The second Lebanon war has delayed the comeback of Dodge - and not only in Israel, it transpires. Dodge's Lebanese importer has also been forced to postpone his launch as a result of this summer's hostilities.

"The Lebanese importer, a wealthy Christian whom I met at an event overseas, called me up in the middle of the war to vent his frustrations," recalls Zvi Neta, general manager of the Automotive Equipment Group, Dodge's Israeli importer.

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A manufacturer with a venerable history that was once part of the Chrysler empire, Dodge focused exclusively on the North American market until 1985. But after Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes, took over Chrysler, it was decided in 2004 to market the Dodge brand internationally.

In 2005, Dodge's global sales, including the United States, totaled 1.4 million vehicles. Dodge's flagship vehicle in Europe is the Caliber, a relatively compact car given its American origins, which comes with a modest 2.0 liter engine.

The Dodge's striking hatchback design has captured hearts in Europe and today demand outstrips supply. The Caliber is also the model that the Israeli importer has chosen for the local relaunch of the Dodge brand. Marketing of two models of the Caliber started last month with the SE on sale for NIS 149,000 and the SXT for NIS 158,600. Both models include an automatic gear box (six gears), four air bags and standard electrical fittings. The more expensive model comes with alloy wheels, front fog lights, tire pressure monitors and cruise control, as well as other features.

Gone but not forgotten

The AEG group first imported the Dodge to Israel in 1949 and from 1966 to 1979 Dodge trucks and buses were assembled in Israel.

The name that conscripts will remember is the D500, while the dream of every senior officer was once a Plymouth Valiant, the twin of the Dodge Dart. The last Dodge to be sold in Israel was the B250 van which was widely used by the postal service and the Israel Electric Corp. Since then the Dodge logo has not been imported to Israel.

Ahead of the local relaunch, the importer held a focus group and was surprised to discover that the Dodge brand has not been forgotten here. Furthermore, it transpired that American cars do not suffer from an image problem in Israel. "We saw that Israelis believe that American cars consume a lot of gas but that they are safer and that for them, the safety factor justifies the extra expense on fuel," says Neta.

Unlike the Chevrolet Cavalier and the Chrysler Neon, there is no intention of marketing the Dodge Caliber as a popular mainstream car. This is a result of the allocation the importer received from the manufacturer - only 100 cars until the end of the year and some 400 cars in 2007.

The decision has also been influenced by the rebranding of Dodge, and of the Caliber in particular, as aggressive, cheeky cars aimed at an audience that is looking to invite attention. Pricewise, the Caliber competes with mainstream cars such as the Mazda 3 with its 2.0 liter engine and the Mazda 6, but by definition it is a niche vehicle.