Is a Dodge Dart front or rear wheel drive?
The Dodge Dart is front-wheel drive in its modern form, while the classic Darts from the 1960s and 1970s used rear-wheel drive.
To understand this, it's important to separate generations: the 2013–2016 Dodge Dart sits on FCA’s Compact U.S. Wide platform and is designed as a front-wheel-drive compact, with no factory all-wheel-drive option. By contrast, the original Dodge Dart lineup of the 1960s and 1970s used a traditional rear-wheel-drive layout.
Current Dodge Dart drivetrain
The modern Dart, produced from 2013 to 2016, uses a front-wheel-drive layout with a transverse engine configuration. This setup is common for contemporary compact cars and emphasizes efficiency and interior space. There was no factory option to equip the Dart with all-wheel drive.
Key points before reviewing the era-specific details:
- Modern Dart (2013–2016): Front-wheel drive (FWD) only.
- Platform: Built on FCA’s Compact U.S. Wide (CUSW) architecture, optimized for front-drive packaging.
The lack of an AWD option and the FWD configuration shape how the Dart handles, rides and maintains compared with rear-drive classics.
Historical context: the Dart through the decades
1960s–1970s Darts
The original Dodge Dart was part of Mopar’s rear-wheel-drive lineup. Throughout its 1960s–1970s run, Darts used traditional body-on-frame construction with a rear-wheel-drive layout, offering inline-6 and V8 powertrains typical of Mopar muscle and mid-size cars of the era.
Is there an AWD Dart?
There has never been a factory all-wheel-drive Dodge Dart. If all-wheel traction is a priority, buyers generally look to other models or modern vehicles outside the Dart lineage.
Bottom line
Drivetrain flavor for the Dodge Dart depends on the generation: modern Darts are front-wheel drive, while the classic Darts were rear-wheel drive. Always verify the exact model year when evaluating a specific Dart used car.
Summary
In short: the Dodge Dart’s drivetrain shifted from rear-wheel drive in its classic era to front-wheel drive in the modern era. This distinction clarifies differences in design, performance characteristics and maintenance considerations across generations.
