Name change may not be enough to battle Asians

By Brett Clanton / The Detroit News

Chrysler is expected to yank the Stratus name from its Dodge midsize sedan when the car's replacement arrives in early 2007.

The new vehicle will be called Avenger, a moniker last used on a Dodge coupe that was killed off in 2000, according to sources familiar with the situation.

Chrysler officials declined to confirm the name change, which comes as the DaimlerChrysler AG unit is moving to toughen up the image of Dodge cars to mesh with the bold marketing of Dodge trucks.

Analysts say the car, even with a new name, will face challenges as it prepares to enter the ultra-competitive midsize passenger car category now ruled by the popular Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.

"It's going to be difficult to make as big of a splash as they have in other segments," said Erich Merkle, an industry analyst at IRN Inc. in Grand Rapids.

In 2004, Dodge passenger car sales plummeted by more than 25 percent, ending the year with 1.8 percent of the U.S. market, even as Chrysler's overall sales improved, according to Autodata Corp.

But the truck-heavy Dodge brand is hoping to revive car sales with vehicles like the recently launched Charger full-size sedan and upcoming Caliber, a small sport wagon due in early 2006.

"We always want to be competitive in these categories," said Chrysler spokeswoman Beth Ann Bayus. "That's certainly a priority for us."

The Avenger name was last seen on a coupe built for Dodge by Mitsubishi Motors Corp. that was on the market between 1995 and 2000. The nameplate also appeared on a 2003 concept vehicle.

Avenger is an improvement over Stratus, a name that reinforced the blandness of the current vehicle, said Jim Hall, an analyst with AutoPacific in Detroit.

"When the name is a punch line in a 'Saturday Night Live' skit, you got problems," Hall said, referring to a sketch starring Will Farrell as the father of a dysfunctional family who repeatedly screams "I drive a Dodge Stratus!"

Chrysler will spend $240 million to renovate a factory in Sterling Heights for the launch of the next generation Chrysler Sebring sedan and convertible and the four-door Avenger. The first Sebring is expected next summer.

The Sebring-Stratus lineup hit its peak in 2001 with sales of 251,000, according to industry consultant Global Insight. But the Sebring-Avenger combo is expected to fall short of that mark.

 

F***in Idiots...the Avenger was a horrible car and thats why it was discontinued. I think they made minivans that were faster. The Stratus has been a somewhat popular car all things considered....with the plymouth breeze and chrysler cirrus cars.....and now they are going to rename it BACK to Avenger????

No wonder the only good Dodge is a truck!!! [:@][>:]

Don't mind me, I just hate to see good cars getting screwed with for crappy replacements, just like the Neon.

 

yeah avengers suck, but what about stealth?

teh charger is a great Dodge car, and the caliber will hold its own too, don't get down on those.

 

The stealth was more an issue from Mitsubishi rather then Dodge. You have to remember the Stealth is a 3000GT clone essentially. Basically like the Eclipse, Talon, Laser, and more recently, the Stratus Coupe.

These new vehicles could be great, at least in the Caliber's aspect. I'm just really disappointed to see decent selling cars tossed for a more "muscular" or generation X appealing name.

 

teh sales of the stratus both sedan and coupe have gone in the ****er. here is a sales chart. i think redoing it is for the best.



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Wow... I don't care for that at all...

~Amanda

 

What that sales graph doesnt tell you though is how many Chrysler Sebring (stratus) have been sold. This is why I hate most of the American car companies. They take one model car and make it into like 4 versions. Then they sell it under a bunch of different badging. Then, if one car is doing so **** poorly, they just write it off.

Case in point.

Sebring/Avenger
Sebring/Stratus Coupe
Sebring/Stratus 4 door

Chevy Blazer/GMC Envoy/Buick whatever the hell its called/Saturn whatever the hell its called
Ford Crown Vic/Mercury Grand Marquis

The list goes on and on....and while I am all for change......dont kill an entire line of cars because YOU diluted one brand with too many off brands. That's what happened to the Camaro, to the Talon/Laser, to the 3000GT/Stealth. It wasnt because all the cars were poorly sold, it's simply because one specific model was poorly sold. Let's face it, Chrysler cars are prettier and more "upscale" looking then the Dodge counterparts....doesnt it strike you as odd how the article pointed at the Stratus, but not the Sebring? I find that VERY alarming.

Another reason for sales loss to the Stratus is plain and simple, Dodge has nothing except the Neon, Stratus, and now the Charger in the way of cars. While I would hate to see this, they should just pull the entire Dodge car lineup and make only Dodge trucks and Chrysler brand cars.....

As much as I hate to say it.....isnt that pretty much what is already starting to happen now?

 

Noo! The Avenger is terrible! Especially the concept pics floating around. Dodge does not need to replace the Stratus and if they did, replace it with the Stealth...not the Avenger




-Matt-

 

ALL car company do this. Asia Accually do it alot more offten in there so call lexury cars are nothing more then Camrys and maximas with leather.

You people and car names, Who cares what a cars named, the car itself is much more important.

 

Umm, the Chrysler Sebring was never a 4 door model until well after the Stratus was established. It's since going to be continued while the Stratus is going to be canned for a different name/altered car? I'm sorry, but the Sebring is the EXACT SAME CAR as the Stratus, albeit different bumper covers and taillights/headlights. I care what a car is named because it's obvious DCX doesnt care about brand loyalty. Think of all the cool cars they have killed the last few years....not to mention how they are utilizing more and more Mitsubishi products for their cars. The Stratus/Sebring/Avenger will be on the new Galant frame as of 2007.

It's no wonder Chevy/Ford own the car world here in the USA. Dodge/Chrysler is killing every good car they have. I think they've managed to keep maybe 3-4 cars on the market for a dozen years or so? I mean, Chevy & Ford average per car roughly 15 yrs of life.....which is saying alot to me.