Chrysler Group said on Wednesday it would refresh its Dodge car line, adding new fuel-efficient small and mid-sized models, as the automaker seeks to appeal to a broader range of customers.
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Chrysler plans to update the interiors, replace the engines and improve the driving for four of its existing vehicles by the fourth quarter of 2010, according to Ralph Gilles, Chrysler’s chief executive for the Dodge car brand. A new seven passenger crossover vehicle will be added to the line up in a year’s time, Gilles said at a presentation of Chrysler’s five-year plan, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.
“It is the beginning of a new era at Dodge,” Gilles told the audience of financial analysts, media and executives. “Every car that we have will have a soul.”
Last month Chrysler separated Dodge cars from its Dodge Ram trucks as Chrysler chief executive Sergio Marchionne shook up management at the automaker which emerged from bankruptcy in June.
Dodge will undergo a “complete overhaul of marketing and branding” that will be completed by the second quarter of next year. Gilles said the brand, which is getting a new logo, would have to get “the fundamentals fixed first.”
The vehicles that will be refreshed by the end of next year are the Avenger sedan, the Journey sports utility vehicle, the Caravan minivan and the Charger sedan. Chrysler will begin producing Caliber compact cars with refreshed interiors at the end of this month. The Nitro SUV will also be repositioned to be more of a lifestyle vehicle.
In addition, Dodge will also be adding three new vehicles: a sub-compact, a compact hatchback, and a midsize sedan to replace the Avenger. The midsized sedan is aimed “to create a car that feels like a niche car but attacks the core of the market.”
The company will phase out the Viper sports car in July but aims to bring it back with the help of Fiat’s expertise in 2012, the WSJ added.
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