It’s Fiat Chrysler Friday, apparently. Updates continue to trickle out of Italy, where FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne was hounded by press following the unveiling of his company’s five-year product plan.
A plan, it should be noted, that completely ignored Chrysler, Fiat, and Dodge. With talk of the four important global brands out of the way, Marchionne opened up on the lesser divisions. So, what does the future hold for Dodge, the most ignored brand of the day? Not a hell of a lot, apparently.
According to Wards Auto, which compiled Marchionne’s comments from the press scrum, the Dodge brand sticks to the current plan. Like Chrysler, Dodge isn’t in danger of disappearing from the United States.
“Those two brands are not in question,” the CEO said, silently referencing Fiat’s hazy domestic future.
Dodge will continue on as the automaker’s performance brand, he added. Future models will source their underpinnings from modified, existing platforms. That’s hardly news, as it’s expected that the (pushed back) 2021 redesign of the Dodge Charger and Challenger will see the models’ ancient LX platform give way to that the Maserati Ghibli. Other future products include a redesigned Journey and Durango, scheduled to appear next year. Those models adopt the Giorgio platform found beneath the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio.
Yes, the Journey will become a rear-drive “performance” crossover. Start planning your tearful goodbyes to the base model’s four-speed automatic.
It’s worth noting that the only Dodge vehicles to see a meaningful year-over-year sales increase in May were the long-in-the-tooth Journey (up 37 percent), and the similarly ancient Caravan (up 12 percent). The Challenger increased its U.S. tally by 16 vehicles compared to May of last year. While May brought a year-over-year sales increase for the brand as a whole, its volume over the first five months of 2018 undercuts last year’s sales by 6 percent.
Other tidbits leaking out of Italy this afternoon include Marchionne mentioning Chrysler’s future as a “people mover” brand, and a green one at that. Not surprisingly, a next-generation 300 sedan seems to be off the table. According to analyst Stephanie Brinley of IHS Automotive, Marchionne said, “Trying to build a position in sedan is not helpful.”
Meanwhile, while the Fiat brand stands to slowly depart from our shores, FCA isn’t saying goodbye just yet. It seems that, like before, the brand will serve a strategic green purpose. Marchionne admitted hating the all-electric 500e when it debuted in America earlier this decade, adding that it was necessary to lower the automaker’s corporate average fuel economy and satisfy the EPA and CARB. It’s still the only true electric in the automaker’s U.S. lineup.
Well, there’s a new 500 emerging from Europe in 2020. Built on a new platform, the little city car will boast mild hybrid and electric variants, as well as a Giardiniera wagon version (which might have more than two side doors). It isn’t known for sure if the next-gen 500e will arrive on these shores, but Marchionne’s successor might need it.
[Images: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles]
A proper replacement for the Journey should do Dodge well, and burying the Caravan after it runs out will do Chrysler well. Sometimes no news is good news.
as well as a Giardiniera wagon version…
That’s a great Italian relish. What will the Fazoul trim package consist of?
100% biodiesel running on bean husks. Of course.
Who is still buying the Journey besides car rental fleets? Do they have literal bags of cash in the trunk to entice shoppers? (Or the ever brand-enhancing “Buy This Truck, Get This Crappy Car Free!” promos…)
With a 4-spd A/T standard, would that be a “Joker of Base” model?
my buddy bought a new 2017 as i recall.
i think he bought it for the same reason i bought a ford fusion. he wanted new (warranty) and it was the cheapest choice of its type with the most options.
presumably he wanted a three-row suv. other than telling me he and his wife got one, we haven’t really talked about it… what is there to say?!
That’s why the base model Fiat version has a 6 speed auto (62TE) bolted onto the 2.4l.
A lot of young families. I live near a military base and I see a lot those there. The Journey is a decent car for the price. If I wanted to spend <$25k on an SUV and I didn’t have the best credit, the Journey would be a fine choice.
I rented a Journey R/T a few years back and it was surprisingly nice! Leather, Pentastar, the 8.4″ screen, AWD, black/black. Far more comfortable than the usual rentals I had been given up until that point. (Malibus, Optima, Corollas, Sonata etc)
Guessing you meant the all-electric 500e was meant to “raise” rather than “lower” the company’s corporate average fuel economy?
Everything RWD that isn’t RAM or Wrangler based should be built off the Giorgio platform. 3 concurrent RWD platforms through 2020…………….
Hasn’t the new Dodge Journey been “coming next year” for 5 years now?
No mentioning of storied Lancia brand? Is it discontinued? AFAIK it is one model brand. Who in his right mind buys FIATs in Europe when VW is readily available?
Lancia is weird, it’s clothes, collections and several trim versions of one model called Ypsilon. Supposed to be Italy only but it looks like the little two door coupe is sold in most of western Europe. Can’t imagine that it works as a viable auto model and I never see word one mentioned about it.
It is just FIAT Lancia, Lancia as the brand does not exist for along time. Like Chrysler Imperial or Chevy Corvette or Mercedes Maybach. That might be the reason why Lancia was not mentioned by Sergio. Or maybe it is phased out?
I read many auto journalist complaints about the Journey. But to be fair while the model is long in the tooth, FCA had done enough updating to make this a decent value play for someone who wants a 3 row SUV(updated interior and Pentastar V6). These are not class leading (same can be said for Mitsubishi’s offerings) but competent and low cost alternatives.
Side note, part of the reason the Patriot/Compass twins stayed around for so long is that they still sold well. FCA improved them with a Hyundai sourced proper 6speed auto. They were decent value play at the end of their model life (plus with almost 10 years of platform life, hopefully FCA ironed out any issues)
Dodge is a value brand with a push for performance. I am not their biggest fanboy but am impressed with how much they have accomplished with old platforms. My concern is what happened when gas edges up to $3.5- $4 gallon in the States for a considerable time. They will be left in a big lurch.
Dodge is a blue collar performance brand while Chrysler supposedly is not. In theory they serve different markets. I have no idea why they cannot make Chrysler nicer more like premium car, like Buick e.g. They killed 200 instead of making it better, that is the difference between American approach vs Japanese. American approach is wasteful while Japanese squeeze out as much profit as they can. Even Mitsu refuses to die and then Nissan comes to help fellow Japanese company.
I completely agree with this. FCA spent a fortune bringing the 200 and the Dart to the market. Instead of addressing the issues with the first generation, Sergio publicly lambasted the cars and pretty much sealed their fate. I’d rather have replacement cars waiting in the wings when the fuel crunch happens.
FCA’s strategy: Dodge testing. RAM it into production.
This is why Sergio is considered an idoit. The guy at the auto extremist was right about Sergio from day one. Sergio is a con man who had turned FCA into a bottom feeder.
What’s an idoit? Is that French?
In 15 years only Jeep will be around. Once the 200 was cancelled I knew the company was done. Sergio merged Chrysler and Fiat together and created one of the world’s least reliable car companies. I’m the early 90s Chrysler was considered one of the world’s most interesting car companies. Unfortunately, after the ‘merger of equals’ and the Fiat takeover FCA is a basket case. Even in the maliase era Chrysler’s weren’t this unreliable.
So if the 200 hadn’t been cancelled, the rest of the lineup would still be reliable?
Can’t believe the Journey is a new vehicle. Had a rental recently and I told my wife it is the worst vehicle I have ever driven – Chevy Cruze is close though. On a 3k mile old V6 Journey Crossroad(2017) the fit and finish felt 8 years old. Infotainment system didn’t work half the time, suspension rattled like a 25 year old benz, transmission was awfully confused for a new car, it rolled like a minivan on the slowest of turns, and the list goes on. We named it TrashCarTM. Seriously Dodge, burn all of these.
Last thought, they are surprisingly expensive. For the money there are plenty better options that won’t ding you on random repairs over the years like this FCA turd.
“the fit and finish felt 8 years old”
The average car on the road is 10 years old. To some people a Journey would be an upgrade (maybe even to myself, compared to my 12 year old Odyssey).
I did not compare the Journey to a 10 year old car per this “Can’t believe the Journey is a new vehicle.”
But I’ll clarify further, the knobs and buttons were already showing excessive wear. the plastic had started to lose luster, and the seats didn’t seem to be holding up well. I bet your Odyssey still looks pretty good even with age. You chose wisely buying that van because Honda builds quality vehicles (minus the random outliers). I’m saying that from the get go, the Journey doesn’t sport that build quality, and it was already apparent at 3k miles.
Ouch, it doesn’t bode well for long term ownership. I get what you mean now.
Indeed in terms of construction our Odyssey is still very good inside. The knobs feel tight, the seats still look brand new and everything closes tightly. The hard plastic shows some scratches but then again the van does get abused :)