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| Just as quickly as it arrived, its now exiting stage left. 2016 will be the Dodge Dart's swan song. |
In a past post, I mentioned how
FCA was considering axing the Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200 sedans. And now, it's
official. At least for the Dart anyways. 2016 will be the final model year for
Dodge's compact sedan. For the second half of 2016, the Dart's lineup will be
simplified to just 3 trim levels: SXT Sport, Turbo, and GT Sport. Customization
options, a Dart trademark, will also be simplified and the dual-clutch
transmission that was previously available will be gone too, all in an effort
to make the Dart's transition to the big parking lot in the sky a little more comfortable.
Reviving a name from Dodge's
past, the Dart was introduced in the 2013 model year as a replacement for the
Caliber hatchback. FCA cites slow sales and a desire to want to focus more on
crossovers, trucks, and SUVs moving forward as the reason the Dart is being put
out to pasture. The related 200 sedan will likely meet a similar fate soon,
although Sergio Marchionne has expressed some interest in keeping the 200 alive
if another company will assist in producing it.
The new 200 I've noticed has
been a relatively good seller for Chrysler, despite not being
"perfect" in its segment. If you want to find out more about this
model, I tested the 200 awhile back and you'll be taken to my in-depth review
on it by following the link below:
- http://www.adamsautos.org/2015/11/2015-chrysler-200-review.html
Will you miss the modern-day
Dart? My impression of the car is that its relatively average overall. But then
again, I see them on the road fairly often seems like, and discontinuing it
(and potentially the 200 too) seems to be an odd move because this will leave
Chrysler without any offerings in the compact OR mid-sized car segments. And those
are two of the most competitive segments on the planet right now! An SRT-4
model of the Dart might have helped spice things up a little bit instead of
simply offering "appearance package" options... But hindsight is always 20/20,
right? We'll see how this move works out for the company moving forward.
More Info:
- http://www.motortrend.com/news/2016-dodge-dart-lineup-simplified-three-trim-levels/
- http://fcauthority.com/2016/07/dodge-dart-to-be-discontinued-in-september/
