Quite a while back, we brought you the news that the sedan that we know and love as the Dodge Dart here in the USA would be sold as the Fiat Viaggio in select overseas markets. There were rumors back then that the Viaggio would also be offered as a hatchback and that Dart 5-door debuted last week in China with a new name and a unique exterior design that I believe would be very popular in the US market.
The Dodge Dart hatchback that was introduced last week is called the Fiat Ottimo and in addition to the obvious changes that come with the 5-door hatchback design and the name change, the Ottimo also receives a front and rear refresh that makes it very unlike the American Dart sedan. While the basic front end shape, the hood and the headlights of the Dart front end are all retained, the Ottimo wears a super sporty front fascia with some angular LED driving lights that really jazz up the face of this compact hatch.
Out back, the long roofline of the Fiat Ottimo steeply sweeps down to a set of high tech looking taillights that are very unlike the racetrack taillights of the Dodge Dart. The lower rear fascia has also been revised to include a set of classy looking chrome bezels around red reflectors that flank a curvy diffuser style center portion.
We don’t know what will power the Fiat Ottimo in the Chinese market but I think that this hatchback based on the Dodge Dart for the US market could be a great competitor for the likes of the new Mazda 3 or the VW Jetta Wagon. Unfortunately, there arent any plans to bring the Fiat Ottimo to the US and with the stigma against vehicles that can be classified as a “station wagon” – we arent likely to see a Dart hatchback in the near future but with the success of comparable models, this sure looks like a vehicle that could fit comfortably into American Dodge dealerships.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
