{"id":24350,"date":"2019-11-08T14:29:02","date_gmt":"2019-11-08T18:29:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=24350"},"modified":"2019-11-08T14:29:02","modified_gmt":"2019-11-08T18:29:02","slug":"attitude-drives-dodge-charger-to-top-of-big-sedan-market","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2019\/11\/attitude-drives-dodge-charger-to-top-of-big-sedan-market","title":{"rendered":"Attitude drives Dodge Charger to top of big sedan market"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"speakable-p-1 p-text\">The big-sedan market is cratering &#8230;\u00a0with one exception.<\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable-p-2 p-text\">Defying the market&#8217;s stampede to SUVs\u00a0and the demise of storied nameplates like the Impala and Taurus,\u00a0the Dodge Charger\u00a0is recording strong sales.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Riding the sex appeal of rear-wheel drive performance nameplates like the Hellcat and Scat Pack, the Charger has revved sales to over 71,000\u00a0this year through September. That&#8217;s a 20% increase over 2018. The Charger is on track for its third year atop the\u00a0large-sedan market segment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cWhat separates us from everyone else in that segment is I don\u2019t think anyone looks at Charger and says that\u2019s a boring, bland car,\u201d says Jeff Strauss, Dodge\u00a0sales chief. \u201cWe take a lot of pride in that fact that our cars have a lot of attitude.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SO15SEXnD-E\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/11\/04\/PDTN\/012fb91d-bb8a-4093-95c0-169470d570ea-DG019_046CHr2329c4rsjl24s56e3btg4pteu.jpg?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"2019 Dodge Charger GT\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/11\/04\/PDTN\/012fb91d-bb8a-4093-95c0-169470d570ea-DG019_046CHr2329c4rsjl24s56e3btg4pteu.jpg\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/11\/04\/PDTN\/012fb91d-bb8a-4093-95c0-169470d570ea-DG019_046CHr2329c4rsjl24s56e3btg4pteu.jpg\" \/>2019 Dodge Charger GT\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: FCA)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\">That attitude has been key to the Charger\u2019s sales growth in a segment traditionally ruled by front-wheel drive boulevard cruisers like the Chevrolet\u00a0Impala and Toyota Avalon. Avalon sales have cratered by 50% since 2014, while the Impala has been axed from Chevy\u2019s lineup due to poor sales. Once a segment leader, Impala sales have fallen 60% in the last five years.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">In contrast, Dodge\u2019s full-size four-door\u00a0amped up its performance brand with a marketing blitz starting in 2015. The introduction of a 707-horsepower Hellcat model \u2014 followed by a steady stream of performance upgrades continuing with 2020\u2019s limited-edition Daytona and muscular Widebody variants \u2014 took the market by storm and gave customers a reason to stick with sedans over boxier SUVs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">With sinister fascias, fat tires and colors like Sinamon Stick and Hellraisin, the Chargers are some of the most recognizable cars on the road.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SO15SEWwNbo\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/11\/04\/PDTN\/7e914493-bb51-4b2e-8f70-5d7f2818ba3d-DG019_090CHqa8v5cr72ripa6sdb1fdh46p7.jpg?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"2019 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Octane Edition\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/11\/04\/PDTN\/7e914493-bb51-4b2e-8f70-5d7f2818ba3d-DG019_090CHqa8v5cr72ripa6sdb1fdh46p7.jpg\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/11\/04\/PDTN\/7e914493-bb51-4b2e-8f70-5d7f2818ba3d-DG019_090CHqa8v5cr72ripa6sdb1fdh46p7.jpg\" \/>2019 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Octane Edition\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: FCA)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\">\u201cI just want to make bad ass-looking cars,\u201d Charger chief designer Mark Trostle said at a media test-drive of the Charger\u2019s latest Hellcat and Scat Pack wide bodies.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Cox Automotive analyst Karl Brauer says that the current generation of unibody SUVs have lapped sedan sales because they offer so much upside \u2014 hatchback utility, interior room, high seating position \u2014 with little downside in handling or fuel efficiency.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cSedan\u2019s advantages are in a lighter weight, lower center of gravity and sleek looks,\u201d says Brauer. \u201cPeople don\u2019t want just a large sedan that an SUV does better. But give them a V-8 with personality and they will find that interesting.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SO15SEX2aCs\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/11\/01\/PDTN\/525c0dc1-cb88-407d-8d84-b260cf45c8df-charger_hellcat-badge.JPG?crop=1920,1522,x650,y530&amp;width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The Hellcat badge, seen on a 2020 Dodge Charger Widebody Hellcat, has become widely recognized and helped juice Charger sales to No. 1 in full-size sedans.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/11\/01\/PDTN\/525c0dc1-cb88-407d-8d84-b260cf45c8df-charger_hellcat-badge.JPG?crop=1920,1522,x650,y530\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/11\/01\/PDTN\/525c0dc1-cb88-407d-8d84-b260cf45c8df-charger_hellcat-badge.JPG?crop=1920,1522,x650,y530\" \/>The Hellcat badge, seen on a 2020 Dodge Charger Widebody Hellcat, has become widely recognized and helped juice Charger sales to No. 1 in full-size sedans.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Henry Payne, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\">\u201cWhat\u2019s impressive about Dodge is that they emphasized these attributes with V-8 powered Hellcats and Scat Packs and leveraged the brand\u2019s performance heritage to create cars that really stand\u00a0out.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">That Charger heritage reaches all back to 1966 at the height of the &#8217;60s muscle car era when the first rear-wheel drive Charger debuted with a powerful V-8\u00a0and fastback body style. After some lean years in the front-wheel drive wilderness in the 1980s, Dodge brought the Charger back in 2006 as a rear-wheel drive sedan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cNot everyone wants an SUV,\u201d said Strauss. \u201cWe realize that Dodge is 3% of a huge industry, but we also realize that 3%\u00a0can be a big deal if you have a car that has really solid DNA. (Charger) stands for something and that\u2019s why people buy our\u00a0cars.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SO15SEWshlk\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/11\/04\/PDTN\/134684a7-a7b9-4502-8e9d-7f8ea1da44b3-DG019_011CHerpsccmr0hg2177pu0td8ql8tq.jpg?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"2019 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat featuring new performance grille with dual air inlets\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/11\/04\/PDTN\/134684a7-a7b9-4502-8e9d-7f8ea1da44b3-DG019_011CHerpsccmr0hg2177pu0td8ql8tq.jpg\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2019\/11\/04\/PDTN\/134684a7-a7b9-4502-8e9d-7f8ea1da44b3-DG019_011CHerpsccmr0hg2177pu0td8ql8tq.jpg\" \/>2019 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat featuring new performance grille with dual air inlets\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: FCA)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\">Analyst Brauer says that other full-size sedans in the segment used to stand for something, too, but companies didn\u2019t invest in brand equity like Dodge.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cThe Ford Taurus and Nissan Maxima have been marketed as performance cars,\u201d said Brauer. \u201cBut they are front-wheel drive sedans and Ford and Nissan have not put as much energy into selling them as Dodge has the Charger.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">As rivals have fallen away, the Charger has emerged as the segment sales leader. Brauer says that the Charger has also benefited from the timing of GM\u2019s bankruptcy. \u201cCharger absolutely cashed in on the loss of Pontiac,\u201d he says of the GM&#8217;s former performance brand.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ad-position-54\" class=\"partner-placement partner-spike partner-placement-visible\" data-ad-placement=\"native-article_link\" data-ad-sizes=\"[&quot;fluid&quot;,[3,3], [2,6]]\" data-monetization-id=\"native-article_link\" data-monetization-sizes=\"fluid,3,3,2,6\">Still, the market remains challenging for large cars, and Charger sales had dipped 17% from 97,110 in 2016 before this year\u2019s rebound. As\u00a0with its Ram\u00a0trucks that have eclipsed Silverado sales this year, Dodge is typically aggressive with rental fleet Charger sales.<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">In addition to bringing customers into showrooms, the Charger has\u00a0fattened Dodge profits. A Charger Hellcat Widebody can fetch prices north of $80,000,\u00a0producing BMW-like luxury price spreads from the entry-level $30,000 Charger.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cYou can get an awesome V-6 for just $30,000\u00a0\u2014 then we go all the way up the line to an R\/T, Scat Pack\u00a0and ultimate Hellcat,\u201d said sales boss Strauss. \u201cIf we can get (consumers) into the brand with that awesome performance look, that customer ultimately might buy the Hellcat. We are growing customers through the brand.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">And growing sedan sales against the SUV tide.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The big-sedan market is cratering &#8230;\u00a0with one exception. Defying the market&#8217;s stampede to SUVs\u00a0and the demise of storied nameplates like the Impala and Taurus,\u00a0the Dodge Charger\u00a0is recording strong sales. Riding the sex appeal of rear-wheel drive performance nameplates like the Hellcat and Scat Pack, the Charger has revved sales to over 71,000\u00a0this year through September. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24350"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24350"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24350\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24350"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24350"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24350"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}