Take a guess

 

Forget chasing Honda Accord and Toyota Camry buyers, Dodge says. They won't "get" the 2006 Dodge Charger.

Instead, Dodge will market its new sedan to Dodge owners, domestic buyers and import buyers looking for performance and edgy design, says Judy Wheeler, director of Dodge marketing.

Advertising primarily will stress performance. Styling and value are the other key messages, she says. Advertising begins in May.

"Advertising is going to be about the way the vehicle makes you feel when you drive it," Wheeler says. "And it's a Dodge vehicle, which means it doesn't look like everybody else's vehicle sitting in the driveway."

The Charger's image won't resonate with Accord and Camry shoppers seeking "a more vanilla" model, Wheeler says.

"Dodge is being realistic" says Jim Hall, vice president of industry analysis at AutoPacific Inc. in Southfield, Mich. "There was a time when they would have said, 'Yes, it will compete with everything.'"

The Accord and Camry defined the mid-sized car in the late 20th century, Hall says. The models are front-wheel-drive, primarily equipped with four-cylinder engines.

In contrast, the Charger is a larger, rear-wheel-drive sedan equipped with a 3.5-liter V-6 or a 5.7-liter V-8.

Dodge has found a "clear space" in the market, Hall says. Charger's performance/design/pricing formula is similar to that of the successful Chrysler 300 sedan, he says.

The Charger will appeal primarily to domestic buyers, Hall says, citing the sedan's styling and Dodge's image.

"Dodge is heavily known for in-your-face trucks," he says. "They are definitely American."

That's OK with Wheeler. Customer research shows that owners of competing domestic brands gave the Charger the same purchase consideration as did Dodge owners, she says.

Dodge will not say how many Chargers it expects to sell to Dodge owners or to owners of competing brands. Wheeler says the brand is reaching Dodge owners through direct mailing and Internet marketing.

Charger is crucial to the Dodge brand, she says.

Dodge is trying to rebuild its image as a carmaker. In 2004, trucks represented 78.0 percent of its U.S. sales.

In consumer research, "When they think about the Dodge brand it is very much associated with trucks and minivans," Wheeler says.

Hall says rebuilding the image of Dodge cars will take more than a single model.

"You have a company that let the passenger-car side of the business go over decades," he says. Charger "is another step they have to take to get to where they want to be."

Wheeler says reviving the Charger name was part of the strategy to reinforce Dodge's image as a car brand. Company monitoring of Internet blogs shows the strategy is working based on the Charger citations, she says.

Advertising will be geared toward men, Wheeler says.

Strong, independent women will respond to the advertising message of performance, styling and value, she says, but men wouldn't accept ads geared to women.

"We've found if we focus advertising toward women we are going to turn off men," Wheeler says.

About 65 percent of Charger buyers are likely to be males, she says. The buyers are expected to be in their mid-40s. Charger's heritage is not part of the advertising message.

http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=102209

 

I like the Charger/Magnum/300C. And while I do believe that these individual cars have a distinct look, are they trying to say that they have a history of distinct-looking vehicles? Kind of like the "everycar" Intrepid and Stratus? :dunno:

 

what a bastardization of a great classic.

 

mscle car haters? Please. It looks like every other dodge i've seen. Magnum front end intrepid rear.

The only thing Dodge has going for them right now in my opinion is the HEMI they are deciding to put into nearly every car they are making, just as a selling point. All they use the name for is for a selling point as well, so I can't see how im "hating" on muscle cars--it isn't one.

A true muscle car to me is back in the 60's when you could custom order your car with NO interior and ONE seat from Dodge. Until they get back to that point, which I can't see EVER happending, I won't feel the muscle car era has made a successful return.

 

They'll eventually do a two-door, unless the car is complete market flop.

The police departments have to be happy. It's real choice for a large RWD police sedan other than a Crown Vic.

 

does anyone else find a lot of chrylser's/dodge's latest rear ends to be really uninspired? it seems to me that at least with the three cars pictured here, they are designed with the entire rear end as a copy and paste afterthought. it does work on the magnum, i must admit, but otherwise i think it throws the design off. the front ends are so aggressively overdone, and the rear ends look completely plain and unfinished. the charger's rear end also bears a striking resemblance to the galant :barf: i'll not bring the cherokee or durango into this :ugh:

 

I respectfully disagree.
I think the rear ends on all of those 3 DCX cars are just fine.
In fact, I particularly like the Charger's tails. The molded curve and lip looks great as it carries through the taillights into the trunklid.

 

Lest there be any confusion... that Galant (bottom pic) needs serious help. h:

 

well, it's not that i think they're particularly ugly, but rather they're just plain and boring. the front ends are so aggressive and overstyled - what happened to the rear ends? they put me to sleep. there's hardly a hint that any actual design went on there. the tunk lip on the charger doesn't do anything for me. it's not interesting or imaginative at all, just another car with a trunk lip :dunno: