Main reason why the Charger is a sedan
From the article:”If they pass inspection, they could replace hundreds of squad cars in the NYPD’s 3,000-vehicle patrol fleet, now dominated by Ford Crown Victorias and Chevrolet Impalas.” Imagine how many cities that will happen in across the US. Welcome to Business Case 101 for a new vehicle. If the Charger was a coupe, they wouldn’t be able to sell thousands of them as squad cars. In the end, it all comes down to money. The rest of us will have to wait for the Challenger.
NYPD adds Dodge muscle car to its fleet - detnews.com
February 21st, 2006 at 10:09 pm
I don’t get the purists hatred of the Charger. Okay so it has four doors. It is still a fastback and is a pretty tough looking car, especially the R/T and SRT. I know I find myself staring at Chargers that cross my path. Great Car!
Dodge sold 8K+ last month, putting it on pace for nearly 100K units a year. Trends are up.
I think Dodge knew exactly what they were doing with Charger. You can’t put out a more fringe product like Challenger without having a signature sedan than will move units. Same with Caliber. Now that Charger is getting established and selling pretty well, now you can go back and focus on your niches like the Challenger.
February 21st, 2006 at 10:46 pm
Well said.. .niche vehicles don’t keep the lights on. Don’t think for a second the Pontiac Solstice will make a dent in GM’s declining sales. Niche vehicles are there to create a halo effect for a brand.
I am really pleased with the Charger sales. They are making up for the lagging Magnum sales. Let’s hope Chrysler can pump out every penny of the LX platform so they can fund their $5 billion next generation product strategy.