ROCKFORD (WIFR) -- The Belvidere Plant is hiring more than one and a half thousand new workers significantly in part to produce Chrysler’s brand new car—a car with a classic name.

The 2013 Dodge Dart will bare little resemblance to the Dodge Dart models of the past because it's based on Fiat's award winning Alfa Romeo Giulietta, among the state of the art features is the largest touch screen multimedia center among compacts. Add to that 40 miles to the gallon and a starting price of 16 thousand dollars and you can see why the Dart won the most significant vehicle award at this year's Detroit Auto Show.

Nationally syndicated radio host John McElroy was at that auto show and says the Dart has made a great first impression.

McElroy said, "The Dodge Dart got an amazing amount of publicity. In fact it went nationwide. And it's amazing to see how they revive a name like dart and all of a sudden everyone's talking about it. However, the proof is in the pudding. What I mean by that is we have to get in there and test drive this vehicle. That's really going to tell us how good a car it is or is not."