Cheap, but where's the quality?

The Chrysler Group's three brands may be volume sellers in the States but over here they tend to specialise in niche products aimed at motorists seeking something a little different - and usually cheaper than the competition.

Recent successes for the group include the Chrysler 300C which offers brutish good looks and massive road presence for a very reasonable £25,000.

Now, a little lower down the automotive food chain, the Dodge Avenger is looking to establish itself at the budget end of the UK family car market.

It boasts similarly muscular looks and, with on the road prices beginning at under £15,000, initially looks a decent hunk of metal for the money.

But while the 300C benefits from sturdy Mercedes mechanicals, the Dodge is derived from the recently-launched Chrysler Sebring - a vehicle which has received lukewarm reviews even in its native US. The Avenger is much cheaper than the Sebring, though, and targeted at a younger customer than the Chrysler.

So can the new Dodge build on the success of its hulking cousin the 300C? It certainly possesses distinctive visual appeal, with a particularly aggressive front end - but not everyone is going to fall for its uncompromising 'muscle car' lines.

Devotees of US car design may note the distinctive 'coke bottle' slope of the side profile in homage to the iconic Dodge Charger of yesteryear - the one that starred in the Dukes of Hazzard TV show.

As befits its more youthful image the Avenger comes with an optional cutting edge 'infotainment system' including satellite navigation, CD/MP3/DVD player, and 20GB hard drive.

You can store up to 1,600 songs on the hard drive as well as pictures. When you are parked up you can watch a film on the screen. There's a further optional sound pack featuring Boston speakers. They sound good and loud.

Much of the rest of the interior, however - as is so often the case with American cars - is poor by modern standards. The interior door handles appear particularly flimsy and the dashboard is a huge swathe of hard, grey plastic.

At least there's plenty of room for nick-nacks and the car comes with a 'Chill Zone' cooler which holds up to four 500ml cans.

The drab interior of the baseline SE is probably going to be too nasty for most people's tastes - but trade up to the SXT and the uniform grey plastic is relieved by touches of chrome, while the seats and steering wheel are trimmed with leather. You also get 18-inch alloys as standard on this model.

The driving position is reasonable but the seats are rather flat and lacking in thigh support. Visibility is not as bad as it might be but there are big blind spots as you look over either shoulder.

The Avenger comes with a choice of two petrol engines, neither of which makes much sense in the UK, or the venerable two-litre diesel sourced from Volkswagen. This is a proven performer but does sound noisy, both at tickover and while progressing through the gears.

As well as engine noise, the Avenger also suffers from pronounced wind noise at motorway speeds.

Handling and performance are adequate - the car rolls through corners somewhat and its suspension gets caught out when the roads turn bumpy. Economy is reasonable.

All in all the Avenger may look distinctive but lacks quality. Yes, it is cheaper than a Mazda6, Toyota Avensis or Skoda Superb but does it drive like the Mazda, possess the room of the Skoda or the reliability of the Toyota?

It certainly isn't in the same league as the admittedly more expensive new Mondeo, for example, but then not everyone wants to be 'Mondeo man' - and this may prove to Dodge's advantage.

It is banking on buyers overlooking the Avenger's shortcomings because they like its chunky looks and tempting price.

Dodge Avenger Fact File:

Model: 2.0 CRD SXT

Price: From £17,995 on the road

Engine: 1,968cc, four cylinder, diesel Power: 138bhp

Transmission: Six-speed manual, front wheel drive

Performance: 0-60mph in 12 secs Top speed: 126mph

Economy: 45.6mpg on combined cycle

CO2 emissions: 170g/km

Length: 4,850mm Weight: 1,635kg

Insurance group: 9 Warranty: Three years/60,000 miles

By Peter Carroll