UPDATE: Next Generation of Dodge Charger and Challenger Models Will Not Be Switching Vehicle Platforms
Despite rumors of the two cars utilizing a platform developed for Alfa Romeo or Maserati models, both the Dodge Charger and Challenger will continue utilizing a modified version of their current platform
FCA obviously believes that if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it
During Fiat Chrysler’s Capital Markets presentation, current FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne not only shared an outline for the automaker’s goals moving forward; he also dismissed a number of popular rumors. First, Marchionne stated that FCA had no plans to bring back the Dodge Viper any time soon.
Marchionne also announced that the Dodge Challenger and Charger would not be receiving an Alfa Romeo Giorgio platform for their next iteration.
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The current platform utilized by both the Charger and the Challenger was developed by Chrysler and Daimler back when the former was merged with the latter. That platform, which was also used by the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, dates back to the 1990s.
Although the platform has received some upgrades over the years, most notably in 2011, many automotive enthusiasts have come to believe that the Challenger’s current underbody is becoming long in the tooth, so to speak. Therefore, when FCA reintroduced Alfa Romeo to American audiences in the form of the Alfa Romeo Giulia, enthusiasts and analysts from across the industry assumed that the Giulia’s new platform, dubbed the Giorgio, would find its way to Dodge’s passenger car lineup.
Looks like the Giorgio platform will be sticking with Alfa Romeo for the time being
Yet, Marchionne eliminated the possibility of that happening with his announcement last week. Of course, Marchionne’s reasoning for not switching platforms is ultimately pretty sound.
“The problem with Giorgio is from size and capability standpoint it reflects much more of a European performance requirement than it does the American heritage of Dodge,” the CEO remarked. Simply put, the European platform of the Giulia simply doesn’t complement the heavy Hemi V-8 engines under the hoods of the Dodge Challenger and Charger.
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Another rumored platform for the Dodge Challenger and Charger came in the form of the Maserati Ghibli platform. However, with rumors of FCA planning to spin off Maserati, this possibility seems just as unlikely as FCA using the Giulia’s platform.
Instead, the Dodge Challenger and Charger are set to use the same platforms, albeit with additional restructuring by the time the next generation of the models rolls out. While it is a bit disappointing to hear that the Challenger and Charger won’t be receiving new vehicle platforms for their next iteration, sacrificing the power that Dodge’s Hemi engines provide to the models in exchange for said new platform simply might not have been worth the cost.
News Source: CarBuzz
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