Launched for 2008, the current-generation Dodge Challenger stays America’s favourite muscle automotive regardless of its age. Gross sales elevated by 1% in 2022, and the large coupe ended the yr forward of the Ford Mustang whereas outselling the Chevrolet Camaro by important margin.
Dodge offered 55,060 models of the Challenger in 2022, up from 54,314 in 2021. So as to add context, the corporate’s annual gross sales totaled 190,795 automobiles in 2022 together with 80,074 examples of the Charger (its best-selling mannequin) and merely 55,433 models of the Durango (a 16% drop from 2021). For these preserving monitor of zombie automobiles, Dodge additionally offered 194 models (!) of the Journey, 4 examples of the Dart, and a single Viper.
Whereas the unique Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro have been designed as pony automobiles, the current-generation fashions are typically lumped into the muscle automotive class and marketed because the Challenger’s direct rivals. Sticking to this logic, the Challenger simply outsold its rivals: 47,566 of the Mustang discovered a house in 2022, down from 52,414 in 2021, and Chevrolet offered 24,652 examples of the Camaro, up from 21,893 in 2021. Each fashions are supplied as a coupe and as a convertible (the Challenger is coupe-only; not less than from the manufacturing facility).
The Challenger’s success defies most typical enterprise fashions: The common automotive does not reside to see its fifteenth birthday, not to mention have a good time it by outselling its fundamental rivals. It additionally carried out higher than quite a few mainstream fashions together with the Jeep Cherokee (40,322 models), the Jeep Renegade (27,549 models), the Chevrolet Bolt and Bolt EUV (38,120 models mixed), and the Nissan Leaf (12,025 models). Age is not the one spectacular issue right here: The Challenger competes in a shrinking section of the business that lots of Dodge’s rivals have given up on.
Regardless of its success, the Challenger has almost reached the tip of its life. Dodge confirmed it should can the mannequin earlier than the tip of 2023, and most sources agree {that a} direct alternative is not within the pipeline. As an alternative, its spot within the vary shall be crammed by the manufacturing model of the electrical Charger Daytona SRT idea unveiled in 2022. EVs stay a distinct segment in our market, and the brand new coupe will inevitably value greater than the mannequin it replaces on account of its drivetrain, so it is going to be attention-grabbing to see if Dodge can proceed beating Ford and Chevrolet — particularly as manufacturing of the brand new Mustang ramps up. As for the Camaro, it sounds just like the heritage-laced nameplate will morph right into a sub-brand.
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