Dodge Dart to Debut in January; Interior and Exterior Photos Leaked [PHOTOS]

The Dodge Dart, which became successful as a compact car in 1976, will be making a comeback in 2013, according to reports.

Dodge's newest small car will be replacing the practically decrepit Dodge Caliber next year and will carry the Dart moniker, which is the first time Dodge has used the name in 36 years. Yahoo Autos reports that the car will be shown off for the first time at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January.

The Dart is based on the European-only Alfa Romeo Giulietta platform and will be the first Dodge car to be fully developed via the Chrysler-Fiat merger, which officially took place in June 2009. Jalopnik reports that the Dart will be the first Alfa Romeo-based Chrysler production car introduced in the United States.

Teaser images of the compact sedan were released, suggesting that the look of the Dart strays away from the Giuletta and more so imitates that of the popular Dodge Charger, featuring the signature crosshair grille, racetrack-style rear LED lighting and dual exhaust pipes.

What's more is that Chrysler says the Dart will arrive with a choice of three engines: a Tigershark 16-valve 2.0-liter engine, a 16-valve 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo engine (similar to what's found in the Fiat 500), and the Tigershark 2.4-liter MultiAir four-cylinder, according to Jalopnik. There will also be three transmission choices as well (some combination of manual and automatic).

A Web site specifically dedicated to the Dart says that interior photos of the Dart will be posted on Dec. 13^th. However, caranddriver.com took some snapshots inside from a distance through the passenger window. The site reports that the dart will be more stylized without losing the American Chrysler brand's . The center-stack controls are rendered in shapes that imitate those of the aluminum-trimmed Charger, while the arching binnacle appears to be padded and covered in stitched-look vinyl.