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Dodge Charger and Challenger will live on, but a new Viper is unlikely

BALOCCO, Italy — As FCA's latest five-year plan was presented last week, most of the day was focused on four brands — Jeep, Ram, Maserati and Alfa Romeo. That left a lot of people wondering about the future of the Chrysler, Fiat and Dodge nameplates. At the last five-year event, Dodge was one of the main features. We heard plans for an expanded lineup that included refreshed versions of the Viper, Challenger and Charger, the last two riding on the Alfa Romeo Giorgio platform. Times sure have changed. Dodge isn't going away, but the brand will be narrowed and focused. Performance is the name of the game, but don't look for a new Viper anytime soon. FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne simply said it's "not in the plan." Marchionne thought it was a great idea but that it couldn't live on as a standalone product. If it does eventually return, expect it to share parts with other FCA products, possibly with one of the upcoming Maseratis. On the other hand, Marchionne confirmed that both the Dodge Challenger and Charger will continue to live on. In the last five-year plan, FCA said that the pair would share underpinnings with future Alfa Romeos. That was promising news for those hoping for smaller, lighter versions of each model that would be better suited to fight models like the Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro. It seems the Alfa Romeo platform is off the table. Marchionne said the current LX platform would indeed live on, though it would be "unrecognizable" compared to what we have today. The LX architecture is ancient, and, although it's been continuously updated, its basic bones date back to the DaimlerChrysler days. Marchionne said that the Alfa platform just doesn't have the character American shoppers are looking for in those vehicles. It's unclear when the next iteration of the Charger and Challenger will arrive, but expect another refresh sometime before 2022. Look for an updated version of the tried-and-true Hemi V8. Rumors continue to swirl about a larger and more powerful 7.0-liter variant dubbed the Banshee, but we'll have to wait and see how that pans out. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Dodge Dart pushed toward the grave with simplified lineup

FCA announced a while back that the Dodge Dart and its Chrysler 200 half-sibling are on the way out due to lack of interest. The 2016 model year will be the Dart's last, and Dodge has just reconfigured the lineup mid-year to lower (relative) pricing and streamline ordering. Streamlined is a nice way of saying there will be fewer choices, with three models (down from five) and limited customization beyond choosing the paint color. The odd thing is that the Dart continues to offer three different engines. And while the prices of the individual models have decreased, the former SE base trim is now gone. That means an early-2016 Dart was available for as little as $17,990, while the late-2016 Dart starts at $18,990. For that sum you get the new base model, the SXT Sport, which replaces the SXT and comes with the 2.0-liter Tigershark four-cylinder (160 horsepower, 148 lb-ft of torque) and a six-speed manual; a six-speed automatic is an available option. Standard equipment includes normal entry-level car stuff, black cloth upholstery, 16-inch wheels, and grille shutters that help improve fuel economy. The SXT Sport can be dressed up with one of three different appearance packages; Chrome adds bright accents to parts including the grille and door handles, Rallye has a black grille and a touring suspension, and the Blacktop package makes pretty much everything on the exterior black and includes a sport-tuned suspension. All three packages come with bigger wheels, too. From there it's on to the new Dart Turbo, for $20,490. It comes with the 1.4-liter turbo four (160 hp, 184 lb-ft of torque) and comes exclusively with a six-speed manual transmission. This is supposed to be the model for enthusiasts, which is how Dodge is selling the switch to manual-only. Ditching the disliked dual-clutch automatic that was previously offered with this engine doesn't hurt. This engine was also used in the former Aero model, as it's the most fuel-efficient in the lineup. The Turbo gets the Rallye appearance stuff and a different hood. At the top is the Dart GT Sport, starting at $21,900. It has the 184-hp, 2.4-liter Tigershark four-cylinder and a choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmission. This is the one with features, including a power driver's seat, the 8.4-inch Uconnect infotainment unit, digital reconfigurable gauges, dual-zone auto climate, keyless start, and a rearview camera. The latter-part-of-2016 Dart will be available in eight colors.

FCA applies to trademark 'Hornet' and 'Dodge Hornet' names

FCA's trademark binge on March 6 isn't the only time this month that the automaker's appealed to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Motor Trend discovered two applications FCA submitted on March 3, one for "Dodge Hornet," the other simply for "Hornet." The automaker requested to reserve both names in Canada and Mexico, too. The only time Dodge has ever used the Hornet name was on a chunky, four-door subcompact hatchback revealed at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show, planned for the European market with a 170-horsepower engine developed with BMW. Crowds loved the car, encouraging Chrysler to find a way to put it into production. What followed was three years of aborted platform-swapping efforts first with Chinese automaker Chery and then with Nissan before Chrysler gave up. In 2009, analysts suspected new owner Fiat might try to get a Hornet done on one of the Italian automaker's European platforms. Nothing came of that, either, FCA opting to resurrect another historical nameplate for the Dodge Dart sedan in 2011. If a new Dodge model gets the Hornet label, the best guess for a product that needs to succeed in North America is a crossover. With the Grand Caravan soon headed to pasture and the Journey expected to follow soon after, the brand will be left with a big sedan, a big coupe, and a big three-row crossover. A reborn Hornet could pick up where the concept left off, slotting into the compact space left by the outgoing Journey and where models like the Nitro and Caliber once lived. Another guess posits something a little larger, based off the Chrysler Pacifica platform, to lower development costs and increase utilization at the Windsor, Ontario, plant that builds the Pacifica and Grand Caravan. Or the Hornet could be a PSA Group model reworked into service for our market; that opens up the size choices, although PSA is moving all of its products to two platforms, both front-wheel-drive based. It's possible Dodge won't do anything with the name, the recent application nothing more than an attempt to reserve company property. Hudson reserved Hornet in 1950 for a sedan built from 1951 to 1954. After Hudson merged with Nash to form AMC, AMC used the name on a compact sedan built from 1969 to 1977. Chrysler took over AMC in 1987, letting the Hornet trademark expire in 1992.