Aside from adding increasing amounts of horsepower, little has changed at Dodge. But that’s about to change as the brand begins an expansive new business plan Dodge has dubbed “Never Lift,” a move previously reported by TheDetroitBureau.com. Now, published reports have put some flesh on the bones about what’s coming.
Within the next few months, Dodge will be revealing a concept version of their first battery-electric muscle car, a vehicle first reported by TheDetroitBureau.com in June.
According to MotorTrend, it will be a drivable high-performance concept driven by patent-pending electric technology. The vehicle is one of at least six all-electric vehicles are currently in the styling studio in Auburn Hills, Michigan, along with at least one — and likely several — plug-in hybrids meant for various Stellantis brands.
It will be built on the corporate STLA Large platform and have a 500-mile range. Dodge is promising it will be the fastest Dodge ever built. That means faster than a Hellcat or Demon.
Not long for this world
Motor Authority reports buyers have two more model years to buy a Hellcat, according to Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis. Come 2024, Hellcats are history. Similarly, don’t look for a 2022 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat. Dodge ended production of the model because the engine no longer meets emissions regulations on that platform.
This means we’re in the final years of the Hellcat, an era that will end come the dawn of the 2024 model year. That’s when Dodge performance will be increasingly electrified.
Plug-in hybrids coming as well
In addition to the 2024 electric muscle car, a new plug-in hybrid electric vehicle is coming as well, which Dodge will reveal soon. It’s slated to go into production by the end of next year, but what its nameplate will be has not been revealed.
Certainly, it won’t be the Durango, which is still using an older Jeep platform, not the new one used by the Grand Cherokee. That precludes it getting a 4xe variant until a changeover is made — if it’s made at all. Axing the Durango could help clarify Dodge’s performance image, particularly if it’s replaced by a crossover that’s more performance oriented although that’s idle speculation.
What is known is that a third car will be revealed by the end of 2022, one with a lot of importance to Dodge.
Another blast from the past
Dodge isn’t shy about mining its heritage, which explains the return of the fratzog, the logo that graced Dodge vehicles from 1962 through 1976. The made up name means nothing in particular, and isn’t an acronym. But it’s visual link to Dodge’s muscle heydays of the 1960s makes it an invaluable bit of marketing, one that will be used on Dodge BEVs, including Dodge’s new electric muscle car.
In the meantime, Dodge will introduce the Dodge Charger and Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody Jailbreak models for 2022, named because customers can choose new unrestricted option combinations in more than 20 categories for Challengers, including seven options for seats, stripes and wheels; six brake caliper color options; five exterior badging finishes; and four choices of steering wheels, seat belt colors and floor mats.
On the Charger, choices include seven wheel options, six exterior stripe and brake caliper color offerings, five varieties of seats and exterior badging finishes, and four options of steering wheels, seat belt colors and floor mats. There will also be preconfigured Jailbreak models named Old School and Brass Funky.
Best of all, the Jailbreak models’ output on the SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody jumps to 807 horsepower.
Dodge amps up its dealers
Dodge will also certify certain dealers as Dodge Power Brokers, but they must meet company requirements for selling and servicing high-performance vehicles. According to the MotorTrend report, Dodge will start with a pilot project about 100 dealers.
That’s a lot considering 300 of 2,500 Dodge dealers account for half of the brand’s high-performance volume. These dealers will have access to order and stock Jailbreak models on the showroom floor.
The company is also reviving Dodge Direct Connection performance kits, allowing consumers to upgrade their existing cars. This allows for warranty-friendly upgrades when carried out by a Power Broker dealer.
The moves are just the beginning of “Never Lift” campaign, which will launch new Dodge models and initiatives over the next two years.
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Kiss the Hellcat Goodbye, Dodge Chief Says - Paul Eisenstein
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