Dodge Gives Us A Sneak Peek At It’s Newest SUV Offering For The Mexican Market:

The discontinuation of the Dodge Journey has left Dodge with a huge hole in its brand portfolio. With the plan to unveil an all-new Alfa Romeo Tonale-based SUV dubbed the Hornet next year, Dodge the brand is looking to fill in the gap with an exciting performance-based SUV offering. However, for Dodge’s Mexico division, they aren’t waiting for the Hornet to jump back into the midsized SUV market.

Instead, Dodge Mexico is giving us a sneak peek thanks to a couple of teaser images of the brand’s newest SUV for the Mexican market. The teaser images show a camouflaged SUV with the signature Dodge “race track” rear taillight design, which we all have come to love. 

Upon close inspection, the new Dodge SUV appears to be a rebadged version of the CAC-built Trumpchi GS5 compact crossover. GAC has a long-time relationship with the former Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), especially when it comes to the Jeep® brand, as a joint venture with FCA has GAC produce vehicles like the Renegade, Compass, Cherokee, and Grand Commander for China.

The Trumpchi GS5’s architecture dates back to the Alfa Romeo 166, which was in production from 1996 to 2007. But while the architecture dates back to the mid-1990s, it has been updated several times. As for the GS5 itself, the version that we are seeing here in Dodge form was last updated in 2018.

A facelift for the 2021 model year was launched during the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show, with the company changing the GS5’s name to the Trumpchi GS4 Plus.

In terms of size, the GS5 fits right between the Jeep Compass and the all-new Jeep Commander. We created a chart below comparing the three vehicles, so you can see the difference between them.

The GS5 is powered by a turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-four-cylinder engine delivering 166 horsepower (124 kW) and 195 ft-lb. (265 Nm) of torque. The engine is paired with either a 5-speed automatic or 6-speed manual transmission. The powertrain is good for around 33 MPG and does offer either front-wheel-drive (FWD) or all-wheel-drive (AWD).

@Gerard_GC @gabosalazar21 y esta cuál es? pic.twitter.com/36Ilu3CCfB

— Martin (@Puramasacrexion) April 20, 2021

Several months ago, photos of the new Dodge-based SUV in camouflaged were posted on Twitter by @Puramasacrexion, showing the SUV on public roads near the Stellantis Mexican headquarters in Mexico City.

In an official release sent to us by Dodge Mexico, it states “A new Dodge SUV is yet to arrive, and in its testing phase, it shows some muscular and dynamic lines, typical of the American firm. Likewise, state-of-the-art headlamps, the characteristic Redline taillight, as well as the prominent front grille, will be the visual stars. 
The D-pillar was strategically designed to improve the coefficient of aerodynamic friction, as well as to provide greater visibility and avoid blind spots.
 
You will learn more about this all-new SUV shortly, which will usher in a new era for the Dodge brand.”

This is not the first time Dodge Mexico has rebranded vehicles from another automotive manufacturer and sold them under their banner. The subcompact Dodge Attitude in Mexico, started life as a Hyundai Accent for the first two generations of its life, while the current model spawns from the Mitsubishi Attrage. Also, the popular Dodge Neon nameplate was resurrected in Mexico thanks to the Fiat Tipo sedan for the past several years.

What do you think of the Trumpchi GS5 serving as a Dodge for the brand’s Mexican portfolio? Let us know in the comments below or the MoparInsiders forums.