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Got to say your thinking closely parallels mine on this whole Dodge thing. Management is smart enough to go evolutionary on these changes and keeping consistent with the Dodge chemistry. Not to panic, the green agenda, the electric panacea and draconian regulations are crumbling fast as reality and consumer preferences weigh in, so Dodge will have to go slow. I’m reluctantly seeing some exciting things with some of these changes, but keeping my Hemi Challenger no matter what. I need my V-8 rumble fix on a regular basis. Go slow Dodge.
All of us here are shoulders deep in speculation at this point and no doubt each opinion has logic behind them. What I think we can all agree on is that the modular approach to the two most significant platforms consciously allows for many combinations and applications within and among the brands. I believe vehicles like the Compass, Renegade, Hornet and Rampage are legacy vehicles, too competent and proven to walk away from too soon, and too early in need of replacement to rush the transition to the new family of platforms. Since I’m a big Cherokee fan and waiting for the next generation, I’m pretty confident it will be a STLA Large product. The few shortcomings of this really satisfying SUV is size, which I think could be a tad wider, a tad longer thus increasing interior size, comfort, and cargo capacity. A larger rear door opening would do wonders. This seems to align with the Large platform and its various electric and non-electric power trains. Why wait on this logical transition? Pretty sure the Cherokee will grow and create greater separation from the Compass, this compact Jeep being a sure fire candidate for the new Medium platform. I’m wishing for a Hurricane six with electric augmented 4WD with my next Cherokee....or will it be a Stealth? True to the Stellantis plan, I have choices.
Respectfully, Stellantis is not going to go back to the Sebring/Dart/ Civic type products. Chrysler didn't make money on those types of vehicles.
Right now, we are all in speculation mode. A bit of concern, fear, and maybe a slight bit of hope for out beloved brand is something that I'm sure we are all feeling. At least I know that I am. Right now, we're watching Stellantis, North America go through alot of changes due to the ever changing EPA Regulations and the thing that makes us love the brand so much is actually the thing that's causing it to be a huge target. To me, the solution is simple. Take the Chrysler brand, make it all EV to compete in the Premium EV market, take Jeep as the volume seller brand and go full hybrid and full EV, not really worrying about massive power for 95% of the lineup and this way they can focus the performance hybrids and performance EVs with the Dodge brand. This would give us time to get the infrastructure ready for a massive EV influx, that currently, thanks to the Knee-Jerk decisions by the government, we aren't prepared for. The problem is, it may not be that simple. While I hate to admit it, Ford had the best idea introducing the ecoboost family of vehicles awhile ago, which helped them to keep their carbon footprint low because nearly everything has an ecoboost 4 or 6 cylinder under the hood, which allows them to keep the small displacement 5.0L/5.2L V8 going. But even with that, those engines make up a tiny portion of what they sell overall because even in the trucks, the 2.7L Ecoboost and 3.5L Ecoboost outsell the 5.0L V8 by a considerable margin and the 3.0L Hybrid in several vehicles makes alot of power without the need for a V8 and is more "emissions friendly." As I mentioned above, there is major power to be made with the 3.0L Hurricane I-6 twin turbo, especially in hybrid form and who knows, that engine may just be the first of several Inline-6 twin turbo engines that fall under the Hurricane name. Again, all speculation because right now, we don't know. We know on one side that the V8 engines "As we know it" are going to be gone. we know that the current gen muscle cars are leaving after this run. We know that the new vehicles are going to be on the STLA Medium, Large and Frame platforms, We know we're getting hurricane engines, we know the next Gen 8HP transmission is going to be hybrid capable, We know electric models are coming, We know the grid as of right now can't handle the entire auto industry going full EV because of infrastructure and several other things. (alot of which could simply be solved by moving nearly all residential and commercial buildings to solar/wind power but I don't want to say that because it would make too much sense). The problem is right now, what we don't know. We don't know what Stellantis is going to be doing exactly with the North American Brands in the upcoming years. We can speculate all day of what we hope to see and what we want to see. But, we don't really know what the brand is going to do within the next couple of years. Honestly, there are so many things I would love to see the Stellantis: North American brand do with the complete lineup of vehicles from Chrysler to Jeep. There are so many Jeep models that could easily be brought back and really made to compete with the rest of the world with simply the STLA Large platform and the 4Xe powertrain. Seeing that the Wrangler and Gladiator will be on the STLA: Frame platform in the near future, Jeep would easily be free to have the Cherokee Chief (That should compete with the Bronco), Grand Cherokee with all of the Hurricane and 4Xe powertrains as well as full BEV options and the Recon (which is a complete BEV). With Tim Kuniskis over the Ram Brand and Dodge Brand, Ram should fall back under Dodge and if they want a vehicle to compete with the Tahoe, Suburban, and Expedition, here's a no-brainer idea, call it the RAMCHARGER!!!!!! Oh wait, GMC Just came out with the hummer EV. Okay cool, the Ramcharger would be on the STLA: Frame platform, give the SUV a full BEV option with the 800V system that supposedly may have a tri-motor 1,200hp setup. Done! Make both of the 3.0L Hurricane options hybrid and outpower both Ford and GM's SUVs. Oh wait, we don't want to cannibalize the Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer sales. No problem, give it a different mission since the Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer go after the Denali and Escalade anyway and not the Tahoe/Suburban/Expedition/Navigator anyway. Give it a bit of TRX and Rebel Hardware (and trim options) and take it back to its roots with a bit of retro styling. With Ram back under the Dodge umbrella, expand the 1500 to a wider group of enthusiasts and bring the street performance trucks back. Also bring back the Dakota and Rampage to compete with vehicles like the Ranger, the Canyon, The Colorado, the Maverick, the Tacoma, the Ridgeline and the Santa Cruze. Make them all Hybrids and EVs and call it a day. And Tim Kuniskis needs to stop playing and go jump in that "Sandbox" with the Mustang and stop staying in the Sandbox it's in and make a Mustang Destroyer. Like I said before, I hate to say it but Ford has something that works with the Mustang and it's high time that Dodge steps up to the plate and takes a real swing. Fun fact, the Barracuda was the car that competed with the Mustang, not the Challenger. The Challenger was the more luxury oriented muscle car while the Barracuda was the more hard-edged Mustang & Camaro fighter. The thing about the Barracuda is, from '64-'69, it also came with a fastback option, ergo the reason it would do better as a mustang competitor than the Challenger. To me, the best idea would be to drop the Challenger from the lineup and replace it with the Barracuda because it would fall more in line with the new styling direction the brand is going. Especially looking at the design language of the Charger Banshee concept. While the car was made by Plymouth, A fastback/liftback Dodge version that's more aerodynamic with the Hurricane engine options and even blends aspects of the different years into the iconic Barracuda fastback styling with AWD and everything else would be more than enough to dominate the Mustang's Pony car reign. It would also put it in the crosshairs to challenge the BMW M4 and possibly even the Nissan GTR as well. Again this is all speculation and hopefulness of things the brand can do with what they have at their disposal. With these platforms and powertrains, the brand can move through nearly any segment it wants along with utilizing names and trim packages from several different eras. Chrysler could easily be reborn as the Premium BEV segment rivaling EV luxury and performance vehicles from Tesla, Lucid, BWM, Mercedes Benz, Cadillac, Denali, Audi, Porsche, Polestar, and all of the others. Jeep can still be the bread-winner of the bunch with industry leading hybrids and BEV SUVs. Dodge can still lead the horsepower and muscle car charge into the future and even possibly bring back the Viper as an insane Hybrid-Hurricane powered vehicle with an Banshee Tri-Motor system. The Viper, to me is the only car in the Mopar lineup that really could benefit from a spin off. This way it could not only compete with the upcoming Corvette sub-brand with a sports car and performance crossover, but it could also compete with vehicles like the Lamborghini Urus, the Porsche Cayenne and other ultra-high performance super SUVS. The only difference would be that the Viper Sub-brand could offer different performance levels that would be more attainable to the working class enthusiast. Ultra high performance 800V tri-Motor BEVs and Hurricane hybrids could definitely span the lineup similar to what a performance crossover Mercedes or BMW X6 or Porsche offers. IDK, to me, the Stellantis: North American branch has so much it could do right now with the platforms and powertrains it has. I could go on forever with thoughts and Ideas and speculations and hopes and dreams of all the potential that I see and someone who has a love and understanding of the Mopar brand from the NASCAR & Muscle car days of the 50's, '60's and '70's, the history and legacy of the Jeep Brand, a legacy of industry firsts like the first minivan (Caravan), the first crossover (AMC Eagle) the first luxury SUV (Grand Wagoneer), the First pony car (Barracuda), first 200mph cars (Daytona & Superbird), the GLH and K-Car era of the 80's and 90's, to the SRT4, SRT8, 392 & Hellcat days we experience now. I guess in a sense I'm super passionate about the brand (hence why none of my responses can ever be just one sentence, sorry) because of all that the brand has been in this industry and how it spans such a large section of the auto industry. The Mopar brand is an entire brand for enthusiasts. Tim Kuniskis called the Dodge brand "The Neck Tattoo of the industry" while I understand what he meant and in a way he might have been right. the Dodge brand (as well as the entire Mopar brand) is the the only brand that encompasses so many enthusiasts under its entire umbrella, The whole Mopar umbrella is a brotherhood of muscle. It is Family (in Dom Toretto voice) because the brand is build on passion, it's built on love, its built on tradition, it's built on foundation, it's built for "We the people...", This brand unites us more than any other American Brand on the market. This brand makes us feel alive and it isn't just the Hemi V8s that do it because the Jeep 4.0L I-6 and the 225 Slant-6 are just as iconic as a 440magnum or a Hellcat V8. It just depends on what era we were in at the time. Mopar is a brand where we stand out together. Mopar is the brand that offers more factory customization options than any other brand out there (Something that needs to grow with these twin turbo engines and new platforms under Direct Connection if you guys at stellantis are reading this!!) Again, I could go on forever about this stuff, but again, long story short. Stellantis, North America has alot of potential with what they could do with the upcoming platforms and powertrains. my only hope is that the brand can be successful and still be themselves for the next several generations and that it will still be a brand for us enthusiasts, both on road and off.
But the company (especially those execs that are powerful stockholders) believes RAM success was drive by separating it from Dodge brand.
This inaccurate because the Truck Marketshare says otherwise, and with the way things are head politically come 2024, Ford wasted their cash.
At one point in time they were probably correct.
I said nothing about the truck market and they're dropping the 5.7 so you have no point. Those 5.7s are still wiping out cam lobes (mine is a 2014 300C). A light weight Hemi that has a 2 mpg improvement would keep it around now we have nothing. Wake up and quit living in 2009.
Hurricane is nothing... gotcha sport.
