Chrysler to Begin Making Dart After Supply Glitch

Chrysler Group LLC, which had planned to start producing the Dodge Dart compact car in early April, says it will launch production at its plant in Belvidere, Ill., on Thursday, Bloomberg News reports.

Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne told analysts last week that Dart output had been delayed by an unspecified parts problem.

The Dart is Chrysler's most important new model since the company emerged from bankruptcy in mid-2009. It is the first vehicle to ride on a Fiat platform. Chrysler expects the car, which starts at $16,800, to achieve at least 41 miles per gallon in highway driving.

The Dart replaces the much-maligned Caliber, which went out of production in November. That left Chrysler without a small-car entry as that segment gained popularity amid soaring gasoline prices.