Dealers say that the number of Dodge Darts - the Alfa Romeo-based sedan that replaces the Caliber this month - they are allocated will be based in part on the number of Calibers they sold. And that could be a sticking point for dealers since the Caliber didn't exactly fly out of showrooms for most of its model run.
Like the Caliber, the Dart is built in Belvidere, Illinois, but that's about where their similarities end. The Caliber replaced the dated Neon in 2007 and it never achieved particularly strong retail sales. Especially toward the end of its production late last year, the Caliber relied heavily on less profitable fleet sales. According to Automotive News, more than 2,000 Calibers were still sitting on dealer lots at the beginning of this month, even though production wrapped up in November.
