Road test: 2016 Dodge Neon

The Dodge Neon, now in UAE showrooms. Nick England for The National

Think Dodge and the chances are you're visualising either a large saloon (Charger), muscle-bound coupe (Challenger) or gargantuan pick-up truck (Ram). What almost certainly won't be swimming around in your mental imagery is a compact commuter conceived to joust with the Toyota Corolla, Nissan Sentra et al.

This isn’t because Dodge has shunned the segment. Its line-up has in the past included models such as the Caliber hatchback, and most recently, the short-lived Dart saloon. Both of these were sales flops, but the brand has enjoyed success in the past with the Neon (1993 to 2005). So what better ploy than to reprise the nameplate, even if the latest car it’s affixed to started life as a Fiat?

Say hello to the all-new Dodge Neon, which is a true multinational car. Essentially a badge-engineered version of the new Fiat Tipo, it’s built in Turkey, yet sources its 1.6L engine from a plant in Brazil, while the six-speed auto is built by Aisin in Japan. The newcomer has just landed in local showrooms, with Fiat-Chrysler’s Middle East subsidiary aiming to boost its volumes by pinching a few sales from the established C-segment heavyweights – the Corolla, Sentra, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Mazda3 etc. The entry-level SE costs Dh57,400, rising to Dh64,800 for the SXT and Dh67,700 for the range-topping SXT Plus.

Although competitively priced, the Neon is a fraction smaller than most of the aforementioned rivals, and this means head and legroom in the rear seat is tight for anyone taller than 1.75 metres. That said, the 520-litre boot is positively cavernous.

There’s no disguising the Neon’s origins (for anyone who’s laid eyes on the Tipo), but there has been at least a token attempt to lend it a Dodge identity via the addition of the marque’s familiar crosshair grille. The Neon comes generously kitted out – even the entry model scores (deep breath) six airbags, keyless entry, electronic stability control, emergency brake assist, electronic brake-force distribution, electronic “rollover mitigation”, hill-start assist, traction control, trailer–sway control, tyre–pressure–monitoring system and cruise control.

The model I’m sampling is the flagship SXT Plus, which adds 17-inch alloys, a reversing camera, rain-sensing wipers, auto headlights and an infotainment system with seven-inch touchscreen that sits atop the centre console.

All models get the same power train – a 110hp 1.6L engine that drives the front wheels through a six-speed automatic. If the car does have an Achilles heel, this is it. The motor is plain weedy, taking an eternity to complete the “sprint” from 0 to 100kph (I hand-timed it at 15 seconds). Throttle response is flaccid at any speed, so any overtaking moves need to be carefully pre-planned.

On the plus side, once you settle into a cruise, the Dodge is reasonably quiet and refined, and its cabin ambience has a vaguely upmarket feel, especially in the range-topping model, which comes with velour/faux-suede trim. There are some hard plastics to be found, but that’s the norm for this price-sensitive end of the market.

The overall impression is of a car that does most things acceptably well, without excelling in any department. The ride/handling dynamics are middle of the road, so it represents workmanlike, rather than inspiring, transport.

So, is the Neon the saviour Dodge needs to carve a solid rung in the budget end of the market? There’s no doubt it has a few strengths weighing in its favour, and among these are stylish packaging and generous kit levels.

Whether these attributes are enough to sway buyers away from the established Japanese/Korean brigade remains to be seen, but my gut feeling is that the Neon will be a niche player rather than a volume-seller in the vein of the Corolla or Civic.