To be successful in the U.S. market's most competitive segment, the Dart will have to do better--and it has. The car has gone from near worst in class to best in class. It is recognized by the auto industry trade bible, Ward's, as one of this year's 10 best interiors.

Where brittle plastics were once the rule, soft-touch surfaces abound, even on the base SE model ($15,995). If I have any quibble with the interior detailing, it's the lower door-trim panels, especially the perforations for the speakers. They stand in stark contrast to the rest of the interior and could benefit by the appearance of a trim bezel, something I hope will come as a running change.

With the bad out of the way, let's look at the good. First is the one-piece, "floating island" trim bezel, looking as if it's borrowed from the much larger Charger. It surrounds the instrument cluster and the in-dash display for the entertainment and climate controls--seven inches on the base models and 8.4 inches standard on the tested Limited model ($19,995).

The 8.4-inch touch screen is optional on all but the base SE model when the Dart is equipped