This compact hatchback was introduced for the 2007 model year as the brand’s replacement for the Neon, bringing a much taller, crossover-influenced shape and a more utility-focused interior packaging than the car it supplanted. The nameplate was previewed by a concept version in 2005, and the production model reached U.S. dealers in early 2006 as a 2007 model. From the start, it was positioned as an affordable, youthful small car with a distinctively rugged look, a removable-load-floor cargo area, and a layout meant to give it more flexibility than a conventional compact sedan.
Across its run, it remained a single-generation model but saw a number of important updates and trims. Early versions included mainstream front-wheel-drive models, while all-wheel drive was offered on certain grades in the first years, underscoring the car’s quasi-utility positioning. The performance-focused SRT4 variant, launched shortly after introduction, gave the nameplate a cult following among enthusiasts by adding serious hot-hatch credentials to an otherwise practical compact. Later model years simplified the lineup and shifted emphasis toward value and everyday usability.
The model’s life cycle ended after the 2012 model year, when it was phased out and replaced by the Dart for 2013. That makes it a one-run nameplate with no separate revival, remembered as one of the more unconventional compact cars of its era: part hatchback, part small crossover in attitude, and a distinctive example of the brand’s attempt to stand out in the compact segment.