Dodge Avenger to add attitude in medium car segment
Dodge will debut an edgy new medium car next week in Paris. But it's only a concept (wink, wink...)New entrant to the Aussie marketplace Dodge is hoping the car pictured here rings your bells. To be debuted at the Paris Show next week, the Avenger is the newly-global brand’s potential entry into the hotly-contested medium car segment.
Though a concept only at this stage, the front-wheel drive, Camry-sized four-door would be built on the same platform as the new Chrysler Sebring (which debuted at the London Motor Show in July). With more aggressive lines that echo the left-hand-drive-only, 300C-based Charger, and a heavy dose of Dodge DNA, the Avenger is expected to be offered in key right-hand drive markets, including Australia.
Indeed, the global emphasis of the Avenger is highlighted by the fact the concept car is powered by a Euro-friendly 2.0-litre turbodiesel four. If (when?) it comes Down Under, it’s most likely to sport 2.4-litre four-cylinder or 2.7/3.5-litre V6 petrol powerplants.
As noted above, the Avenger reprises the Charger (for more click
) shapely ‘coke-bottle’ rear flanks, short boot lid and serious rear deck lid spoiler. The profile is coupe-like and up front there’s a trademark body-colour Dodge crosshair grille, deep chin spoiler and quad headlamps. Nobody can accuse the Avenger of featuring ‘me too’ styling.Dodge is holding back on details of the car’s interior for its Paris reveal on September 29.
“This Avenger concept is another expression of where the Dodge brand is headed,” said Trevor Creed, Senior Vice President – Design, Chrysler Group.
“Avenger brings Dodge brand American muscle car heritage into the global mid-size car segment. It does for the global D-segment what Caliber has done in the global C-segment – it offers a unique alternative to the competition,” he said.
DaimlerChrysler Australia spokesperson Simon Johnson told CarPoint: “It’s an exciting concept which was it to be slated for production would make a great addition to the Dodge line-up in Australia.”
Dodge recently launched its first Aussie model, the Caliber, and has penciled in March 2007 as the debut date for its Nitro ‘crossover’. Though the Avenger is still officially a concept vehicle, the maker has made no secret it will launch a mid-sized vehicle into the local market later in 2007. No prizes for guessing which one!
When quizzed on whether the Avenger would sell alongside the Chrysler Sebring (for more click
), Johnson said the brands (Chrysler and Dodge) were “separate enough” to warrant their own entries into the marketplace.“The Avenger concept and Sebring have quite different top hats [styling] and if they were offered would, we believe, appeal to different buyers. They’d happily hold their own,” Johnson said.
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