Shiny 20-inch wheels and fat low-profile tyres give the long-term test Dodge Caliber some attitude

The Dodge Dare

YO, YO, yo! Wassup, homies? Check out what we did to the Dodge.

Last month, we V-Kooled the car, and it has become a little more bearable after each baking in the Singapore sun. Besides, it does look cool too, with the tint and all.

But from the picture on the right, you would have noticed the big wheels. Yes, they are 20 inches of attitude, courtesy of home-grown Stamford Tyres.

Those are SSW alloys, made in Stamford's Thai plant. The tyres are Stamford's Falkens 'C 245/40 fat low-profiles.

The Caliber's ride has improved, with less bounce, and it handles a whole lot better. Especially in the wet.

But the power and fuel economy has gone to the dogs because of the bigger wheels. In city driving, it now burns 12 litres per 100km, from around 10.5 before.

It also feels a bit more sluggish. And the tyre noise is more apparent, on account of the amount of sheer surface area that makes contact with the tarmac.

But for the newfound confident strut the car possesses, the price is acceptable.

To calibrate the Caliber's output, we sent it to Subaru agent Motor Image. The company, part of the Tan Chong group, tested the Dodge on its new dynamometer.

Essentially, a dynamometer measures the amount of power and torque that actually get to the wheels. With its giant wheels, the Caliber's 2-litre engine, linked to a continuously variable transmission, put out about 90 horsepower at close to 5,500rpm. At 5,100rpm, it had about 110 Newton-metre going to its front wheels.

Official literature rates the Dodge's engine at 158bhp at 6,300rpm, and 190Nm at 5,100rpm. But like all cars, transmission loss is inescapable. We will keep the data as a reference when we do more things to the car.

A few days ago, we fitted the car with Calski ION Accelerators. These chestnut-size magnets strapped to the Caliber's fuel line 'C 10 pairs were used 'C are supposed to alter the fuel molecularly and enhance combustion.

This is supposed to cut fuel consumption and boost performance. So far, we have not noticed any change. But perhaps our next visit to Motor Image will tell us something.

But those wheels... we get stares quite frequently. One young man couldn't take his eyes off the bling rims.

We are still sourcing for the right people to jazz up the paintwork: to make it more outstanding than it already is. And we will be doing more modifications and upgrades. So stay tuned.

Meanwhile, more of the car's idiosyncrasies have surfaced.

The lever for the bonnet is on the left; the air-con blower knob has four or five settings, but there are actually only two speeds at your disposal (apparently this is so only in the test car); and the retractable boot privacy screen rattles like a witch doctor.

But you know something? The car's brazenly anti-fashion styling is beginning to grow on us. Really. Especially with those wheels.

The Dodge Caliber is powered by Caltex with Techron.