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Dodge Getting Axed by 2016?

5K views 3 replies 1 participant last post by  rickaren 
#1 ·
Dodge Getting Axed by 2016?

06/13/2013


Word has it Dodge could be killed off by Fiat in the near future, as the Chrysler brand will have to cope with new holes in its lineup once the Avenger gets discontinued and other nameplates moved under the “Pentastar” badge.

According to Ward’s Auto, quoting industry sources, the Dodge lineup will be thinned even more after the Avenger ends production early next year. “At least two products” are already scheduled to “migrate to the Chrysler brand or be discontinued”, while the Dart and the Journey are likely to get Chrysler or Fiat-badged replacements, the report adds.

That would leave Dodge with only three vehicles, the Durango, the Challenger and the Charger unless brand-new models are being introduced. Furthermore, other rumors suggest that the next-gen Challenger, which could arrive in 2015, could follow the Viper and move over at SRT as a revival of the Barracuda moniker.

Further complicating the whole matter, the Durango is already sharing its platform with Jeep’s Grand Cherokee, while the Charger might very well be replaced by the new Chrysler 300. Whatever the case, Dodge’s fate is said to be decided by 2016.

The last Chrysler-owned marque to be discontinued was Plymouth, with its models withdrawn from the market or simply rebranded in 2001. Plymouth was introduced in 1928 as an entry-level competitor to Ford and Chevrolet.
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#2 ·
DODGE WON’T GO AWAY

06/20/2013

There are reports all over the web that Chrysler is going to drop the Dodge Caravan minivan. That shouldn’t surprise anyone. Sergio admitted they were looking at doing that three years ago. Even so, rumors are rampant that the company is going to drop the Dodge brand. Here’s why I think those rumors are started by people who don’t know what they’re talking about. The Dodge brand accounts for most of the Chrysler Group’s sales. Dodge handily outsells Jeep, Ram and Chrysler. Also, Dodge sales are up 23 percent this year. The Chrysler brand and Jeep are actually down. The Chrysler brand only has three models, the 200, the 300 and the Town & Country. The Dodge brand has 7 models. So even when they drop the Caravan it will still have twice as many models as Chrysler. And that’s why, these rumors about the Dodge brand going away don’t make any sense to me.
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#3 ·
Chrysler Executive Says Dodge Is "Here to Stay"

07/13/2013


Rumors that Dodge could be axed by 2016 were denied by SRT CEO Ralph Gilles. The executive that the Chrysler brand will continue to put its badge on automobiles, although it might become more focused in the future.

"Dodge is here to stay! It may get more focused going forward but not killed!" said Ralph Gilles, while answering a question asked of him via Instagram.

One month ago today, a Ward's Auto report claimed Dodge could be killed of by Fiat as the brand will have to cope with more and more holes in its lineup once some models will get discontinued, while others will be moved under Chrysler or SRT.

With the Avenger already scheduled to be discontinued, word has it Dodge could also remain without its Journey, Dart and Durango models.
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#4 ·
CEO Kuniskis Says Dodge Has a Very Solid Future

09/17/2013


There have long been rumors that the new Fiat-controlled Chrysler Group would kill off the Dodge brand but Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis affirmed in a recent interview that Chrysler’s sporty high volume brand isnt going anywhere anytime soon – and that there is no plan to collapse the brand as the company looks to consolidate their offerings into fewer brands.

While the rumors of Dodge being discontinued have been fairly unfounded with little support of any kind, the internet has been packed with discussions of how the Chrysler Group management team is working to remove redundancies between their brands. For instance, the Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 are essentially the same vehicles will different trim levels and different sheet metal. The same is true (on most levels) for the Dodge Durango/Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Dodge Grand Caravan/Chrysler Town & Country and the Dodge Avenger/Chrysler 200 leaving only the Dodge Dart, the Dodge Challenger and the Dodge Journey as “unique” vehicles. When you consider the fact that so many Dodge models are available in very similar fashion as other models from other brands within the company combined with company CEO Sergio Marchionne’s desire to remove these redundancies among the brands – it would make sense that there could be some changes and those media sources who enjoy feeding the rumor mill believed that killing off the Dodge brand would be how Chrysler handled this issue.

Fortunately for Dodge brand fans, it seems that those rumors are not likely to come to volition as Dodge brand CEO Tim Kuniskis told The Detroit Bureau that there are no plans to consolidate the brand and that the Dodge brand has a “very solid future”. He wouldn’t go into any real details about the future direction of the brand but it has been openly discussed for some time that either the Chrysler Town & Country or Dodge Grand Caravan would be discontinued and while one would continue on as the market’s bestselling minivan – the brand that loses its minivan will likely see a new utility crossover similar to the Ford Transit Connect in its lineup shortly after.

This shouldn’t come as a huge surprise as while Dodge does offer a handful of models that are similar to other models from other brands – Dodge is also the company’s top brand in terms of sales and it has been for quite some time. The Jeep brand will occasionally catch the Dodge lineup in monthly sales but Dodge has been the clear volume brand for Chrysler for many moons and simply killing off the brand would undoubtedly have a negative impact on sales. After all, many of the company’s bestselling nameplates across the various segments are Dodge products including the Charger (which comfortably outsells the Chrysler 300), the Dart (which has no competition within the segment), the Grand Caravan (which outsells the Chrysler Town & Country and the Avenger (which outsells the Chrysler 200).

When the rumors of Chrysler killing off the Dodge brand surfaced, the current sales figures made those rumors very unlikely but Tim Kuniskis’ comments to the Detroit Bureau should put them to rest. It is clear from that interview that there could be some changes coming to the Dodge lineup but the success of so many modern Dodge models should ensure that the brand founded by John and Horace Dodge should be around for a very long time.


- See more at: CEO Kuniskis Says Dodge Has a Very Solid Future | Torque News
 
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