Top 10 Cars of the Detroit Auto Show

5. Dodge Dart

The all-new 2013 Dodge Dart may have brought back an old name, but it’s a decidedly modern vehicle. Looking to compete head-on in the compact car class, that’s something past Dodge compacts haven’t been able to do since, well, ever.

Yet another positive sign from the Fiat takeover of Chrysler, the Dart rides on a modified Alfa Romeo platform and as a result features a fully-independent rear suspension. Style-wise, it’s handsome enough, looking more like the natural progression of the Neon and forgetting the Caliber altogether. There’s a decidedly European shape to the car, with plenty of styling cues borrowed from big brother Charger.

Power comes from the choice of three different engines: an entry-level 160 hp 2.0-liter, a top-performance 184 hp 2.4-liter, or a unique turbocharged 1.4-liter 4-cylinder mated to a dual-clutch transmission – an engine shared with the new Fiat 500 Abarth.

Dodge expects at least one Dart model to achieve 40 mpg highway.