The CEOs of Stellantis are truly arrogant and stubborn, but also I don't think they want Mopar brands to succeed. They don't listen to their customers nor do they take heed to even the leaders they had. The Mopar brands are brands driven by passion, history and heritage and it is the reason the brand has been doing what it has been doing for the last two decades. The current Mopar Brands need two platforms to carry across four brands STLA Large and STLA Frame. That's it! We can deal without big block V8s or even V8s at all for the most part but the EV movement CANNOT be the main push for the majority of Mopar brands. Should they have a presence? Yes, absolutely they should but it can't be the main presence of the majority of the brands. Hybrid technology is readily available and that should be the bulk of where the electrification comes from. ZF already has the plug in ZF 8-speed hybrid transmission in use in some BMW 7-Series cars, so why not put that transmission behind the two Hurricane powertrains with the AWD setup and have everything electrified in a way that no one will be pissed off about. The next segment in italics is an excerpt from ZF's website:
ZF Plans $500 Million Investment, Brings Next Generation Mobility to Gray Court
"Through this planned investment, ZF will be adding new product lines in Gray Court over the next several years, including the launch of the 8HP Gen4 PHEV already on the BMW 7 Series and X5.
Through PHEV technology, drivers are offered pure electric driving, and in addition, a highly efficient internal combustion system. “For today’s drivers this means they can contribute to a greener planet while reaping the benefits of increased fuel economy without having to rely on a charging infrastructure – it’s really a win-win,” von Schuckmann added. “ZF PHEV transmissions are currently produced in Germany, but I’m excited to announce that for our North American customers, this product will be manufactured in Gray Court beginning in 2025, as part of our local-for-local strategy. However, this is just one part of our vision, ZF plans to enter the next phase of transformation, as we seek federal funding.”
Powerful electric motors are integrated into the transmission housing of the ZF 8HP Gen4, enabling pure electric driving performance of up to 160 kilowatts and a torque of 450 Nm – almost double the previous 8-speed generation. “Depending on the battery dimensions of our customers, we can easily achieve an all-electric range of more than 75 miles with our latest-generation 8-speed plug-in hybrid, and further electric range means reduced CO2 emissions,” explained von Schuckmann. “The 8HP Gen4 PHEV’s efficiency means electric drives will be the main propulsion for plug-in hybrids in the future compared to combustion engines, and will significantly reduce the ‘range anxiety’ of many drivers on the road to electrified mobility. And if it should be a longer journey, then the efficient combustion engine supports the electric drive to reach the desired destination in a relaxed manner.”
For those of you who read in HP & LB-FT when it comes to power and torque output, 160killowatts equals roughly 215hp and 450Nm of torque equals roughly 332lb-ft of torque. Currently, the Hurricane powertrain outputs are as follows:
2.0L Hurricane: 270hp/295lb-ft of torque
3.0L Hurricane Standard Output 420hp/468lb-ft of torque
3.0L High Output: 550hp/531lb-ft of torque
Now, lets add the ZF Gen-4 Hybrid numbers to that
2.0L Hurricane: 485hp/627lb-ft of torque
3.0L Hurricane S/O: 635hp/800lb-ft of torque
3.0L Hurricane H/O: 765hp/863lb-ft of torque
Now, that's not to say everything out there NEEDS to have the hybrid setups but they'd make for some amazing next gen muscle cars and would have been way better received than an Electric Dodge Charger. Tim Kuniskis' statement of "If a charger can make a Charger faster......" should have lead to Hybrid Hurricane technology and not some EV with a speaker. Now don't get me wrong, I love the thought process behind what Stellantis did with the EV in at least trying, but when that much money is on the line, that should not have been top priority as far as products to bring to market. Don't get me wrong it has it's place and I think the Banshee with the 800V system is a marvelous idea as a Halo car above the hybrids and even for Chrysler, but not for the introduction of the new Charger. The biggest thing to me is why over complicate something that is so simple. Give each brand four or five vehicles to work with in a layout something like this.
RAM: This brand needs no explanation, it's a truck brand plain and simple. The Ram lineup gets a pass with more than a four vehicle lineup because Ram also includes Ram Commercial, but even still the lineup for Ram would be as follows:
(Commercial) Ram Promaster and Promaster City (STLA, LARGE) : AWD vehicles, mostly all EV with 400V (Promaster City) & 800V (Promaster models. This is where the low center of gravity comes in handy as cargo vans are usually very light and shifty (with high winds) and don't handle very well. Also, not everyone likes sitting up super high. Even to have the front end redesigned with less of a cab-over design and more crossover like would be a step in the right direction. A lower platform means easier loading and egress for fleet companies that transport heavier items.
STLA, LARGE
Rampage: Longitudinally mounted drivetrain with two options 2.0L Hurricane ICE (270hp/295tq) and 2.0L Hurricane Hybrid (485hp/627tq) on an R/T model
STLA FRAME
Dakota: STLA Frame but smaller than that Ram 1500. 2.0L Hurricane Hybrid base, and the 3.0L Hurricane S/O & H/O hybrid powertrains for the performance models. It's time for Ram to bring back a few street performance trucks as well and the
Dakota would be the model to do it with. Not only the legendary Dakota R/T but also a GLH model (homage to the Shelby Dakota) and a Dakota Rumble Bee.
Ram 1500: Combination of all 3.0L Hurricane models (ICE & Hybrid) along with the Ramcharger vehicles which are electric but have the 3.6L Pentastar range extender on board.
Ram HD class pickups & commercial chassis cab vehicles : Cummins Diesels & hybrid variants of the Cummins powertrain lineup and new transmissions
CHRYSLER: American EV luxury at it's finest. There is no secret that Stellantis has done the Chrysler brand dirty but I can't fully blame Stellantis for the downfall of this once great American brand. Chrysler really hasn't had many good products in a very long time. Gone are the days of the 300M Special, the Chrysler Concorde and Chrysler LHS cars or even unique cars like the Lebaron. All we have left is a minivan as the flying brick with two couches inside known as the Chrysler 300 sedan has been discontinued from existence. It's not all bad though because the Chrysler 300 (like the Challenger and Charger) was getting redundant. Like it or not, it was time for them all to change but Stellantis went about their presentation completely wrong. While I love the smooth, sleek look of the 1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst, I think it would be amazing if Chrysler did something really badass with the next gen 300 and make it a modern version of the 1960 model year Chrysler 300 F with a coupe and convertible model. A two door, four seater EV luxury performance batmobile with AWD, the 800V Banshee system, a crosshair grille with an LED tri-color 300 emblem in the center, a fratzonic exhaust, E-Rupt system and all of the bells and whistles that would be on the Charger Banshee. An 885hp AWD Luxury car with a 1,320hp version to dethrone Tesla and Lucid would make alot of sense. It's four door version, the equally sexy Chrysler New Yorker sedan with the same styling and powertrains just with four doors. The Crossover? You guessed it, the Town and Country, which in 1960, was the wagon version of the the New Yorker so it would make sense that a slightly higher riding version of the this 1960 model year themed car in a four-door station wagon type setup would make sense as a crossover with better styling than the airflow concept. This is how you build on a Mopar legacy of luxury performance with full electrification without degrading it. Those three vehicles can also be accompanied by the Chrysler Pacifica Minivan on the STLA platform with an 800V full EV system. While obviously not a performance vehicle, this vehicle still has a fast charging time and good range so that customers who are looking for a silent, luxurious family vehicle can have something that they can truly appreciate for distance driving. With that completing the STLA Large portfolio for Chrysler, the misnamed Grand Wagoneer should move to become the Chrysler Imperial. Still on the 800V system but with the 3.6L Pentastar range extender. Not only does this give Chrysler an amazing lineup, it separates them from your other brands and makes them unique. As I said earlier, EVs can not be the main source of power for MOST of the Mopar brands, however Chrysler in the premium luxury brand of the American Mopar group, so it would make sense from a pricing stand point that the Chrysler brand moves to become the electric ambassador of Mopar.
JEEP: THE OFF-ROAD ICON, THE AUTOMOTIVE SYMBOL OF AMERICAN FREEDOM. The Jeep brand has really stretched itself to so many areas of the automotive market. While it's Wrangler still holds on to its signature iconic look, It stretches it's range from Luxury SUVs, & Premium SUVs all the way down to being gifts for a sweet-16 birthday gift or a cheap way for a college kid to get his first car and get most of their stuff back and forth from the dorm to home. Simply put, Jeep has become the everything thingy brand of the Mopar lineup. Moving to two platforms would leave Jeep with two vehicles on the STLA Large platform and two on the STLA frame platform. STLA Large would get a Cherokee and Grand Cherokee while the STLA frame would get the Wrangler and Gladiator. All four vehicles would have one powertrain option and that is the Hybrid 2.0L Hurricane powertrain producing 485hp and 627lb-ft of torque, making all Jeep vehicles 4Xe with no exceptions. The Cherokee and Grand Cherokee SUVs would pretty much differ in the same ways the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer differ but the difference is more in capability than luxury. It would also be the first time since the early 80's that a Jeep model really stepped away from the 7 vertical grille slots as the Jeep Cherokee would move back to the horizontally slotted grille of the SJ Cherokees while the Grand Cherokee would bring back the 14-slot vertical grille also seen on certain SJ models. Another difference would be that the Cherokee would ride on the Standard wheel base while the Grand Cherokee would ride on the long wheel base. Trim packages such as the Cherokee Chief and Grand Cherokee Golden Eagle should return as well as Rubicon, Rubicon-X, Sahara & Mohave trim levels, making the new Cherokee and Grand Cherokee more than just over plush pavement princesses, even though there will be models of these two vehicles that will cater to just that. The STLA frame platform vehicles would be the Wrangler and the Gladiator. The move to the STLA Frame platform should be able to give the Wrangler Unlimited more cargo space while also making it more capable than ever. The Gladiator should come as a long bed truck only with a deeper bed and it should be close to a Ram 1500 in capability
At this point now, each brand has a four to five vehicle lineup with absolutely no V8s in sight. You have a Jeep brand that is full hybrid, a Chrysler brand that is full EV while still respecting it's legendary history and a Ram brand that is even more diverse than ever and offers hybrid technology for reduced emissions and moves towards a complete clean energy lineup. This leaves one last brand and that is DODGE.
DODGE, THE LEGENDARY BRAND OF AMERICAN MUSCLE! It is no secret that these last 20 years have been some of the best years of Mopar Muscle. While not as diverse as the 60's, this amazing span of time that has covered the last two decade have truly been awesome thanks to Dodge and the rebirth of the Muscle cars! While the era of big cubic inch V8 blown muscle cars are coming to a close, it doesn't really mean that it is the end of Mopar performance Remember, SRT started out with the SRT4 Neon and then grew to Hellcats, Redeyes and Demons so there's no need to think that Dodge needs to throw in the towel just because the V8s are gone. Like the brands above, Dodge could utilize a four vehicle strategy to stay at the forefront of American performance and never miss a beat. The new Charger comes in both sedan and coupe form and there is no reason Dodge can't give us a 420hp Charger GT Six Pack, a 550hp Charger R/T, a 635hp Charger Scat Pack with the 3.0L Hurricane S/O hybrid and a 765hp Charger SRT Super Bee with the 3.0L Hurricane H/O hybrid and maybe even something a bit hotter with that Hurricane Cat-X engine, maybe slightly detuned for street-legal purposes but with the hybrid transmission attached to it so it still makes over 1,000hp and could even challenge the new ZR1 in a drag race. I think at that point even if had a hybrid pushing 1,000+hp, there would still be room for a Charger SRT Daytona Banshee 1320 to be an EV crown jewel just to dethrone Tesla at the drag strip. In no way shape or form do I see that as an actual problem and honestly, I think that would really make everyone happy when it comes to this whole muscle car thing. Granted it's more Grand National than 426-Hemi but it's still something with sustenance. With that we move to the next vehicle up, the Dodge Hornet. There was nothing wrong with the idea of the Dodge Hornet, it's platform and powertrain however, leave much to be desired. While the 270hp non-hybrid variant of the 2.0L Hurricane mounted longitudinally with AWD with some sporty features on the STLA Large platform would be enough to make this version of the Hornet an all around better vehicle, A 485hp Hornet R/T GLH would be even better. The "powered by SRT" upgraded Hornet would still be a practical gateway model into the world of Mopar Performance. Taking some cues from the Wagoneer S with a floating rear wing between flying buttresses and blending it with the current Hornet's styling and making the two-row crossover a bit bigger and longer with more cargo space, the new Hornet would have impressive styling both inside and outside. The thinking behind this would be essentially making the hornet a Mopar version of what the Maserati Levante Trofeo is in Europe. an SUV crossover that behaves more like a sports car. Stepping up from that would be the Durango, which should still be the Charger of the SUV world, carrying the same powertrains from the 485hp 2.0L Hurricane-4 Hybrid up to the 765hp Hurricane H/O hybrid powertrain. An impressive lineup of vehicles that will continue to let Dodge be Dodge even with electrification, but wait, there's more! Dodge is a brand of passion, customization and expression and with Direct Connection back, these new performance vehicles can give customers the ability to make them their own with graphics, light upgrades, aero & styling upgrades and even performance upgrades. Collaborations with companies certain aftermarket performance companies for 50-state legal cosmetic and performance upgrades would allow the Dodge brand to be highly profitable. Dodge really needs a Ramcharger SUV to compete in the market where the Tahoe and Yukon compete and a STLA Frame SUV would be awesome, especially if it had trim levels like the Warlock, Rebel & RHO. Both Hurricane-6 non hybrid engine variants would be present.
In my opening paragraph, I made the comment that the CURRENT Mopar lineup needs only the two platforms (STLA Large & Frame). But there is another Mopar brand that needs to be rebirthed and would actually be solely reliant (hint) on the STLA Medium platform and that is Plymouth. The STLA Medium platform can take on a the same variety of vehicles that the STLA Large platform can come in (Coupe, Sedan, crossover and SUV, including a high riding SUV with fairly large tires and Plymouth can use that flexibility spread itself through the market with both hybrid & full BEV powertrains to compete with companies like Honda, Acura, Toyota, Kia, Nissan and even Ford's Mustang. While the current Dodge Hornet has been pretty much a bust, the idea behind the technology Stellantis is using is worthwhile. Using the same 177hp 1.3L Turbo engine from the Hornet R/T and coupling that with the new E-DCT transaxle that stellantis has with the 48V hybrid system at the front of the car with a 215hp EDM at the rear gets us the standard 392hp combined output that Plymouth will see across the board of it's entire lineup. Adding the 270hp 2.0L Hurricane-4 powertrain with the E-DCT transaxle and 215hp EDM at the rear moves the horsepower needle up to 485hp. Plymouth would also have full BEV options with two electric drive modules producing a total of 382hp. Something to keep in mind is that these vehicles aren't chasing the crazy horsepower numbers of Dodge so while some may look at these numbers and think they are low, remember these are still cars that push nearly 400hp at the low end and the top hp numbers are equal to that of a 6.4L Scat Pack, yet these are cars that are designed to compete with the likes of the Toyota Camry, the Honda Accord, the Kia K5, the Acura TLX, Acura MDX, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, and the rest of the heart of the market vehicles. The Plymouth brand will be for those customers who want a commuter vehicle with great economy and decent full electric range but still has a bit of that Mopar attitude and maybe even a little bit of that Direct Connection customization. Using the same 4-vehicle strategy gives Plymouth these four vehicles
Plymouth Trailduster SUV: Direct competitor to vehicles like the Honda Pilot, the Kia Telluride, the Hyundai Palisade, Chevy Traverse and any FWD based semi-rugged SUV in it's class with best in class 392hp.
Plymouth Voyager Crossover: Heart of the Market Crossover with either the full 382hp BEV driveline or the 392hp 1.3L Turbo hybrid setup. Along with rearward opening rear doors for a large area for entry and egress paying homage to the original
Plymouth minivan.
Plymouth Valiant Sedan: Sporty commuter sedan, to compete with the Camry, Accord and K5 with the RWD type chassis tuning that makes the Acura TLX Type S SH AWD sedan a blast to drive and the hatchback capability that made the Kia Stinger
ahead of it's time. All with a top performing 485hp Hurricane-4 Hybrid powertrain.
Plymouth Duster Coupe: An AWD Mustang destroyer with a top performing 485hp hybrid setup and all of the SRT/GLH technology pumped into an affordable coupe with a hidden hatchback/fastback design that makes the car more practical than
the Ford Pony car with modern retro styling, a wide stance and sportscar like handling.
Again, paying homage to heritage without offending the Mopar customer base all while producing drivetrains that are emissions friendly with Electric technology. This is how you move the Mopar brands into this new automobile era without ticking everyone off. This is a lineup of twenty vehicles spread across the entire Mopar umbrella that embody what the Mopar brands really are. This is a win-win situation being that Stellantis gets to reduce it's carbon footprint so it doesn't have to buy tax credits and doesn't get fined along with keeping their customer base happy and effectively expanding their customer base while on the other side of that us as fans of the Mopar brands get to continue having our beloved vehicles that not only still carry the horsepower that we love but at the end of the day are still cars with internal combustion engines and all of the things we like, minus two cylinders. This would be an amazing next Chapter for Mopar. One that would actually work.
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