Upcoming Midsize Model Expected to be Bold and Unorthodox
Do you remember the Dodge Stratus? In model year 1996 it was Chrysler Group's answer to the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, and at
the time its attractive cab-forward design did a pretty good job of luring buyers through dealership doors and sending new Dodge customers down the road. Together with Sebring, its Chrysler-branded platform buddy, it peaked to sales of 251,000 in 2001, just after the introduction of its second generation, and current (less a mid-cycle upgrade) body style.
That Stratus was never sold in Canada, having been dropped from the lineup when Chrysler Group's Auburn Hills' execs made a strange decision to change our internal status from domestic to international, which to a large extent lumped us in with Europe and therefore excluded Dodge branded cars from being sold here.
I remember having a difference of opinions with a Chrysler marketing exec that
had just arrived from the U.S. to take over a top position within the Canadian division. I asked him why they sold the Intrepid under the Chrysler nameplate in Canada, and not the Dodge brand as it was offered south of the border. I questioned the company's decision to re-brand the model, due to all the advertising "bleeding" that occurred on U.S. cable networks, as well as U.S. sporting event sponsorships that pulled high volumes of Canadian viewers. I remember him telling me that there was no U.S. ad bleeds, and that local cable providers filled the ad space with localized advertisers? I was amazed at how little this person knew about his own business, and recommended that he spent a little time channel surfing to learn just how wrong he was.
Do you remember the Dodge Stratus? In model year 1996 it was Chrysler Group's answer to the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, and at
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| Do you remember the Dodge Stratus? In model year 1996 it was Chrysler Group's answer to the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler Canada) |
That Stratus was never sold in Canada, having been dropped from the lineup when Chrysler Group's Auburn Hills' execs made a strange decision to change our internal status from domestic to international, which to a large extent lumped us in with Europe and therefore excluded Dodge branded cars from being sold here.
I remember having a difference of opinions with a Chrysler marketing exec that
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| The current Stratus, along with its Chrysler platform mate Sebring,peaked to sales of 251,000 in 2001. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler Canada) |