Dodge Avenger Replacement Confirmed – Sort Of

The Chrysler Group issued a statement yesterday explaining that the production of the 2014 Chrysler 200 and 2014 Dodge Avenger would end in December so that the company can begin preparing the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant to build two new vehicles – the 2015 Chrysler 200 and a currently unnamed midsized sedan that will replace the Dodge Avenger.

It has been speculated for some time that the Dodge Avenger would be killed off when the next generation Chrysler 200 was introduced but this is the first time that it has been officially suggested that there would still be a midsized Dodge sedan.  It has been assumed up to this point that the Avenger would be killed off so that the company would only offer one midsized sedan but yesterday’s announcement loosely confirms that there will be a Dodge alternative to the 2015 Chrysler 200.

The 2015 Chrysler 200 and the new Dodge midsized sedan will be built on the same CUSW platform that carries the new Dodge Dart and the new Jeep Cherokee.  We can expect the next 200 and the new Dodge sedan to be bigger than the Dart and possibly bigger than the current 200 and Avenger.  The midsized segment has seen a shift to the bigger side of things which is well represented by the likes of the Ford Fusion, the Mazda6, the Hyundai Sonata and the Kia Optima.  The Dodge Dart is slightly larger than the major players in the compact market (Cruze, Focus, Elantra) so to help differentiate the new 200 and mystery Dodge sedan from the new Dart – these new midsized sedans could follow the bigger design theme displayed by those models mentioned above.  Luckily, the Dodge Charger is so much bigger than the Dart and the current Avenger/200, Chrysler can add quite a bit of size to their new midsized entries without stepping on the Charger’s toes.

We can expect that the next generation Chrysler 200 and Dodge midsized sedan will come with either an efficiency-minded 4-cylinder engine (possibly the 2.4L TigerShark from the Dodge Dart lineup) along with a range topping Pentastar V6.  There is also the possibility that both of these new sedans will feature the new 3.2L Pentastar V6 rather than the 3.6L mill at work in the current 200 and Avenger – or the 3.2L will serve as the base engine while the 3.6L option would be a performance minded option.

With production of the 2015 Chrysler 200 and Dodge midsized sedan slated to start sometime during 2014 after retooling of the plant beginning in December – it shouldn’t be long before we know more about these new sedans.  Chrysler could use the LA Auto Show later this year or perhaps the Detroit show next January to debut this car with production beginning early in 2014.

Source: Automotive News

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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