And Dodge needs something good in the midsize segment, having been beaten up terribly there, and for that matter within its entire
 |
| Dodge introduced its Caliber concept in Toronto yesterday. (Photo: Éric Descarries) |
passenger car division, over the last few years. Sales of the brand's cars dropped by 25 percent in 2004, at least in the U.S., which left it with only 1.8 percent of the passenger car market share - and that while Chrysler's overall sales were improving.
But Dodge is seen as a truck and SUV brand, and while it seems as if much emphasis is now being placed on its car line, it hasn't forgotten that the tough truck image got it to where it is today. Therefore the Nitro, a new midsize SUV based on a lengthened Liberty chassis, is on the way (see automotive news
 |
| The new Dodge Nitro, just announced for production, was also shown in concept form in Toronto's distillery district. (Photo: Éric Descarries) |
for Oct 7, 2005: Dodge Announces Nitro is a Go!). Another Ram-branded SUV may follow, based on the new Caliber, but no announcement has been made yet.
When Avenger is added as Dodge's midsize car contender, the domestic brand will finally have a full model lineup in Canada, starting with Caliber, and then moving up to Avenger, Charger and Magnum - the latter two not necessarily in that order. The addition of Nitro will mean that its SUV lineup will be almost entirely full, with a compact SUV still missing and no true full-size model available - the latter is a dying breed as it is so Dodge's larger than midsize Durango is ideally placed.
