Welcome to the trendy and completely off-centre world of the Dodge Caliber. Many repeated glances in the sales brochure confirmed the Caliber's spelling; perhaps its American heritage was throwing me off.

Whatever the case may be, my initial impressions were good. The freaky outside proportions of the Caliber immediately won me over, while the interior seemed roomy and fashionable, if maybe a bit plastic. Perhaps because it containins a lot of plastic. After a week with two different cars I got used to the look and feel, and found the cabin to be a pleasant place to be in. While we‘re on that subject, the Caliber comes in two trim levels, the higher SXT derivative offering leather seats with heating at the front, tyre pressure monitors, front fog lights, and some other tricks. The gear lever isn‘t very round, more cylindrical if you like, and is mounted quite high up. The driving position can‘t be faulted though, and I quite enjoyed darting around the countryside with my Dodge Caliber.

There aren‘t many exterior differences between the base model and the higher SXT specification, but I would heartily recommend the latter. Both cars looked good, had ample of space and very versatile interiors which were easy to manipulate. The sound systems in both were superb, the front–loading 6–CD (mp3 capable) radio combination reproduced sounds in a crisp and clear manner with more volume than you would need. The SXT had multiple buttons on the back of the steering wheel which controlled the sound system, but not the multifunction display in the instrument cluster. This unit only listens to a reset–like knob between the dials, which creates some discomfort while driving.

Said vehicle was fitted with the CRD (common–rail–diesel) motor, which literally knocked me back with great torque and incredible turbo lag. Power is transferred via a 6–speed manual gearbox, but because of its short ratios and the turbo–diesel‘s on/off power delivery, I found it difficult to appropriately pull away from a standstill. Either coax the vehicle into motion and hook second gear a.s.a.p., or put your foot down a bit more and wait a few seconds before the turbo kicks in and catapults you into wheel–spin and torque–steer territory. I can‘t stress enough how pronounced and sudden the power delivery is, and it took quite some getting used to. The clutch and gear lever are precise and light to operate, and I soon had the hang of my clucking and very economical Caliber CRD.

Braking and cornering was very accurate in the Caliber, even when both were applied simultaneously. The ESP and ABS assisted brakes respond quickly and give excellent feedback, and the only time ABS invited itself to the party was during spirited driving in the wet. The big–ish tyres provided ample of grip for all sorts of driving styles, and the suspension is reasonably forgiving with not much body roll. I would discourage any prospective Caliber owners from hard cornering though. The steering is a tad light and the car starts under–steering eventually, but I appreciated the early warning that this setup provides when you start driving like a bank robber. And as previously mentioned, when you keep the Diesel and its accompanying turbo on the boil, the Caliber can be quite a nippy little machine.

The multifunction display in the coolant temperature and fuel gauge binnacle hardly ever registered double digit consumption figures, as the Diesel Caliber was happily motoring along at 8–9 L/100km with mixed driving styles. A more restrained right foot will even reward you with fuel consumption around 7L/100km, especially on the open road. Out on the national highways and byways of the winelands, the Caliber provided a very soft and comfortable ride. The headlights adequately light your intended path, while high–beam is more than sufficient. Rear passengers commented on the ample legroom and refreshingly different cabin of the car, while one passenger absolutely revelled in the fact that the two central cupholders are illuminated at night.

The new Dodge has an appealing quality which I struggled to define at first, its narrow window line and the other eccentric proportions took a while to absorb. The raised ride–height and big tyres provided a comfortable drive and good visibility in traffic, and I grew quite fond of its eccentric looks. The added ground clearance also came in handy when I chose to drive into the mother city on that fateful Wednesday when the heavens opened and the city streets resembled torrential rivers. Not that I purposefully aimed it at these appalling places (for anyone at Rola Motors reading this), but the Caliber got my passengers and me through the monsoon conditions in a sure–footed and comfortable fashion. The multi–speed wipers proved invaluable during the trip, as did the heating/ventilation with its rather basic controls. Some of these are badly illuminated at night so it helps to know your way around the car before the sun sets.

All-in-all the Caliber is a feel-good car. It's delectably different, wonderfully weird, and much like its ad-campaign, it doesn't do cute. Against my better judgement I would opt for the turbo-diesel, simply because the petrol unit is not much to write home about. The ergonomic glitches were long forgotten by the time I gave both cars back... you get used to everything. Especially the Caliber's wicked looks and versatile interior.

Dodge Caliber CRD SXT foolishly provided by Rola Motors [021 841 8305]

For:

• Oddball looks and novelty factor
• Good handling and brakes
• Lots of room and versatility
  

Against:

• Diesel engine has hectic power delivery
• Some interior bits seem a bit cheap
• Petrol a bit weak and thirsty