[Fast Eddie]

I would agree, Dodge's lineup is still a shadow of what it should be. Still, it has to start somewhere, and it'll take time to fill it out some more.

If they think people who bought Challengers and Chargers are going to switch to the Hornet they can keep on dreaming.

 

[Dave Z]

It's an addition, not a replacement

 

[npaladin2000]

It's an addition, not a replacement

Few people seem to get that. Though I guess, with the V8 sedans going away at the same time as the Hornet is appearing, they think of it as "replacing." Even though a replacment muscle sedan is in the pipeline already (it might be electric but it's still RWD torque-monster muscle). Maybe Chrysler will get a more pedestrian version of the Banshee?

 

[aldo90731]

If they think people who bought Challengers and Chargers are going to switch to the Hornet they can keep on dreaming.

Yeah. But customer retention was never a concern at FCA. I don't see why they would start worrying about it now.

Part of the reason Dodge and Chrysler are in the sorry state they are in now, is because they keep hitting the reset button every so many years.

 

[Adventurer55]

It's an addition, not a replacement

It may be an addition, but until the replacement for the Charger comes, it'll be a replacement after this year.

 

[NiharM33]

How many cars do you think in your lifetime will you be buying? Does designing a car to having hints of that car make sense for the market they're going for? I think Chrysler's marketing team look at me and probably market me as if I'm probably going to be 5 more cars in my life tops? So harkening even to the cars of the 90's maybe doesn't even make sense. They have to be aiming at a much younger age group than even me. Moreover, they probably aren't even trying to market to the people who keep their cars forever. I'm not trying to be a jerk about it. Its just how they see things.

Someone rendered this as an EV minivan. I think it looks cool, but I could also see that being a flop for being ugly because the market they need to be going for wouldn't be looking for a car to look like this.
View attachment 93773

Is that a 2002 Honda Odyssey in the side profile?

 

[codypet]

Is that a 2002 Honda Odyssey in the side profile?

I think they used and 80's minivan all around to create that render.

 

[try2fix]

I believe the lines between luxury and non luxury have been blurred forever.

Today half the Jeep and Ram lineup costs more than many BMWs and Mercedes. Dodges are now more expensive than Acuras and Infinitis. This leaves brands like Buick and Lincoln in a precarious position.

At the other end you now have Honda having to compete on price against the Koreans like never before.

Genesis is eating Acura’s and Infiniti’s lunch.

Lexus is fairly highly regarded in my area. Toyota is still renowned as king of reliability.

When my Civic was totaled (not at fault) I was extremely close to pulling the trigger on a used IS 300 but got cold feet spending "that much" on a car with over 100,000km and no warranty at all. In hindsight I maybe should have just pulled the trigger. It was nice, peppy and all wheel drive. Couldn't get anything from mopar for close to that money that I would have trusted not to break soon after buying.

We don't even have 2023 Dodges on the Canadian site yet and the cheapest option starts at just under $41,000. After doing the failing oil cooler housing job twice on my parents Caravan with less than 100,000km on it there's no way I'm spending that kind of money on a Dodge. Sorry not sorry.

The cheapest from any mopar brand is still $33,000 but I have absolutely zero interest or trust in a "cheap" jeep. I'd be clenching my butt driving a used one just waiting for it to break.

That Lexus would have probably been fine but the price of cars right now makes me so uncomfortable. I lucked out getting a $1000 car from a family member that passed safety. I did really enjoy that IS 300 for a few days though....

 

[keitho]

First thing first
You have to have product. Pure and simple. There is none for Chrysler or dodge

You can badge engineer and make different vehicles. they did it for years

but they have to have vehicles. You can take the compass n next renegade and make them across the brands. Just make them unique

 

[NiharM33]

First thing first
You have to have product. Pure and simple. There is none for Chrysler or dodge

You can badge engineer and make different vehicles. they did it for years

but they have to have vehicles. You can take the compass n next renegade and make them across the brands. Just make them unique

Badge engineering can be forgiven if it doesn't fall apart or stop working.

 

[77 Monaco Brougham]

I'm nearly 62. This is the earliest Chrysler I remember:

View attachment 93772

Since you and I are very close in age, it should come as no surprise that my earliest memory of a Mopar should be something similar:

Want an example of how strange the human memory can work?......This 1964 Belvidere is forever burned into my memory.

Why?, you might ask?

The Script / Font used on the front fenders to spell out "BELVIDERE" was the EXACT SAME font / script used on the opening credits of ABC-TV's situation-comedy series "Bewitched".

See......I told you the memory is a very strange thing!

 

[npaladin2000]

Since you and I are very close in age, it should come as no surprise that my earliest memory of a Mopar should be something similar:

Want an example of how strange the human memory can work?......This 1964 Belvidere is forever burned into my memory.

Why?, you might ask?

The Script / Font used on the front fenders to spell out "BELVIDERE" was the EXACT SAME font / script used on the opening credits of ABC-TV's situation-comedy series "Bewitched".

See......I told you the memory is a very strange thing!
View attachment 93786

Like the look of the car. Hate the name, can't see it without thinking of Mr. Belvedere...and consequently Mr. Baseball.

 

[keitho]

Badge engineering can be forgiven if it doesn't fall apart or stop working.

Yes
And you can use the platform and make the vehicles very different

but you need something to sell

 

[AHBGuru]

Are we going retro?

Super-duper. FoxConnedUs would probably sell their Pleasant Prairie, WI "campus" to Chrysler for pennies on the Wisconsin taxpayer's dollar.

Then we can resume production of the most amusing example of badge engineering ever - the M-body sedans. That little 3.0 six will drop right in there.

 

[Adventurer55]

Chrysler, the brand finds itself having to reinvent once again. So, what does that look like? If I were them, I'd stay in the sedan business with an all new 300. Why? Because the CUV is an appliance now and Chrysler can't compete there to truly give the market a reason to buy it. The available appliances are pretty darn good already. They could do one, but it won't sell like they want it to without major discounting. They are as good as anyone on how to build a rwd sedan. That's where I'd start, but they will not. So, I don't see much hope for the brand going forward.

 

[Dave Z]

Super-duper. FoxConnedUs would probably sell their Pleasant Prairie, WI "campus" to Chrysler for pennies on the Wisconsin taxpayer's dollar.

Wisconsin was actually pretty clever about that - while they did get ripped off a bit, it could have been far, far, far, far worse.

Hoping Chrysler gets a new logo which is more instantly recognizable.

 

[aldo90731]

Chrysler, the brand finds itself having to reinvent once again. So, what does that look like? If I were them, I'd stay in the sedan business with an all new 300. Why? Because the CUV is an appliance now and Chrysler can't compete there to truly give the market a reason to buy it. The available appliances are pretty darn good already. They could do one, but it won't sell like they want it to without major discounting. They are as good as anyone on how to build a rwd sedan. That's where I'd start, but they will not. So, I don't see much hope for the brand going forward.

I agree. Sedans have become a white space.

But the meaning of the Chrysler brand, whether relaunched, reinterpreted or all-new, has to transcend beyond the product.

The product is key, no doubt. The product provides tangible evidence to the brand promise. But the brand promise itself has to have both a deeper and a wider meaning than just product. The more the brand can relate to key human needs, the more relevant it will be.

And no, “the people mover” brand ain’t it...

 

[NiharM33]

I agree. Sedans have become a white space.

But the meaning of the Chrysler brand, whether relaunched, reinterpreted or all-new, has to transcend beyond the product.

The product is key, no doubt. The product provides tangible evidence to the brand promise. But the brand promise itself has to have both a deeper and a wider meaning than just product. The more the brand can relate to key human needs, the more relevant it will be.

And no, “the people mover” brand ain’t it...

They should make vehicles that look small, but still offer a lot of utility. At least one liftback would be a great start. Show people that you don't need a bloated SUV to have a lot of cargo space, and make it more affordable than an Arteon, A7 or EQS.

 

[aldo90731]

If I were Carlos Tavares, I’d be strategizing a plan to bring back no-nonsense, hassle-free, convenient customer service. Like Saturn and Lexus did at some point.

There’s a huge void of convenience in customer service right now. Across all automakers, every dealer interaction has become a huge hassle.

Ironically, the more automakers have focused on building convenience features into their vehicles, the more convenience has disappeared from dealer-customer interactions.

Tavares wouldn’t have to wait for the dealers to fall in line, either. A lot can be accomplished by reducing friction in the policies and procedures Stellantis uses with its dealers.

But this strategy would require a fundamental change in how Stellantis views suppliers, dealers and customers, complete commitment from the top, and a long-term view. Longer than Signore Elkanno is likely willing to put up with.

 

[Erik Latranyi]

They should make vehicles that look small, but still offer a lot of utility. At least one liftback would be a great start. Show people that you don't need a bloated SUV to have a lot of cargo space, and make it more affordable than an Arteon, A7 or EQS.

Kia is doing that with its Ionic lineup. They are much bigger inside than they appear from the outside. Every review marvels at this.