. The HHR received 5 Stars (excellent) from NHTSA for front-end collisions. (Side collision ratings are not yet posted.) The Caliber is not yet rated in any category. The HHR does not offer an all-wheel drive (AWD) model, important for many in the snow belt.

The Honda Element and Scion Xb are more brutally styled boxes on wheels that are cute by virtue of being so ugly. The Caliber's interior offers a more livable environment on a day-to-day basis and more steel to protect the passenger compartment. Against this the Element and Xb have proven quality and reliability track records that the all new Caliber hasn't yet proven up. Chrysler's recent new cars have offered above average reliability.

The new Kia Rio5 offers a well developed five door in the next smaller size class. The Rio's standard safety features are remarkable and commendable, but standard features like side curtain airbags can't fully overcome light weight in collisions with larger cars. Where you choose to economize is a tough choice, but choose the Caliber or HHR if safety is worth more to you than ultimate fuel economy.

Conclusion
The Caliber is a thoroughly modern compact car offering mid-size space and tremendous flexibility by virtue of its five-door hatchback design. Unique interior and exterior styling will ultimately sell the Caliber. The one cause for pause is the continuously variable transmission (CVT) expected on most Calibers. A CVT just feels different than the more common automatic transmission in competitors with four or five fixed gear ratios. That CVT feel, especially from a stop doesn't offer the same kick for which the Dodge brand is known. It offers great gas mileage, something that more buyers are seeking as the price of gasoline goes up.

In short, the Caliber is yet another distinctive DaimlerChrysler product that stands out from its competitors with unique features and styling. The Dodge proclivity for love it or hate it styling avoids boring mediocrity. Being noticed is better than being ignored. If the styling grabs you, the mechanicals won't disappoint so long as you are willing to wait for the engine and CVT to spin-up to speed. The Caliber is a great crossover alternative to less efficient truck-based SUVs.