Dodge and Chrysler will tackle the UK market with two distinctly separate ranges of cars, when the Dodge brand arrives in Chrysler and Jeep dealerships from this autumn. Dodge’s range will concentrate on sporty saloons and hatches, topped by the SRT-10 supercar, while Chrysler will offer specialist, niche models.
‘This is how the ranges have been conceived in the US and I think it’s absolutely the right way to go in the UK,’ said Chrysler marketing boss Steve Gray.
Critics fear that the model ranges won’t address one of Chrysler’s biggest weaknesses – a disparate range of niche cars with a confusing brand image.
And Dodge’s launch here will be a drawn-out affair. The Viper replacement, the Dodge SRT-10, arrives in December. But buyers must wait a further 18 months for the first mainstream model.
This car will be Dodge’s new C-segment hatchback, on sale in mid-2006 to rival the VW Golf and Ford Focus. It is based on a new platform co-developed alongside the next Mitsubishi Lancer. No Chrysler version will be sold.
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