The boss of Dodge opens the door to an affordable sports car
What's missing from Dodge's current line-up? More choice and lower prices, some would say. The brand has chosen in recent years to eliminate its less interesting products that are less in keeping with its vision of power and performance, such as the Journey and Grand Caravan, but if it hopes to survive, it will undoubtedly need more than the expensive Hornet, the very old Durango and the new Charger Daytona.
Speaking of the latter, versions with gasoline engines (but no V8) will be launched later in 2025. Will that be enough? According to Dodge CEO Matt McAlear, an affordable sports car and a new flagship model would be welcome.
“Is there a need? I don't know. Is there a desire, a want and a market? I think there is. I think there's a market for two things: an entry-level halo and a high-end halo,” he said recently in an interview for The Drive.
While the return of an exceptional car like the now-defunct Viper has long been rumored, it's the first option that interests us most - and is likely to appeal to a larger number of potential buyers. In McAlear's eyes, a simple, fun-to-drive sports car in the vein of the Toyota GR 86, Subaru BRZ and Mazda MX-5 would make a lot of sense.
“I think there's an avenue in the entry-level, under $30,000 (U.S.), he continued. I think there's a market for people who just want to have a car for the weekend, who'd like a Viper but don't have the $100,000 or $120,000. Something that doesn't need all the safety features, or even heated seats. Just a car.”
The failure of the Dodge Dart (2013-2016), a compact sedan whose most powerful engine delivered 184 horsepower, suggests that we shouldn't get too excited. As for the 230- and 285-hp SRT-4 (2003-2005) and Caliber SRT-4 (2008-2009), that was a completely different era.
The main point is that the Dodge boss recognizes that his company needs to do a better job of making its vehicles financially accessible to the general public. By the way, his cheapest model in Canada today is the Hornet GT 2025 crossover at $43,790 (incl. fees).
