If you’re like me, when you hear the name Dodge, you still think of beefy pickup trucks. Never mind the fact that Chrysler took all of Dodge’s trucks and moved them under the Ram brand back in 2009.
That shift left Dodge with nothing more than a couple of cars, two SUVs and a van. The plan was to turn Dodge into a sporty car brand, but so far the new Dart is as close as we’ve seen to anything new and exciting. With some recent news about some Dodge vehicles getting discontinued, is it possible Dodge will cease to exist?
In its favor, Dodge has the Charger and Challenger in addition to the Dart. None of those vehicles, though, are currently breaking sales records. According to Ward’s Auto, Chrysler is considering axing three Dodge vehicles, with the first to go being the Avenger. The lackluster sedan reportedly will not be replaced after the current model reaches the end of its life cycle next year. If that happens, Dodge will have nothing but an empty vortex in the critical midsize sedan segment.
Next, Chrysler intends to really shake things up by discontinuing two more Dodge models. One of those vehicles could be the best-selling Grand Caravan, which doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense at first glance. Why would Chrysler kill off one of its best selling vehicles? Well, because, Chrysler already sells the Town & Country and doesn’t need two identical vans. The Pentastar plans to build a next-generation Grand Caravan or Town & Country, but not both.
The third model to leave the Dodge stable remains a mystery, though my money’s on the Journey. Whatever it is, the loss of three models would certainly be a tough blow for Dodge. So much so that it might make sense to just close the brand down.
With only a few vehicles left under its umbrella, would it make sense to discontinue the Dodge brand?
-tgriffith
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Nooooooo! The only masculine brand left. Their is nothing wrong with two versions of the same car, Lexus and Infiniti and Acura do it too. That said is it to much to ask for a facelift grill for the 300? It’s overdue. I prefer the Charger version because it’s lines look better than the 300.
GM and Chrysler remain two of the few manufacturers left who make multiple models under different brands It’s an outmoded, wasteful business practice that takes valuable engineering time away from building better products.