Dodge Caliber Replacement to Get SRT Version?

With the recent launch of several big and powerful SRT models, including the Chrysler 300 and Jeep Grand Cherokee, high-performance boss Ralph Gilles is now looking down-market.

In an interview with Automobile Magazine the new head of the SRT division and an avid car-nut, Gilles admitted that while he loved the Dodge Neon SRT4, when it came to the Caliber version, perhaps the brand “over reached.”

However, “I’m a big believer in high-horsepower, small displacement cars,” he admits, “so I’d love to do another.”

Interest alone won’t get a car built though, but having the right tools at your disposal will. “We have some great [small car] platforms finally,” said Gilles, referring to the upcoming Caliber replacement which is expected to debut at the Detroit Auto Show next January.

When pushed further Gilles commented that a high-performance compact car is being investigated. “I definitely think we need an entry-level performance vehicle at some point,” he said.

With the Caliber’s replacement not due until early 2012, look for an SRT version to bow, at the earliest, a year after that.-autoguide.com