2013 Detroit: New Dodge Dart GT hints at more fun

The top dog of the Dart sedan lineup, the Dart GT, was revealed today at the Detroit Auto Show, sporting mostly cosmetic enhancements: LED tail lamps, integrated dual exhaust, projector headlights and body-colored door handles.

Inside, the GT gets "Nappa" perforated leather seats (making you feel especially at home if you're visiting the California wine country and don't mind the extra "p" in the name), a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, and dual-zone automatic climate control.

But the heart of the Dart is the 184-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, which can only improve upon the underpowered 160-hp, 2.0-liter version we tested.

Enthusiasts will be thankful that this powertrain is available with a six-speed manual transmission; a six-speed automatic is also offered.

The GT will also get standard 18-inch wheels and a sport suspension with "frequency sensing damping shocks." Whether those will improve the rideor suspension stability meaningfully remains to be seen.