Dodge’s share of the U.S. market has been sliding with great consistency for years. Much of the blame for the dramatic drop-off in 2009 — Dodge’s market share fell from 5.9% in 2008 to 3.1% the next year — was a direct result of losing Ram trucks to a self-titled Ram division.
But even the post-Ram Dodge of today owns a significantly smaller portion of the market than the post-Ram Dodge of, for instance, 2013. Although America’s midsize car market is declining, it certainly does Dodge no favours that the brand now possesses no midsize car. The Chrysler 200 is now left to avenge the Avenger’s blood.
The fifth-generation of Dodge’s minivan has been around, albeit updated, for eight model years. A shutdown at the Grand Caravan’s plant in Windsor, Ontario, earlier this year hampered volume further.
The brand’s two most talked-about products, the Challenger and Charger, are on the upswing, but they compete in relatively small product categories. [Dealers won’t let you actually buy one, either. -Mark] The Dodge Dart is a low-volume compact. In a thriving SUV/CUV market, Dodge Durango sales are down 6% this year. It’s the Journey, in fact, that’s Dodge’s best-selling product so far this year.
Put it all together and you have a brand, which a decade ago generated 6.9% of the U.S. auto industry’s volume, now, on occasion, generating less than 3% of the market’s sales, as Dodge did in March, May, and June.
Dodge sales have fallen below 50,000 units in each of the last twelve months after topping the 50K mark four times in the first-half of 2014 and five times in 2013. Year-over-year, Dodge sales in the U.S. have decreased in each of the last five months and in nine of the last eleven months.
Dodge sales are down 16% so far this year, and sadly for Dodge fans, the reasons are not difficult to decipher. Only Scion and Smart are sliding more rapidly. Fortunately for FCA, Jeep and Chrysler are among the five fastest-growing brands in America.
Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook.
From the “TL;DR” (Too Lazy; Didn’t Research) file:
Aren’t the Dodge Dart and the Chrysler 200 the same size (or is the 200 a larger car based on the Dart platform?)
The 200 is a stretched adaptation of the Dart. It’s a few inches bigger in most dimensions.
And a much better car in almost every aspect.
As a former 2013 Dart owner and as of this past Friday a new 2015 200S owner I have to agree. After convincing my wife to test drive the 200 she was sold immediately on everything about it. Its not that our Dart was bad but the 200 is just a much more pleasant place to spend our time driving.
Why replace the dart then? Well we didn’t intend to.
Two weeks ago we were rear ended by a late 90’s chevy 3500 diesel at 55+ miles an hour while sitting still. My wife and I both walked away with no injuries other than headaches from the headrests catching our heads. The car on the other hand was a total loss smashed clean up to the back glass (that was now blown out into the cabin) but the rear doors could still open. If we had been in her 2005 Focus ST there’s no doubt we wouldn’t have fared nearly as well. Afterwards there wasn’t even a question about getting another vehicle from FCA on the CUSW platform and we decided to purchase the 200.
Probably a good thing you weren’t in a earlier model Grand Cherokee.
Jokes on you, I own a 99 WJ Grand Cherokee but I have the factory hitch and overland gas tank skid on it from the factory. Honestly I’m not worried one big about it either, it’s not the first vehicle I’ve owned with the gas tank mounted in that location.
Wow — Subaru wishes you were driving one of theirs — glad you both are OK.
Volume down, profit up = what’s the issue here? Muscle car brand with a couple people movers to keep the dealers happy.
I was still in the auto industry when Fiat took over and the old Chrysler went belly up. I always thought the idea of Ram was to make killing off Dodge easier. Other than a few muscle cars, they have been rental car fodder for years. The Charger is doing some decent volume in police fleets but even that business is not enough to sustain a whole brand (and it does not help the dealers much either).
The Japanese, Koreans and Ford have the whole middle class car (compact and mid size) thing all sewn up, at least at the retail end of the market. So no real need or benefit of having Dodge in the market place.
Well, Durango has always taken a back seat to the Grand Cherokee, both of which are due for a refresh. The Avenger and Dart competed against each other, as they were similar in size, but the Avenger was a better deal. And now it’s gone, and critics have panned the Dart. The Grand Caravan is the big hurt as far as current products go. One would have to assume the Journey is due to be 200-ized, and given a new 8 or 9-speed, and maybe sooner than anyone expects.
The fact is, FCA has put their money into Jeep, which is a cash cow, currently. In recent years, the refreshed GC, the Cherokee, the Renegade and the coming Wagoneer and (hopefully) Scrambler, will add to that line-up. Oddly enough, the Durango is perceived as a truck, while the Wagoneer will compete with the likes of Land Rover as an SUV. The old Wagoneer was very truck-like, spartan and capable.
Dodge still sells more cars than Cadillac and Buick combined, and I don’t think it’s going away without a fight.
Due for a refresh? The Durango and Grand Cherokee received rather extensive refreshes for MY2014.
Dodge is fine, it’s become a strictly performance brand, and without Pontiac it really doesn’t have a direct competitor. I would say they need to keep full course and let the Dodge brand become associated with American performance, it’s certainly doing a damn good job of filling that space as is. Sure going down that path won’t give it Toyota like appeal, but Dodge performance buyers specifically don’t want Toyota like products. The continued blobbing of the car market leaves Dodge in a unique position that should be easy to gain a steady amount of appeal.
I see two downsides, the CUV craze obviously doesn’t help sell cars, and the enthusiasts are starting to talk, which has in the past been a kiss of death for good products.
I would like to see Ram and Dodge remarried, but that’s just me.
Good points. I think the CUV is a fad and once it passes, GM will be in trouble once again because, as always, it doesn’t have any competitive cars in the mainstream market, nor seem to care to make any.
I see a massive market share loss for all of the Big Three once the fad ends though. But Dodge will be a nice buoy for FCA while Ford has done a nice job with the Focus, Fiesta and Fusion, which will help keep them going.
I also never understood the “Ram” thing. I guess it lets them brand their trucks independently but it’s interesting that vehicles like the Durango didn’t go to that brand. Seems a bit convoluted to me.
You’re entitled to your own opinion, and I won’t hold it against you, but what evidence is there that CUVs are a fly-by-night thing? They’ve been around for close to 20 years and only seem to be getting more popular.
Just an educated guess based on the nature of the vehicles, history, and the upcoming generation of car buyer.
CUVs aren’t rational vehicles for most people. Their higher ride height and AWD systems are unnecessary for 95% of consumer vehicle buyers and take a toll on handling, fuel economy, and make the vehicle more expensive.
How many automotive trends have lasted forever? The next big thing will come along and usurp the CUV.
Gen X and Y are on the whole broke. They are buried in debt and do not spend money on cars. Their income potential is much more limited than the generation before them. As they take over the market, they will not take too well to $35k tall station wagons that cost more to operate than a cheaper smaller car which fits their needs just fine.
Which is why most CUVs offer FWD options and you don’t seem to get that most consumers see the added ride height as a plus, not a minus.
You are right, Gen X/Y/Millennials etc are broke and usually can’t afford $35k tall station wagons…which is why small CUVs (Renegade, HRV, Trax, CX3 etc) are becoming the hot new thing.
You are right there might be some new thing that comes and usurp the CUV, but CUVs, like the family midsize sedan, are going to be a significant segment for decades.
I’m also confused on how Dodge would be a “nice buoy” for FCA if the CUV trend passes. If the “fad” passes, FCA, not GM will be in the worse position. They currently are entirely dependent on Jeep and Ram.
Answer: CUV’s are the new Buick.
And the Encore is *both*.
“You are right, Gen X/Y/Millennials etc are broke and usually can’t afford $35k tall station wagons…which is why small CUVs (Renegade, HRV, Trax, CX3 etc) are becoming the hot new thing.”
So the broke Ys can afford $25K+ cars but not those pricy $35K ones?
>> How many automotive trends have lasted forever? The next big thing will come along and usurp the XYZ .
This.
But I’m with those who think car purchases are more emotional than rational. Here’s an idear for a future QOTD: What’s the most rational car on sale in the USA this year? I vote Corolla. Game On.
CUVs are a fad, just like fast food and rap music.
Oh, wait a minute…
@PCH — Fast food is definitely passing into the sunset in our more health conscious society:
http://fortune.com/2014/08/25/mcdonalds-struggling-to-stay-relevant-with-millennials/
Ok, Rap is still cool — in communities where degrading women, violence, gang activity, and anti-intellectualism are still considered cool.
See, even the “best” American trends come and go!
“in communities where degrading women, violence, gang activity, and anti-intellectualism are still considered cool.”
So, America then.
“Rap is still cool — in communities where degrading women, violence, gang activity, and anti-intellectualism are still considered cool.”
In other words, you’re out of touch with current cultural trends.
Let me guess what a “rational” choice is… a wagon, which is harder to get in and out of, load kids and things into, delivers a subjectively worse driving experience for the average person, and was in sharp decline long before the CUV even existed?
When will members of the B&B stop purporting their personal wishes as empirically validated predictions?
I can also see the CUV falling in a similar fashion to the way the muscle car fell in the early 1970s. Where social developments cast it into a symbol of American piggery, consumerism and excess.
That is a very realistic possibility given the increasingly perilous economic situation the younger generations are facing.
Muscle cars fell in the early 1970s due to the oil crisis and increased focus on government mandated emissions and fuel economy standards which completely neutered them. Not because of them being seen as a symbol of American piggery, consumerism, and excess.
“Muscle cars fell in the early 1970s due to the oil crisis and increased focus on government mandated emissions and fuel economy standards which completely neutered them.”
This is the popular explanation today, given that Boomers re-embraced these vehicles and have been paying ridiculous money for them for years now.
Realistically, it wasn’t PC to be driving a be-spoilered American penis substitute during a time when peasants were dying under our carpet bombs and boots in Vietnam, women didn’t have equal rights, minorities were being oppressed, and consumerism and traditional authority were being rejected by young people.
This can be evidenced by the fact that muscle car sales were starting to decline after 1968, well before emissions regulations took their toll. And the oil crisis wasn’t until 1973. By that time, the muscle car was long dead and 5-year-old muscle cars were selling for under $1,000.
Yes, insurance premiums and emissions regulations contributed. But you’d be very naïve to think that those were the only reasons.
They were replaced by personal luxury cars that were intended as displays of wealth, but nice attempted revisionism.
We had full size personal luxury coupes like the Toronado, Rivera and Thunderbird since the early/mid 1960s. The mid size Grand Prix came out in ’69 and Monte Carlo and “formal roof” Cutlass Supreme in ’70, which made the genre more affordable and sensible.
I respect your opinion but I’d say they more overlapped the muscle car than replaced them, as they tended to appeal to an older more affluent buyer.
To the extent there was replacement during the mid-70s, the PLC was more subtle than the brazen display of Americana that was the muscle car, and therefore more acceptable in the post-Vietnam and post-Nixon PC climate.
The Boomers would of course go on to re-embrace to the muscle car after Reagan brought American pride back in the ’80s.
I’ll have to make a short, very short visit to your planet someday. Seriously, where did you come up with such total nonsense?
I think Ram was separated at a time when Dodge was due to meet the chopping block. Dodge had also lost the Viper to the new SRT brand, the Challenger replacement was rumored to go to that brand as well, and all Dodge would be left with were middling sedans as its best products survived under other brand names.
The separation was purely to branch Ram off into the truck and commercial market, which didn’t fit the vision for Dodge.
Strictly? The Dart, the minivan, and the two utilities generate two-thirds of their U.S. volume.
Bring back the Sunfire GT to take on this formidable performance brand!
I think they want Dodge to become the niche performance brand.
It makes much more sense to let Chrysler be the mass market brand with the Dart (100), 200, 300 and all of the CUVS.
RAM gets trucks
Jeep is JEEP
Fiat is euro fun
Alfa is BMW with red sauce
Maserati is what? Mercedes?
Dodge gets the traditional American performance niche which I think has a lot of growth potential.
We Gen-X that do have money are getting the age where we can start buying some fun cars and quite a few of us would still look seriously at a credible American style performance car over a European one.
A subtle clue about FCA’s intentions can be found on the Dodge website, which leads with this headline:
DODGE: AMERICA’S FASTEST GROWING PERFORMANCE BRAND
See, there’s always someone out there to do your research for you.
Thanks PCH
I think it makes sense to compare Sergio’s vision for FCA to VAG. Thus Alfa is Audi, Maserati is Porsche, and Ferrari is Lamborghini.
Marchionne is quite fond of niches.
Hummer – I do suspect that Dodge will remain as a performance badge. There was the rumour on the web that “Dodge” would die and performance units would remain under the SRT title. FCA does appear to have some dying portfolios. Is that due to a lack of R&D funding or deliberate or both?
My hope is that those dying portfolios is FCA getting models out from under brands where they will no longer fit.
FCA will compete across the board, but the brands stay focused, no Chrysler pickups or Jeep roadsters.
The very notion of “brand” is obsolete when dealing with multi-brand groups.
Is Smart different from Mercedes? Is AMG? Are Chevy and GMC all that different? How about an Acura that’s sold with Honda badging in the rest of the world, or two Toyotas that are sold under different brands in Japan but one brand here?
So Dodge-branded cars are down, but US FCA sales are up. Big deal. The positive takaway is that Dodge is no longer the dumping ground for fleet specials.
Did you miss the part where the Journey is the best selling Dodge? Are ANY of those sold retail?
Unfortunately yes, some retail customers buy the Journey. I just assume they’re people with poor credit scores and/or no Internet access.
The journey sells cheap for a 3 row crossover with reasonable equipment. its just like a small version of the caravan it offers more for less than it’s competitors.
It’s popular in Canada. It’s the cheapest crossover that can fit three kids and their hockey equipment.
The Journey and Caravan are the last reminders of Cerberus-era Dodge. It should be interesting to see if buyers believe their new “we’re not the cheapest, or the worst” identity.
I forget about how Canada loves the Journey. I feel hatred whenever I see them here. I’m like YOU’RE A VAN, GET OVER YOURSELF. Then I look away!
@CoreyDL, in my area they sell a ton of 3 row 4 cyl Journeys, absolute poverty spec. It is an odd combination of low incomes, large families, and an insistence on buying new. The dealers must be selling them cheaper than a stripped Caravan or the customers would be buying them instead.
Honestly around here most customers could use the AWD that is only available with the V6 (given the snowy/muddy dirt roads that are common) but adding those options prices it out of their monthly payment range.
I see, the prideful low-income person intent on buying new. Sounds like we’re talking about Native Americans or Mexican families here.
My area also sold the most of the old Avengers and Chrysler 200s percapita than just about any other area of the country. Oh and FWD only no options Jeep Patriots are everywhere too.
I don’t know about now, but back in 2012, 60% of all Journeys were sold in Europe as the Fiat Freemont.
The next Gen Journey is supposed to have more HP and a sportier look along with an SRT version. Look out Hell Cat Journey FTW.
No small CUV since the Caliber = Doom.
The Caliber itself was “doom.” What a piece of crap! It was awful even when it first came out.
They’ve got the Jeep Renegade as well as the Fiat version. They’re not going to waste dollars giving Dodge a version as well.
Then Dodge DIE!
Ha Ha!
No small CUV at all, Caliber = FWD only hatchback, like a Civic.
It came in AWD versions
@mopar4wd
Orly? Where?
The RT version and maybe others could have AWD I see a large number of AWD ones here in CT as it was about the cheapest AWD vehicle you could buy for a while plus it’s on the same platform as a Patriot and Compass.
http://www.edmunds.com/dodge/caliber/2007/road-test
Wow, cars.com and wikipedia don’t recognize the AWD version of this. But I concede to you, it exists!
http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/dodge/caliber/2007/specs?configuration=r-t-awd
I think most people are not aware there was an AWD one.
“No small CUV at all, Caliber = FWD only hatchback, like a Civic.”
Wiki agrees with you, calling it a compact car. The Caliber’s height is the same as a Fit but its wheelbase is one inch longer than the HR-V’s.
So now I’m not sure what it is besides rightfully extinct.
Caliber =/= CUV
Not sure where this came from tbh haha.
Granted, it’s architecture was used to construct two “Jeeps” so what do I know.
It’s kind of difficult (at least to me) to determine what will happen to Dodge Division. I agree with others, splitting off Dodge Trucks (RAM) would make it easier to split up the remains of Chrysler Corporation. The fact that the launch of the Dart was horribly botched and no small CUV for hottest segment right now would seem like obvious answers as to why they’re not performing as well.
I would like to see Dodge continue, as there are no domestic “performance” marques left in the NA market, but maybe a small CUV would help considerably. And then maybe something decent to replace the Journey which is well past it’s “sell by” date. The tweener Dart will always occupy a strange space in the market, but now that the Avenger has exited, I’m starting to see more Darts. Maybe a companion super-mini wouldn’t
hurt either.
With Hellcat power, of course. /sarc
I would agree with this if this were Sloan era GM. But this is modern era FCA. It wouldn’t make a lot of sense for each brand to have a full line that directly competes with each other, especially since basically all these brands share a showroom. If anything, Chrysler needs a small on-road CUV. Perhaps Dodge could capitalize on the performance niche by offering some distinctly different crazy turbo hellcat version.
The /sarc tag was only slightly facetious. I guess my point wasn’t clear. Why I alluded to a “performance” marque was to mean that anything that Dodge does should be the “Hellcat” version. Although if that precludes a similar but higher selling vehicle on the Chrysler side (similar to the relationship between the Dart and the 200) maybe that’s not such a good idea.
But it would be fun…
Yeah I agree with that. They have to be careful to ensure that whatever they offer doesn’t overlap too much with the mainstream Chrysler or Jeep products.
I agree that the Financial Crisis of 2009 is the direct cause of Dodge’s decline – followed by the loss of RAM trucks.
Thing is, Chrysler/Dodge just need to focus on improving interior fit/finish. Their engines are bulletproof and their transmissions are the best EVER.
They also need to bring back the MAGNUM.
don’t let the naysaying idiots fool you. The only reason the Magnum failed was because it was never refreshed with the 8-speed, 392 and new interiors.
The Magnum with AWD and a 6.4-L or HELLCAT would SELL EVERY SINGLE GODDAMNED UNIT.
PERIOD.
You really think they can sell tens of thousands of $60,000 wagons?
“The Magnum with AWD and a 6.4-L or HELLCAT would SELL EVERY SINGLE GODDAMNED UNIT.”
This sounds an awful lot like every commenter decrying the lack of brown diesel manual wagons.
He just says the same thing over and over. Magnum, Hellcat, Pacifica. That’s his trio of things to say.
Sometimes he talks about the S-Class too.
You know, if your are going to truly position Dodge as the American performance brand, bringing back the Magnum is not crazy.
” and their transmissions are the best EVER.”
Well, best ever for them.
If FCA can’t afford to update the grand Cherokee, what hope is there for new dodge product? Dodge will continue to sink to be the lowest selling division of FCA, and will at most have a few “sporty” cars. The next owner of the firm will kill dodge, if it still exists at that time.
It’s a shame that Marchionne went to the trouble of turning Dodge into a performance niche brand, only to find that virtually no one on the interwebs has figured this out.
And I will give him credit, but spinning out Ram into its brand may have been a smart idea. Sales are obviously on the right track.
I always thought Caliber = Doom.
By the way, I am a huge Mopar guy but also a realist.
Their product is old, massaged and tweaked but old except for the Dart. It needs a complete overhaul but Fiat doesn’t have the money for it so they are trying to find someone to marry quickly.
Jeep is doing well and that money is going into bringing Alfa to the U.S. when it should be plowed back into D/C/J development.
Let see here:
in the subcompact category, Dodge has nothing. Most competitors offer a choice of hatchback or sedans.
In the compact category, Dodge again has crickets chirping in the dealerships. The Dart seems to be halfway between compact and midsize.
How about midsize? The only offering is the Charger, which starts at almost 30K msrp before checking any boxes. Rear wheel drive means most people in the snow belt will not consider it.
What about SUV lineup? The only two are the outdated Journey and the too large Durango. Most of the competitors have at least three different SUV’s.
This only other vehicles in the lineup is the Challenger and Viper, which are low volume halo cars and the soon to be discontinued Caravan.
$30K for a Charger? Do you live in Canada or something? You can get a Charger for under $25K, easily.
Just going off the Dodge website:
Base SE RWD, no options $27,995.
Nothing short of an SRT or Hellcat is selling for anything close to MSRP. What’s the point of even considering it? I was talking to a dealer about a Challenger Scat Pack – his first offer was $5,000 below sticker.
There is usually at least $1500 or $2000 rebate on Chargers, plus the discount you can get unless you’re totally clueless. I had no problem getting about $4400 off my Charger R/T when I bought it in December ’07. And I never sat foot into the dealership until I signed the paperwork.
Let see here:
in the subcompact category, Dodge has nothing. Most competitors offer a choice of hatchback or sedans.
In the compact category, Dodge again has crickets chirping in the dealerships. The Dart seems to be halfway between compact and midsize.
How about midsize? The only offering is the Charger, which starts at almost 30K msrp before checking any boxes. Rear wheel drive means most people in the snow belt will not consider it.
What about SUV lineup? The only two are the outdated Journey and the too large Durango. Most of the competitors have at least three different SUV’s.
This only other vehicles in the lineup is the Challenger and Viper, which are low volume halo cars and the soon to be discontinued Caravan.
———
Dodge doesn’t need another low profit subcompact/compact, that’s why FCA has fiat. The dart really isn’t that big, maybe in pictures, but in real life it’s an average compact. Chrysler has the midsize car under wraps, why does Dodge need a rebadge for that segment? It’s not like there are stand alone Dodge dealers. The charger has AWD availible and the 300 has a V8 with AWD. The journey is raking in profits, it still sells and has had surely made up its development costs. The Durango is a solid Midsize entry, though the price is bit on the high side. Again, why does Dodge need 3 CUVs, (most dealers don’t have more than 1 SUV, if that) again there are no stand alone dodge dealers, it doesn’t even make sense to say they need what’s already in the dealership.
The trouble with Dodge can be summed up with one phrase: theyre an enthusiast brand.
Its a harsh thing for this car guy to admit, but the reality of the mass marketplace is the attributes which make cars fun for us gearheads are liabilities to the average Joe and Jane customer.
Charger? Jane Public sees a macho sedan with a loud motor,bad gas mileage and poor visibility.
Dodge Dart? Why does it look so weird compared to a Corolla ?
Aggressive and high performance cars are a niche marketing channel, which is why even BMW is turning away from the path of the “Ultimate Driving Machine.” Its a marketing fail in a day where most people would rather hit cruise control and text their commute away,
Were I The Boss, Dodge would have boring me-too domestic clones of Toyota, with the high performance marketing limited to one or two select high-speed Hemi cars.
But then you would just kill Dodge and go with Chrysler.
There’s no point to a company having the names Dodge and Chrysler if they are selling slightly different versions the same thing to slightly different sets of people. Just build Chryslers with more options.
The value in Dodge is that to a certain generation, Dodge still means enough that it can be resurrected as a performance brand. That is going to mean lower volume, but hopefully higher margins and more money.
In some ways volume is the wrong metric for Dodge, how much profit if any are they making for the Mothership is the only number that really matters. Are the average transaction prices on Dodges going up?
They haven’t even gotten rid of the minivans yet, so let’s give them a little time before we decide if turning Dodge into a performance brand will work.
The problem with Dodge is they’re the enthusiast brand – Well then they should act like. Yes on the higher priced models they have it covered. But only one rwd car with a manual and you can’t buy the cheap v6 version with the manual. No V6 or turbo in the small/midsize car?
If your selling in a niche you need to serve the niche or go home.
Offer the Challenger with a 6MT with the V6 (small market but Mustang and Camaro do it) to attract young buyers who can’t swing the V8 insurance. Offer the Dart with either a turbo 4 and/or V6 with choice of auto manual and awd. Get working on a Dodge version of the upcoming Alfa. Market the Durango better. I can’t see how this thing is not a bigger seller. More room than the JGC, similar pricing.
Leverage the Hemi name by going aluminum block to save weight or design clean sheet light weight small hemi V8 (2.5 – 3.5 liter). Investment money may be hard to find but these things are cheap to build, small packaging and can be light. Production cost will be lower than the pentastar but they could charge a premium for the engine.
I’ve said elsewhere on this thread, give them time to execute. Jeep’s lineup is in good shape, Chrysler is getting more competitive.
The ‘new’ Challenger should be a good test of the new image. They’ve toned it down while keeping it very different from other cars. And oh yeah, HELLCAT!!! (pour vous BTSR)
American performance, no mullet required
Kudos to Challenger/Charger, Viper, etc but I can’t take Dodge seriously as a performance “brand”. I’ve seen too many Neons, K-cars, and more recently Calibers for me to say yes this is a serious marque.
Be fair now, that was not FCA.
Yes they have work to do, but luckily for them they are pretty much alone in doing it so we’ll see.
True and fortunately for them the public’s memory is short lived.
Are they an enthusiast brand? Or are they a horsepower brand? IMO, there’s a difference.
I don’t think Dodge will be discontinued, but will have a limited lineup. As I understand it, a version of the new Alfa Romeo RWD platform will be shared with Dodge, which was the only way they could get the numbers to work for the Alfa platform to become a reality. I think the next Challenger/Charger will be based on this new platform, as well as a possible RWD replacement for the Journey, and perhaps a midsize car to replace the Avenger. Dodge is being refocused as the American performance brand, and is shedding segments that don’t fit that image, like minivans. In the meantime, the Chrysler brand will become the mainstream seller in the US, and will be given additional segments to play in, like the new compact Chrysler 100 and a large and midsize crossover, as well as being the exclusive entry in segments like minivans.
I am a little surprised by this statement “Dodge’s share of the U.S. market has been sliding with great consistency for years.”
From my reading of the graph both 2013 and 2014 were above 2012 levels. 2015 is lower now, but it hasn`t exactly been a consistent year upon year decline from 2012 to 2015.
You are correct. 2015 is the only down year, and that’s partly explained by the scheduled minivan shortage.
Here’s the long-term picture.
2002: 7.5%
2003: 7.3%
2004: 7.0%
2005: 6.9%.
2006: 6.5%.
2007: 6.6%
2008: 5.9%
2009: 3.1%.
2010: 3.3%
2011: 3.5%
2012: 3.6%
2013: 3.8%
2014: 3.5%
2015: 3.0%
So why the bloody hell didn’t you just graph those numbers, which make the case, rather than the confusing year-by-year graph you posted above?
So why the bloody hell didn’t you just graph those numbers, which make the case, rather than the confusing year-by-year graph you posted above?
Actually, what I see is that there was more or less a continuous decline from 2002 thru 2008, then a stepwise drop from 2008 to 2009, then actually a gradual increase from ’09 thru ’13, and then the last two years a rather steep drop. It would be a lot better article if you postulated some reasons why that might be happening.
Chrysler lost focus on Dodge a while back, the decline having roots in the Cerberus-owned era. Turning the Charger into a four-door? Please. The current Charger should have been named Intrepid, Stratus, or any of the other old names for former four-door cars from Dodge’s storied history. The Charger name should have reserved ONLY for a two-door, RWD coupe. Re-naming the trucks as “Ram” has been an exercise in complete foolishness; there was nothing wrong with “Dodge” trucks. The current Challenger is a fat pig of a car with little other than the name (Hellcat version aside) to make it a standout. The Dart is a Fiat; enough said.
The Intrepid and Stratus are not “storied” names. At least for the right reasons.
Honestly, Chrysler doesn’t have that many “storied” 4 door car names, at least compared to Ford and GM. They were always changing the names around.
HAHAHAH
Intrepid, Stratus – storied. Uh huh.
Their only “storied” names are the things owned from Jeep like Wrangler and Cherokee, and Wagoneer.
Chrysler has the Imperial name, as well as New Yorker. Re-using Dart wasn’t a good idea.
That’s bout all they have.
I guess “Fury” wouldn’t fit a Camry competitor :-)
There’s no way the Charger could be rebadged as an Intrepid. The Charger carries over no design elements of the Intrepid (maybe save for the rear tailight bar and the rear profile). With minor modifications, the body of the Tesla Model S is a much better fit for a new Intrepid and/or Concorde.
Stratus was Chrysler’s Camry: boring. It was a decent car, but it was forgettable. Stratus isn’t a name to resurrect.
I think it would have been fitting for the 200 to have been renamed as a LeBaron. The 300 should have had a New Yorker trim level. It would have been best to have done this back in 2011 when the 300 started of on a clean slate, in an attempt to distance the marque from the big-rims, loud-music playing, tacky chrome crowd.
Anyways, ever since Dodge has been stripped of the Ram, which was a pointless decision, it’s obvious the brand is on the decline. It is an equally stupid move to kill off the Grand Caravan. Not everyone wants a muscle car, I am one of them. What’s more, Dodge wasn’t always just muscle cars. In fact, there were quite a few Plymouths that were muscle cars.
“Chrysler lost focus on Dodge a while back, the decline having roots in the Cerberus-owned era. Turning the Charger into a four-door? Please.”
You’re one of *those* people. Times change and the market for 2 door cars isn’t what it once was. They do make a 2 door Charger though, the Challenger.
“Dodge’s storied history.”
A Tale of Two Bankruptcies
Without the Chrysler, Jeep and RAM brand numbers alongside the Dodge chart to put this all in context, does it matter?