Dodge has a bit of a problem on its hands right now. Its lineup has shrunk to just three cars: a crossover no one is buying, a 14-year old SUV that in spite of pricey Hellcat models is on its last legs, and an expensive electric muscle car that turned off a large part of its customer base. It’s time for something that’ll attract buyers. And if Dodge CEO Matt McAlear gets his way, Dodge may bring a cheap sports car into the fold.
In a recent interview with The Drive, Dodge CEO Matt McAlear was pressed on whether or not the brand should respond to the recent performance threats from the Ford Mustang GTD and Chevy Corvette ZR1. Will Dodge respond with a halo car of its own? Does Dodge need to bring back the Viper? McAlear’s response was surprising:
“Is there a need? I don’t know if there’s a need. Is there a want, a desire, and a market? I think yeah. I think there’s a market for two things. There’s a market for an entry-level halo and a top-of-the-line halo.”
An entry-level halo car is honestly more interesting than something that’s out of reach for most buyers, and it’s something the brand really needs. McAlear continued, doubling down on the affordability aspect of the car when describing what something like that could look like coming from Dodge. As he said to The Drive:
“I don’t know what I’d compare it to, I think there’s inspiration in seeing what some of the powersports companies have done. Not only the crazy side-by-sides, but the three-wheelers, the Slingshots, I think there’s something there. Everyone has so many hobbies these days, they want to spend their money on so many different things. It’s tough to be all-in on one thing, put all my chips in one basket and say, ‘I gotta have that car.’
“It’s great for those who can afford it, but not all of us can or want to do that.”
It’ll be affordable, too
He then talked price, and amazingly said an entry-level car like that should cost under $30,000, being fun to drive without breaking the bank.
“I think there’s some kind of entry-level, back to that sub-$30,000 mark. I think there’s a market for people who just want to have that weekend car again, who would like a Viper, but don’t have that $100 or $120K. Something that doesn’t need all the safety features, doesn’t need the heated seats. Just a car.”
An American Miata perhaps? It would be interesting if a sports car is actually being proposed for production. Dodge hasn’t sold a cheap car in a while now. Its last attempt, the Dart, was a flop, and it’s been decades since the Neon went out of production. Tthe cheapest Dodge you can get currently is the Hornet crossover, which starts at $33,180. So now that we know what a potential new Dodge could be and what it could cost, what exactly needs to be done to make this happen? McAlear mentioned that the car would have to be original and uniquely Dodge.
Ultimately this can be a different kind of halo car. A performance Dodge for the masses would do wonders for the brand, something that’s more than showroom floor eye candy. And that seems to be the key to what McAlear is thinking. “Having a value play just to get people on the showroom floor is important, and I think we have to do a better job making our vehicles affordable for the masses. But it’s not just doing a vehicle to do a vehicle,” he told The Drive. If Dodge gets this right, it just may get more than a few people to forgive it for the loss of those high-power V8 models.
