The Chrysler Neon, classed as a small car, has a front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout and comes in two-door and four-door variants. It has spanned two generations and ten years, with the last models coming off the production line in 2005. The third generation comes as a rebranded Fiat Tipo (Egea in Turkey) under the name Dodge Neon, with the Middle East and Mexico as its targeted marketplace. Assembly takes place in the United States, Mexico, and Venezuela, reaching a total sales number of 2,076,136 units in the United States.
First Generation (1995-1999)
Dodge Neon was first introduced in January of 1994, as a five-door notchback sedan and two-door notchback coupe. It entered the marketplace as a Dodge and Plymouth Neon in the United States and Canada. Mexico received Dodge and Chrysler, while Europe got Chrysler Neon. It was a very affordable small car with a power output that was beating out most of the competition, especially in the Japanese market. Despite that, the sales in Japan were not successful, selling only 994 units between June and December of 1996. IIHS gave the first-generation Neon a Poor rating in their crash tests.
The equipment did not include power windows in the rear, while certain coloured models had bumper covers moulded in colour instead of painted. It was initially available in a wide range of colours, such as Magenta, Aqua, Nitro yellow-green, or Lapis Blue, but this was streamlined towards the end of the lifespan as there was little interest in these unconventional choices.
In Australia, Chrysler Neon came in two trim levels, namely, SE and the better equipped LX, later to be replaced by the standard equipment LE.
- SE and LE trim levels include 13-inch steel wheels with covers, stereo with four speakers, driver's airbag, and passenger's airbag.
- LX trim level includes all of the standard features plus ABS, air conditioning, body-coloured bumpers, cloth-seat trim, driver’s airbag, folding rear seats, front electric windows, PAS, passenger’s airbag, remote locking, and steering wheel rake adjustment.
Powertrain options were limited to SOHC and DOHC variants of Chrysler’s 2.0L inline-four engine paired with a 3-speed automatic transmission or a 5-speed manual gearbox.
- Single Overhead Cam variant produced 98kw (132hp) at 6000rpm and 175Nm of torque at 5000rpm
- Dual Overhead Cam variant produced 110kW (150hp) at 6500rpm and 180Nm of torque at 5600rpm
Second Generation (2000-2005)
Now offered exclusively as a four-door sedan, advertised as a more refined version of its predecessor, with over 1000 changes, such frameless windows of the first generation changed to full-framed, along with further noise-cancelling improvements. The larger interior and overall size increased weight, while the dual overhead cam engine was no longer available. IIHS rated the second generation Neon an overall 'Marginal' rating, 'Poor' in the side-impact crash test.
Dodge and Plymouth Neon sold under the Chrysler name in Canada until 2002, after which they came out as renamed Dodge SX 2.0. The rest of the world received only the Chrysler Neon, while the sales in Australia ceased after 2002.
The trim levels available for the Chrysler model in Australia were LE and SE.
- SE trim level includes air conditioning, alarm, body-coloured bumpers, folding rear seats, front electric windows, PAS, steering wheel rake adjustment, driver’s airbag, and passenger’s airbag.
- LE trim level includes all of the standard features plus ABS, alloy wheels, front fog lights, height-adjustable driver's seat, leather seat trim, side airbags, traction control, optional 3x3 point rear seat belts, CD, cruise control, and electric driver's seat.
The only engine option was a 2.0L Single Overhead Cam engine producing 98kW (132hp) paired with a three or four-speed automatic transmission or a 5-speed manual gearbox.
The final cars were assembled in September of 2005 in Illinois and replaced by the Dodge Caliber for the year 2007.
Third Generation (2016 - present)
Neon sees a return in 2016 as Dodge Neon, the sedan version of Fiat's Egea or Tipo, adapted for the Middle Eastern and Mexican market. While there were plans to sell it in the United States as well, they were scrapped due to rising competition from General Motors and Ford.
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Author: Luka Kusic